What a Day It Was!

Perfectly normal Sunday at home.  Church, laundry, catching up, more snow and packing for LA.  The flight to Denver started off normally but was already dark at 7:00.  I had a window seat which I hate!  By the time the plane got to the de-icing pad, we could have BEEN in Denver.  Metro does not look that big until you bump around in a 737 at 5 mph.  Then bumped back to the runway.....finally after 7:30 we were off.  I didn't look out again until just before Denver because my window was all frosted over.  Comforting!  The pilot warned us it was extremely windy and only one runway was being used to land and take off so it would be awhile.  My connection to LA was leaving 9 minutes after we landed.  The board said "delayed".   I only had 6 gates to go and I had gate checked my carry-on so I only had my purse and my big computer/book bag (that weighs a good 25 lbs.)  As I hoofed up to the gate, there was no one left in the boarding area but I heard the attendant say they were still waiting for connections.  We hit the air about 9:10.  Just made it.  Of course I am stuck in the back of the plane and it was the worst ascent I have EVER experienced.  We knew the wind was bad but it was nothing like I have ever flown through before   It was constant extreme turbulence until we were at cruising altitude.  Must have been flying into the wind.  ANYWAY,  made it to LAX early (not sure of the Physics of flying into a headwind and saving time).  Collected my bag (as I had been forced to gate check it as it was too big for the overheads (which have shrunk in the newer planes)).  First time I had to pay for it which was ok because many times they have gate checked for me and never charged me.  It makes life easier through an airport if you don't have a bag to drag.  Since I always seem to be the last on the plane (never sure how that happens....do people check in before the starting time?), the bins are usually already full.   Had not eaten a thing (btw, wine is $5.99 which I don't mind, , but a can of Pepsi is $1.99!) so I spotted a Burger King (desperate!) and went in as I was starved and knew I still had over an hour until A2B2 landed.  Well, they didn't have the snack wraps that were on the menu....or any salads that were on the menu....and they were all "outta" the $8.00 chicken sandwich...that was on the menu, so I looked at the girl behind the counter and said "Well, I'm all "outta"  here" and left.  I found a snack counter and bought a bag of chex mix and a bag of peanuts.  It is now 2:00 in the morning Michigan time , my  head hurts, I want to go to bed and my stomach thought I was still flying.  I caught the shuttle to the terminal that Amanda and  Bryce would be flying into from San Fran and waited.  About an hour later they they were!   After a short jam in the carousel, we flagged a taxi and were on our way racing thru the somewhat empty streets of Los Angeles.  I swear the guy was doing 80 on the highway and not much slower on the side streets.  $50.00 later we were home!  Uber cars are not allowed to come into the airport to "pick up" like taxis anymore.  They can only drop off.  It was way too late for a shuttle that would have been another hour dropping everyone else off so we really had no choice.  Wasn't hard to get to sleep at 4:00 in the morning when Michigan is just starting to wake up!  Why do they have those stupid screens on the back of the seats in planes, with moving clouds?   As if I wasn't dizzy enough!   It is What It Is and it is time to enjoy this beautiful sunshine day with NO SNOW!