Well, at least I was upgraded to first class

Getting to my flight yesterday was one aggravation after another.

Returning my car didn't go smoothly as usual. The checker-in guy asked if I wanted to keep it on my credit card...Discover. Of course, he had already pressed the end button before I could say "no." So I had to go inside to the desk where there was one person working.

The one National Car rental agent was helping one customer. They discussed travel options, how the toll pass works, how much the toll pass costs, how the toll pass works, how much the toll pass costs, over and over. Meanwhile another National Car employee was wandering around. That guy added coffee beans to the coffee machine and wandered around some more.

I flagged him down to see if he could help. Oh, no, he doesn't do that but he'll get someone. He didn't. Finally the one agent was available. He had to explain that the other guy didn't know how to do anything except the kiosk. The kiosk is self-service....SELF-SERVICE!!! -- you are not supposed to need a person to work with you!

I finally got to the airport. The security lines were long which is typical of Denver. I went to the secret terminal A entrance which was great because the premiere/first class line was empty so I walked right up to the TSA checker. And stood there....and stood there...as I waited for the TSA agent to gesture me forward as every other one has done. Instead he rather snidely says, "You'll have to work yourself in." Nice.

Got through that and got in line for baggage x-ray and scanning. Just as my stuff gets to the entrance to x-ray machine...it comes to a halt. The x-ray machine dies. The TSA agent that can't see anything says it will be five minutes. Five minutes? Really? And you know that because???

Turns out, of course, it is dead, caput, finished. Me and all the rest in line have to try to gather up our now spread out crap and move to another line. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, I made it through quickly.

In the scheme of things, these were all minor irritants and I should be happy they all happened in one trip. This is not the normal thing....thank goodness.