IAD: Washington Dulles Airport Updates (or, What a Mess at IAD)

Seems like every time IAD tries to make the airport better these days, something goes wrong.

First, it appears the new AeroTrain system is delayed again.

Second, they finally opened the new downstairs security screening area. I've been anticipating this for some time. They had years to plan the layout to make sure they got everything right.

They didn't.

For starters, if you walk into security from the downstairs level, you need to walk all the way to the other end of security to get to the first class/expert security line. Then, you have to walk 3/4 of the way back to where you started to get to a TSA agent to check your records.

There's only one TSA agent set up on the first class line, so both times I've gone through, it's been quicker to go through the regular line.

After getting through security, there are no designated lanes for expert vs. family travelers yet.

So, all in all, maybe a C- as a grade for the new security screening area? The only reason I'm not giving it an F is that I don't have to go upstairs.

Here's hoping they get this figured out at some point.

Movie: Up In The Air

George Clooney stars in a new movie called Up In The Air. The movie prominently features my airline of choice, American Airlines. It also touches on the lunacy of the quest for more frequent flier miles. My good friend Gary has posted two clips of the upcoming movie on his website. They are a must-see. My wife liked the end of the second one the most. Needless to say, she has no problems *using* the miles I accrue.

Clip #1

Clip #2

element pictures

element is a new brand from Starwood Hotels. I stay at Starwood properties almost exclusively when I travel. On a recent trip to Denver, I was able to stay at an element for the first time.

If you'd like to read my review, you can find it here on FlyerTalk.

Here are a bunch of pics from my stay.

Yankees Dominate Angels

I've been running behind on my blog posts, missing one for the trip we took to the new Yankees stadium to see them bash the Red Sox back in September. But, after tonight's game, I couldn't resist throwing a quick post together.

CC Sabathia came back on short rest in a very important game for the Yankees. In LA, they were up 2-1 in the series. Bringing back a pitcher on short rest in the playoffs is a recipe for disaster. Historically, it never works. Enter CC. What did he do?

He just pitched 8 innings of 1 run ball. 8 innings. 5 hits. 5 strikeouts.

Oh, and the Yankees dominated the Angels for 13 hits and 10 runs.

We need 5 more wins to accomplish our goal.

Oh, and for all the people questioning Joe Girardi's decision making last night, where were you when he made all the right decisions against the Twins? And made a great decision to save Game 2 against the Angels.

The Love (and Loss) of a Pet

My best friend had to put down one of his twin cats this morning after a 2 year battle with end-stage kidney failure. It was a painful set of circumstances, one that made me want to give our dog, Serena, a big hug last night and this morning.

While I had pets as a child, I had spent most of my adult life without one. Then, 7 years ago (might have that wrong, I'm sure my wife will correct me), I got my wife a dog for her birthday. I've never been a dog person, but my wife picked the perfect one, and I truly love our dog as a member of our family. I suspect I will be the one that cries the hardest when she passes away. There are days where it's hard to take care of Serena. She's a very moody dog, one that needs a LOT of attention. But it's all worth it, especially when she's showering our daughter with kisses and Catherine is giggling uncontrollably. Here's a pic from a number of years ago, her first big snow.

And one more, for good measure:

I'm proud of my best friend for rescuing two cats two years ago. He wanted to rescue two kittens and raise them. Instead, the rescue agency he got the cats from misrepresented their age. They were roughly 11 years old, and one was very sickly. He had a choice. Refuse to keep the cats, since they hadn't disclosed the age and medical conditions. He chose the other road. He gave them a loving home, one where they felt comfortable and loved by him. Myra, who he said goodbye to yesterday, leaves behind her quieter sister Zara, along with a host of memories, I'm sure.

So, for the 5 people who read my blog on a regular basis, I hope you'll consider rescuing a pet if you're so inclined. Rescuing a pet as opposed to buying one from a breeder can be harder. But it's also one of the more fulfilling achievements of my life thus far.

SPAM Post

Not sure what happened, but for those that follow my blog, some spam got posted to it late last night. I've sent an e-mail to Blogger about it to figure out what happened. Sorry for the unitended (and unexplained) SPAM.

Quick Free Miles. ACT QUICKLY!

Bose is giving away free miles again!

How, you ask?

Well, if you want to watch a 2-minute video found at the link above, they'll give you 150 AA miles.

If you have a BOSE store nearby and go see the demo, they'll give you 350 miles.

If you buy headphones, 1500 additional miles.

The first two are free slam dunks. So, don't miss out on 500 miles.