More than once! The day I left Aruba I headed for the airport early, arriving about three hours before flight time. It was all relatively painless. The lines weren’t long, going through both Aruba and U.S. customs was a breeze, I found my departing gate and proceeded to find some food and an electrical connection and this year the airport charged for wifi hook-up…well…ok! I logged on, answered some emails, screwed around with reading some posts by other bloggers, and played a few computer games. About 40 minutes before boarding time, I locked up the computer, hit the restroom and headed down the corridor looking for a Starbucks. I passed a man and a woman that were in front of me, it took me almost running into them to figure out it was Layne Flack and his girlfriend Paulette. I chided him on being the only one in the hallway and him not saying ‘hi’.

They were leaving on the same flight I was, and after getting a blended mocha coffee (it didn’t even resemble Starbucks), I went back to the boarding gate and sat down by them. We chatted until boarding time; as a matter of fact, we were the last ones to board. Mercifully, the flight was almost empty, and we sat across the aisle from each other and chatted most of the way to Miami – even though we rented head phones and watched the movie. We had a three hour lay-over in Miami and had food together. After eating, they wanted to go cruise the shops and I wanted to do ‘geekette’ things so I stayed with their carry on luggage (they brought me a Hershey bar before they took off – SWEET!).

Same scenario, I connected to the internet, answered emails, checked out some posts, and about 20 minutes before boarding time, I started putting everything away. The announcement came to board. No Layne or Paulette. Kee-rist! I waited…and waited…and waited. I texted him that they had to be at the gate NOW! I knew his battery was low in his phone but I called him anyway and went right to voice mail…I left him a message.

A few stragglers were coming up to board. After they went through check-in, I spoke with the flight person, told her my friend’s baggage was there and that we had left Aruba together, they were on this flight but hadn’t returned yet. I told her I wasn’t going to miss the flight so if they didn’t show, what would happen to their luggage? She asked me if I would stay by it, it would be 10 minutes before they started to finalize departure. SHURE!

A few more people came up and were picking up tickets, then escaping to board the flight. At least 10 minutes had passed, I asked her again…hell…I was the only one standing there. She said they’d call security if they didn’t arrive when we were boarding but it would still be about 10 minutes. Someone else arrived and picked up tickets and escaped to the flight. Just as I was ready to give up, I saw them careening down the corridor, R-U-N-N-I-N-G, dodging through some of the people straggling along through the twilight zone of airports past. They came screeching to a halt, laughing like silly kids. We made the plane. And amazingly…we were the last ones to board!

The same scenario with very few people on the plane, we had a ton of sprawl room again and sat in adjoining rows. They told me what had happened. They’d gone through secure gates to do some shopping and then came back through. Layne had a lighter in his pocket. He made it through Aruba and U.S. customs and security check points in Aruba with the lighter but they stopped him at this one and told him that since they’d struck it and it lit, he couldn’t take it through. He wasn’t giving it up. Paulette said she would mail it to them. She skipped off, back out of the area, but really didn’t go anywhere, she just came back through on the fly, Layne was talking to some people that recognized him as a poker celeb, and she grabbed him and off they ran. I told them not to worry, I had remained to guard their luggage but if worse came to worse, I was leaving them behind because I was going to make the flight. We all had a great laugh over it.

When we landed in Vegas, my son Darian was supposed to pick me up at the airport but he had baby Riot with him and was having an exceptionally stressful time so I told him I’d take a taxi. Layne and Paulette gave me a ride. We were horribly cramped in a very small car…so small that the whole back was filled with our luggage and Paulette sat on his lap and I drove. It was a gas. We made the Coach, they came in and took a look around, and they headed for home. By now it was 1 a.m. and we left Aruba 13 hours before. Just after they drove off, it dawned on me that my computer was still in their car. KEE-RIST! They unloaded my luggage and I unlocked the door, it never even dawned on me to look around,I was so tired my face was down to my feet. When it registered that my computer was with them I was almost sick. I had so much work to do with the website and I had no idea where they lived. I called Layne and got voice mail. I texted him another message. I didn’t have Paulette’s #…damn it!

About 30 minutes later my phone rang. It was Layne. “I know I have your life in my car. I’m on my way back.”

Unbelievable! How great was that? They showed up in his car…a wonderfully sporty, very red Corvette. And then they were off, like shadows in the night.

I’ve dealt to Layne for a lot of years. I’ve always appreciated him from the box and away from it – and he always does an extra association with me because I’m from Montana – but having the opportunity to really visit with him on this trip was incredible. Back to Back Flack is better than kewl. Both of them were a super treat in long day of airplanes and lay-overs. BTW – sometimes I am a freak…no argument there…and we all know it takes one to know one!