12 hours in Maryland:

I flew to Baltimore last night, catching a flight at 8:15 that got into BWI at 11:15. It was a pretty good flight, despite my all-abiding hatred for Southwest. (Stupid Southwest with its stupid non-assigned seating and its stupid refusing to tell you that your flight is delayed and its stupid screaming babies) The guy next to me was pretty interesting, if a bit too "Wow! A math degree from the University of Chicago! That's really great!" (Side note: how does one respond to that? I smile and say thanks, but does anyone else have a suggestion?) He also bought me a drink, which predisposed me towards him.

Despite the delay taking off, the flight landed pretty close to on time, and due to fortuitous circumstances, it managed not to take an hour and a half to get to the hotel. In fact, I was checked into my room by 11:45 despite the following exchange:
Desk Clerk: You have to leave a credit card, for incidentals.
Me: (digging franctically through my purse) Hmm, I don't seem to have one. Is an ATM card OK?
DC: Yeah, but it'll hold the money for 7-10 days.
M: How much money (trying to remember how much will be left in my account after the rent check clears)
DC: $30
M: Oh, that's fine.
DC: (swipes card through) Oh, this doesn't have a major credit card. We can't take it. You can leave $20 in cash.
M: Hmm. (I start going through my wallet) I have $18.
DC: It's $20.
I finally gave her dimes, which was my meter money. Stupid.

Anyway, quick shower, a little Cartoon Network, and sleep. Wake up approximately 5 hours later. Hit snooze button. And again. And again. Finally get up, throw my stuff into a suitcase, go check out.

I went to my test then. The first time I took it, it ran over three hours. This time was under an hour and a half. I was out by 9:30 (I'm 95% sure I passed, too, but she couldn't tell me for sure. It still has to go through quality control or something). Problem. My flight is not scheduled until 4 this afternoon, and hanging around BWI for the next 6 hours is going to suck.

I called the travel agency and discover that 12:45 and 1:30 flights are booked, probably because of the holiday weekend. Urrgh. I decided to go to the airport anyway, to see if I could standby on one of those. I got to the airport about 10:30 and to the ticketing agent by 10:45. She said that she couldn't confirm me on anything, but that the 10:45 flight had been delayed, so I should try that. When I got to the gate, I discovered that the other flight hadn't even arrived, and that they had tickets. So I get in (though natch in the C boarding group). I'm back in Chicago by 12:30. Wow!

I realise this piece bears little in common with the New York Times' "36 hours in _city_" You know, I didn't eat in Baltimore at all, and all I had to drink was a glass of wine on the plane (not very good-- I'm sure you're shocked). But that was my experience.