SXSWi, getting there ...

my flight was scheduled to leave Oakland Airport at 4:10 p.m. I showed up at 2, which many people I know would think excessively early for a domestic flight, and started checking in when the guy at the desk informs me that it's been delayed an hour, that they've been trying to call me (no evidence!), and that they made an executive decision to put me on the 2:10 flight instead so I could make my connecting flight in Phoenix.

Well, obviously that didn't happen.

Instead, he did some fast typing, made a call and put me on a shuttle to SAN JOSE for the 4:12 flight leaving there.

Jesse, my shuttle driver, told me as we started out that this was his first day and I was his first passenger. *sigh* He's from Bethlehem, he has 3 kids under 6, and he's in between training as a garage door repairman and getting a job with a garage door maintenance company. Apparently this is a very good field to be in, for future reference. Much money to be made from people who don't want to get out of their cars and open the garage door any more. We also talked about the conflict in his home country (although he very much considers the US his home now, since that's where he's happiest and made his family, etc).

Anyway, despite the long security line at SJC and being pulled aside for a special security screening (wth!?!), I made it to the gate while they were still boarding. And sat in the middle seat, happy that neither of my neighbors were bigger than me.

Now, I'm at my friend's place in South Austin (8 miles from where the action is). I got in at 11:30 p.m., she gets up at 4:30 a.m. for work, her wife and daughter get up at 5 for school. So they were all gone long before I got up. Which is fine, except I didn't realize they were in the middle of a bathroom remodel, and neither of the showers work. I'm hoping there is another answer besides 'sponge bath', because I'm really not excited about that option.

Also, no car.

UPDATE 2:15 a.m. the next morning ...:
figured out the shower situation - they don't shower here. They bathe. Like, they take baths. I haven't taken a bath in years! I mean, YEARS! S'ok. It all worked out alright. I'm clean now.

Also, acquired car, picked up Jessa from the airport, got lost trying to get from airport -> downtown, figured it out soon enough, attended Break Bread with Brad, the traditional SxSWi opening event. Much Mexican food was had, many friends were met and made, many memories were recovered from the slideshow on the wall from BBwBs of the past. Went looking for another bar, but ended up at a cafe that gives you fire and other materials for making s'mores. Now I'm home, blogging and checking twitter and email because, Jesus, I had a lot of chocolate tonight and I can't sleep.