Notes From seat 13E

Returning from DFW (Dallas Ft. Worth) last week I finished up the work I wanted to do early.  Looked at the train schedule to the airport (there are nice trains to and from DFW - and cheap $2.50 from DFW to Ft Worth vs $70 got a taxi.) I got to the airport almost 5 hours before flight time.  I checked in at the Priority Desk, with a real human being.  I asked about an earlier flight, she said she could put me on the standby list, or do a confirmed seat on a flight that was leaving in just two hours for $75.  The fastest decision to spend money all day.  This got me home at 9:00 instead of midnight.  

Being last minute, and a frequent-frequent flyer on the airline, the computer put me in the best seat that was available, row 13, middle seat.  The computer must know I am a big guy, the computer thinks big guys like to talk to one another and hang out, so they put a man who is 6 ft 8 inches tall in the aisle seat, and a former college football player in the window seat.  Three of the biggest guys on the plane, wedged into one row.  The most physical contact I have had in days.  The tall one fell asleep shortly after take off, the guy in the window seat talked for 10 minutes, then plugged in his headphones.  I pulled out my Kindle and started to read.  Then the women front of me reclined her seat into my nose, making it nearly impossible to read.  Blessedly the pilot put it in high gear, we caught a tail wind, and did the flight in near record time.  

I knew the middle seat would be less than optimal, I also knew it would only be for 3 hours, actually 2 hours and 19 minutes.  It was worth it to be home before bedtime.  

Have you ever had a trip, where it was just simply time to get home no matter what it took to do so?