So the adventure begins

The adventure has begun.


It was an early wake up call today, 545a. I did not even know that time existed except in the PM. Out of the house at 645a to be at Dash's place by 715a. Off to the airport for, what has to be, one of the greatest trips that you can take if you are a cycling fan.


Vegas drops us off at the airport and Ron and Brian check in at United and slup my stuff down to American. I decide to use the Jeremy Powers famous “airport ninja” guide for getting stuff for free. Just be nice, make small talk and hope that they don't notice that you have a bike box that weighs like 60 lbs. Roll up to the counter and make some small talk, smile and she still hits me for the bike charge, 100 bucks. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.


Meet back up with the guys and have a big ole breakfast burrito and coffee and go our separate ways. I am rolling to Brussels via Chicago and they are going through DC. 2 hours later, I am in the Windy City and get a quick bite to eat. I look at my boarding pass and the receipt from the counter and I got whacked with 150 bucks for the bike...now that is a bunch of bullshit. AA website states 100 bones.


Roll out to the AA counter and ask for a supervisor. Again, let's see how the “airport ninja” can fix this. I talk to the supervisor and another lady. She agrees that I was charged to much for the bike. She reads the baggage info and thinks that I should only have to pay 50 bucks since it is a second checked bag going international, regardless of it is a bike. Now we are getting somewhere. She confers with someone on the phone and comes back with this: We will refund you the 150 bucks and charge you 50 bucks for your bike, you OK with that? Hell yea, more beer money for me at this point. She works it all up. Then asks me if my seat is OK. I explain to her that it was the best one available with a power outlet. She says let me check and gets me a nice window seat, with power, and no one sitting next to me in the aisle seat. Since I am back here in coach, riding along with the peeps, goats and chickens, this is the best option I have heard.


So here we are, cruising at 31,000 feet, sprawled out with plenty of room, drink in hand and still getting ready for the greatest 10 days of racing that anyone can ever be at.


Next update will be sometime on Monday after the Ronde cyclosportif on Saturday and then the race of all races, the Ronde on Sunday.