Wednesday, September 15th:
3:30 pm - Leave lab and head to BWI
4:30 pm - Arrive at BWI for Flight 3388 to Newark
4:45 pm - Learn that the flight is CANCELED because of Hurricane Floyd (my plane to Newark is not a
                jet, so it is apparently unsafe to fly to NJ - despite the fact that Floyd is still down by
                North Carolina!)
5:00 pm - Calm down.  I was supposed to meet my friends (who had my tickets to Las Vegas) in
                New Jersey.  Since I don't have an "e-ticket" the agent can't give me a new flight - eventhough
                he can SEE my reservation - I give in and buy a new ticket to Las Vegas (via Houston)
6:49 pm - The time my flight was supposed to leave for Houston.  Delayed 20 minutes because the plane
                is late leaving Cleveland.
7:20 pm - We leave BWI!  FINALLY!

9:04 CST- The time my flight was supposed to land in Houston.  The pilot comes over the loudspeaker
                with the following statement "Not to worry anyone, but we're having some problems with the
                plane." (JUST what I wanted to hear).  Well, we're going to land OK, but we won't have
                steering - no need for concern - we will have to get towed into the terminal.

MUCH LATER...

10:00 CST?- We land in Houston with no trouble (thankfully) and we're greeted on the runway by
                    emergency crews in silver outfits.  They ponder the plane for what feels like 80 years, then
                    we are finally towed to the gate - veeeery sloooowly.  Needless to say, I missed my
                    connecting flight to Las Vegas.  The ENTIRE plane needs to get re-booked/re-routed/etc.
                    because the plane we were on was supposed to travel on to Los Angeles after Houston.
                    THAT isn't happening - obviously.

                    The passengers attack the agents at the gate to try to find connecting flights.  Another
                    woman on the flight is headed to Las Vegas.  We're sent to another gate (from another
                    airline) that is "just around the corner."  Well...keeping in mind the way my luck has been
                    going, we miss the flight.  What a surprise!

                    We're sent to the Quality Inn in Houston.  I have no bags, no contact lens case, and no
                    clothes to sleep in.  I contact the Excalibur to let my friends know that I won't be meeting
                    them in Vegas until the next day. *sigh*

                    Sleep.

Thursday, October 16th:

5:45 am - Quality Inn wake-up call.
6:45 am - Arrive at the Houston airport (at the crack of dawn - see the photos)
  
8:49 PST - ARRIVE IN LAS VEGAS!
9:00 am - My bag isn't at the carousel...it is at the baggage office because it has been there ALL NIGHT!
9:30 am - Take a shuttle to the Excalibur Hotel and Casino (see below)

The Excalibur Hotel and Casino!  FINALLY!

More to follow...