Up and Away (Just)

My new role starting in a few weeks time is going to involve a lot of flying. So it may be somewhat ironic that my last flight somewhere in this current role so nearly ended in embarrassment (I originally wrote disaster rather than embarrassment but when talking about flying the word disaster conjures up rather different connotations).

A sales meeting up in Edinburgh meant an early flight out of Luton. This shouldn't be too much of a problem in itself, although I prefer Birmingham. Alarm clock set I went to bed. Next morning the alarm went off and I woke, got up and did the things you have to do firs thing in the morning. At some point during this process, probably around the time I was brushing my teeth, it dawned on me that I had set the alarm for the time I needed to depart rather than the time I should get up.

No need to panic. Still time. Skip coffee with the plan of getting it at the airport. In the car and set off down the M1. After all, it's still early so shouldn't be too much traffic. But this is the M1 we are talking about. It is busier than I expect. Then I hit the road works. About then I also realise that I forgot my jacket and that I have hand luggage so the deodorant and after shave are too big in volume to go through security. This is really not going to plan. Regarding the jacket, I will just stay in the hotel for three days. As to the after shave I will take it out and leave it in the boot when I park at the airport.

Except the roadworks mean big delays. I watch the minutes counting down on the dashboard. And get more and more worried. I'm someone who is usually at the airport 3 hours before a flight. This is not good.

By the time I get to the airport there is twenty minutes before the gate opens. One positive is that I have already printed off my boarding pass. But as I go to get my liquids out of my luggage the airport bus pulls up. No time. I have to rush to the bus. I will just have to discard the offending times.

Into the terminal. To the departure gate. Realise I don't have a plastic bag for the liquids of 100ml or less. And one of those is the after shave that was a present from Junior. I don't mind throwing the deodorant (although over the next few days others at the conference may not agree) but I don't want to throw the after shave. I don't have change to buy a bag from the dispenser. OK. What to do? Ha. There is a rather attractive blond just putting some money into the machine. And they dispense 4 bags at a time, not one. Charm offensive time. I put on my best puppy dog face and move into field of vision. She's struggling to open the dispensing egg. And offers me a bag if I can help. Which of course I do!

Sorted I rush to security. Who seem to be on a go slow. But I am through, don't pause to look at duty free and into the departure lounge. 5 minutes to spare. And the rest of my colleagues laughing at me, so obviously harrassed by turning up so close to take off.

And as I sit on the plane I realise I still haven't had my coffee.