By The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you plan to fly during the next two weeks, brace yourself for lines, delays and frazzled nerves. Most days during the next two weeks will be busier than the year-to-date daily average of 228,000.
Hartsfield-Jackson officials expect a bigger crowd Thursday than any other day this year, eclipsing the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which often ranks at the top.
The crowded conditions were complicated by bad weather early this morning. Low clouds caused delays averaging just over 30 minutes for some arriving flights, and problems elsewhere were forcing some departure delays.
Airport officials reported both the north and south economy parking lots were full at 9 a.m.
A total of 287,615 people are expected to pass through the Atlanta airport Thursday. The second-busiest day during the upcoming holiday is expected to be Monday, with 278,317 passengers. Overall, the airport expects traffic to be up 3 percent from the same period in 2003, keeping the airport on track to have its busiest year ever.
The best part of all this? I'm not there!
This year, I chose not to travel during the busy holiday season. Since I open the zendo on Monday nights, I would have to return on Sunday or Monday, and based on my hunch that the travel conditions were going to be what the AJC reported above, the option of staying at home sounded much more attractive.
Recent search engine hits:
1. At 2:43 yesterday afternoon, someone on AOL in the Central Time Zone Googled "Greg at Bed Bath and Beyond in Tallahassee," and got referred to this blog, although I'll be damned if I can't find the link that lead him here.
2. At 8:59 this morning, I got another Michael Creighton hit! Someone on Comcast in Eastern Standard Time did an MSN search for "Michael Creighton and environmentalism" and got referred to my November 18 entry, although the link led the person to this front page. I hope the person found the right entry, and didn't get stuck at yesterday's entry about the other Michael Creighton searches. But anyway, Michael Creighton, Michael Creighton, Michael Creighton!
However, none of this matters because . . . the football pool has begun! Yes, last night marked the start of the 19th annual family football pool. The number of participants is rather small (only 6 this year, although there's been 10 or more in years past), and at $25 per head, the pool is only $150, but it's not the money that counts - it's the pride. The bragging rights. I consider myself THE college football fan in the family, yet I lost something like the first 15 pools. In 2001 and -2, I finally won (and two in a row), but choked the next year (damn you Clemson!!!!). But this year it looks like I have a good shot (click on the graph to make it readable):
It looks like everyone saw Bowling Green's win over Memphis coming, so we're all tied with one win each. But tonight, with a Marshall victory over Cincinnati, I can get one game ahead of my Brother-in-Law, my Mother and Witch Doctor Jim, and with a UCLA blow-out of Wyoming, I can leave the Witch Doctor behind in a cloud of dust.
Top Ten Most Polite Ways to Say Your Zipper Is Down.........
by David Letterman
10. The cucumber has left the salad.
9. Quasimodo needs to go back in the tower and tend to his bells.
8. You need to bring your tray table to the upright and locked position.
7. Paging Mr. Johnson... Paging Mr. Johnson..
6. Elvis is leaving the building.
5. The Buick is not all the way in the garage.
4. Our next guest is someone who needs no introduction.
3. You've got a security breach at Los Pantalones.
2. Men may be From Mars.....but I can see something that rhymes with Venus.
And the #1 way to tell someone his zipper is unzipped.....
1. I always knew you were crazy, but now I can see your nuts.
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