Y8 D4

I know it's going to look like there was a gap in this missing out on Sunday, but not true. Time changes are a bitch. I really didn't miss a day. I won't have to make another trip like that soon thank goodness.

24+ hours to get home. Let's see if I can bring it all together. Woke up 2am London time. Got all my shit together, ate the leftover donuts I still had, and headed down to the lobby at 4:30am. My driver arrived about 4:50. Not too bad. He was scheduled for 5am. We then made it to the airport around 5:30am. Why so quick? Because my driver was insane. I managed to get a picture at one point of his speedometer. He was doing 93 on the M4. He had a Mercedes which beeped at him when he was too close to someone either in front or behind and that thing was beeping the whole drive. Scariest fucking ride ever.

He dropped me off and I went inside to the boarding pass machine. I grabbed my pass and then decided to se if there was an upgrade available. Best decision ever. It cost me $450 out of pocket, but I has a business class flight to DFW and then an automatic 1st class from DFW to home. Some of the best money spent. The business class pods on this flight were awesome. Full menu of food and beverages, complete lay-flat seats, full size pillows and blankets, travel kit to keep from Cole Haan, expedited security through Heathrow, and more. The security part was a blessing. Instead of 500 people ahead of me (no exaggeration), there were 20. Not quite as good as TSA Pre as I still had to take things out of my bag, but the difference in line was worth it. Went to the Heathrow Admiral's Club as I had almost 2 hours before my flight. Wow. What a club. This is what I pay for each year. The ability to truly relax. Full food and beverage, showers, private chairs. I could get used to this part of travel if US clubs were this good.

While waiting for my flight I did do some duty free shopping. I brought home some small things for B like biscuits. I did somehow lose one of my Hogwarts chocolate bars which sucks. But oh well.

Boarded my flight, ate, then slept for about 4 or 5 hours. It was almost a 10 hour flight and I still had plenty of time to kill. I watched a lot of The Middle. Got to DFW at 1:48pm. I had 2.5 hours to get off the plane, get through customs, go back through security, change terminals, and get to my new gate. I did it in an hour. Go me. I was dripping sweat by the time I hit terminal A but who cares. I made it. Left for PDX at 5 (about 20 minutes late) and hit the ground at a little before 7. Took the train and made it home around 8:30. Unpacked, spent time with B, then went to bed around 10:30.

I have a shit ton of things to go through today - receipts, clothes, etc. But I may leave it all for Tuesday as this is supposed to be a holiday, right? In the end I had a good trip. I would do it again but opt for business class the whole way up front. I don't care what it costs. I would also stay at a different hotel to minimize the 15 miles I walked. Lastly I would probably cave in and check a bag. I felt like everything was squished in mine.

Regardless, I am glad to be home.