Thursday, August 5

I woke up about 5:00 a.m., so decided to get dressed and get ahead of everyone. We got down to the lobby and there were several other people waiting for the shuttle also. We got to the airport and unloaded, then got into the correct international line. I then remembered that I wanted to mail the book back to Valerie at the hotel, but completely forgot. One of the workers at the airport said he would drop it in a mail box for me. There are NO mailboxes in the LA airport.

We went through the lemming wait of passengers going through "security." There were so many TSA women that had almost nothing to do. There were three lines to go through baggage check. In the second line, one female just stood at the head of one line and waved people on to the next level and fussed with her hair when she wasn't using her hand. Other women walked up and down the long first passenger line barking orders about boarding passes. I am sorry, but to me there are too many employees doing not much of anything in the way of security and probably getting paid way more than their civilian counterparts, and it really does not make security any better, just more inconvenient. JMHO


We got to the baggage screening place and they found something suspicious so we went through a second screening. Turned out to be computer wires and sea salt Henry bought for gifts. The two men were really kind about having to go through our carry-on luggage. I suppose it is better to be safe than sorry, and it is a good thing we got to the airport a few hours before needed. No longer can you just get there at the last minute.