CLT - Charlotte/Douglas Airport

We quickly found a monitor, informing us that our plane, which we figured we had missed by this point, was in final boarding. Granted, it's gate was about as far away on the opposite side of the terminal as possible. Fortunately for me, I must still be in some residual shape from the over-30 soccer season. Unfortunately for Tim, he didn't play in the over-30 league.

I'd seen a cartoon many years ago that featured a man rushing through an airport only to reach the gate just after the plane had left. The person at the ticket counter says to the man, "Miss you flight?" To which the man replies, "No, I just like to chase airplanes." Always found that funny, though it wasn't so funny anymore.

Running with a loaded carry-on case is a bigger challenge than I realized but I was outrunning everything in sight. In the meantime, we were creating quite a sight! A guy driving one of those people mover carts you only see in airport, something I've always wanted to ride since I was a kid, offered me a ride. Thing is, he offered it to me as I was passing him. I figured if I was passing him that I was gonna get to the gate before he was anyway.

By this point, Tim was sucking wind, so I told him I'd go on ahead and hold the plane (if it was still there). I arrived at the gate in time, but was so winded that the blood flow to my brain had decreased. So in a temporary loss of brain pressure, I told the attendant Tim was on his way and I boarded the plane. Meanwhile, Tim runs on past the gate. In the end we both were buckled in our appropriate seats, winded, sweaty and ready for a late night arrival in Dallas. Oh, but it gets better!