DC Dash: But the misadventures on my tiny little trip to DC didn't stop with TSA.

Trying to get out of Detroit we sat at the gate for an hour because the co-pilot for the flight could not be located. The pilot was rather straightforward about this, telling us that that everything was ready to go but we were sitting there because the co-pilot was missing and no one knew where to find him. I was careful not to suggest they look for a trail of empty bottles of Scotch, lest TSA violate my personal body space. A replacement co-pilot showed up after about an hour.

I stayed at the L'Enfant Plaza hotel just off the Mall. I have stayed there before, back when it was under the control of corporate hotel giant Loews. It has not fared well over the years, whether this is because of the loss of Loews sponsorship I cannot say. The furnishings and paint are worn down, the amenities are the bare minimum (were talking a 21-inch TV set from the 1981), and the plumbing is a mess -- I had a toilet that barely flushed and a tub faucet that wouldn't shut off. The wi-fi is costly and doesn't work in the meeting rooms (although it works fine in the accommodations). It has a great location with a metro stop in the basement and a short walk to the Mall, but I can't think of any other reason to recommend it.

Of course, not all the screw-ups were the fault of the travel industry. I managed to forget a number of key documents I was supposed to bring. I also forgot the power cord to my iBook so I spent the days with only parsimonious access to my laptop.

I did manage to arrange for meet up with Misses Kate and Anna for one night to treat Kate to a birthday dinner. Even that was marred by incident. Cruising along the Georgetown Pike, Kate's Saab snapped its serpentine belt. We had a two hour wait for a tow truck. Serendipitously, we found ourselves stopped in a local wooded area comically named Difficult Run Park. It's a really nice little spot with a picturesque stream and hiking trials through the woods. If you are ever stranded with car trouble and have a two hour wait for a tow truck in Northern Virginia, I highly recommend it. When all was said and done, we did get to have a nice dinner and I got to catch up with them, which made the trip worthwhile.

At the moment I am writing this, I am sitting at the gate waiting for my flight home. The flight has just been delayed by a half-hour.

At the moment I am writing this, we have been sitting on the tarmac in Detroit for 20 minutes because another plane is in our gate.