Spokane to Seattle to Vancouver

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Right now, I’m sitting at Gate D54 in the Vancouver airport and waiting for British Airways flight 86 to London.

A little kid is playing with his mother in a large toy boat. A kid with long hair and Vans shoes is plucking away at an acoustic guitar. And a half dozen people are lounging around the media center watching Lou Dobbs on mute, which is the best way to watch Dobbs.

The weather is overcast, but warm. The terminal is quiet and the airport, in general, makes very little sense.

When I got off the plane in Canada, I walked into the terminal and was shuffled around through customs until I was back outside security. So I had to check in at the front desk where I was told they couldn’t read the number on my luggage receipt. But they said it would get to London.

Then I went back through security (much easier than in the U.S.).

So here I sit. About two hours to go.

I couple of girls were throwing a ball back and forth across about 60 feet of terminal. And that kid is still playing his guitar.

All of this started yesterday. John and I went to lunch with his dad. Then we set out across the state, stopping at the Vantage scenic overlook of the Columbia.

Once in Seattle, we met Landen for dinner at The Ram with some nice house-brewed porters. I filed a story to the Spokesman and then we had a couple drinks before heading to a pub on the Ave called the Irish Emigrant for Guinness and pool.

We stayed up till 4:30 a.m. Woke at about 8:30 a.m. Then again at 9. Then fought traffic to get to Sea-Tac where I stood in the longest line ever for security (six switchbacks and a formation off into the horizon).

The plane spent longer taxing into position than it did in the air. And now I’m here. So there’s that. This post was long. But this is the end of the beginning.

This time tomorrow I will be in Dublin. And then the fun really begins.