I'd seen the sights that everyone else was aching to see, so
decided to take an MR instead and return next day for the
rest of the events.

CO 485 ANC PDX 0135 0625 739 8F

F was 6/20, but cross-brand UDU isn't up yet. The good news
was I had row 7 and 8 to myself. Snoozed fitfully, and I'd
rather have been sitting up front drinking.

UA6698 PDX DEN 0709 1045 CR7 1C

I sniffled and dozed through the flight, which did the job.

936 DEN IAD 1155 1715 763 10K was 752 2A Ch9^^

An equipment sub, reason unknown, to a new-configuration
763. I was assigned what SeatGuru calls the worst biz seat.
I decided to try it out to see what was so nasty. The main
fault is that it faces the galley to the rear - not a big
problem if the crew is attractive. This crew was not notable
in that way. My FA was strangely curt but pleasant enough.

Our meal choice was yes or no. A turkey sandwich on multi-
grain roll with melted Fontinalike substance and mustard.
Surprisingly not unpalatable. Salad (pretty fresh) with
lite ranch dressing. Sun Chips. Chocolate-chip cookie^^.

The poker-faced blonde FA kept me plied with Cognac^^.

Our pilot proudly announced Ch9^^, but all that came out
was that nasty hum.

We landed a couple minutes early.

The Sheraton Herndon Dulles Airport is the sister building
to the Hyatt Place next door. I think the latter is nicer.
A fairly average room with a nice big bathroom. Free wi-fi
at the club lounge, which was closed. I wasn't thrilled by
the food availability and pricing, so a three-block walk to
Generous George's was indicated. There I had a "schooner"
(32 oz) of Sierra Nevada and a meatball sub, $9 each. George
is generous with his starch - the sub was packed with
meatballs, but these tasted strangely of wheat germ. On the
side was close to a pound of quite crispy, easily eatable
French fries.

Bed was welcome.

I got 7, count 'em, Easy Updates telling me of successive
huge delays on my next flight. The last one admitted that
the flight was going out on time.

UA 991 IAD ORD 0800 0859 763 2A Ch9^ Empower

I didn't want to fuss with the hotel wi-fi (free in the
club lounge, which was closed but open) and decided to use
the RCC for my e-mail.

At 6 I was the only patron at diamond security and expected
them to use me for practice as they have often done in the
past. No - I was through in seconds. 30 minutes from hotel
to club, not bad.

The flight looked pretty full.

Breakfast: blueberry muffin, apple, or banana (choice of
one). I think seconds were available on request.

The flight, quite bumpy in spots, landed a couple minutes
late. I tried to find boxo, but ORD is a big place. Turns
out she had vacated the C club about the time we landed.

UA 431 ORD ANC 0955 1318 752 2A Ch9^

My seatmate, who showed up just before doors closed, was
somewhat hyper and not put together. I thought, infrequent
flyer? Turns out this rather attractive redhead about my
age was retired UA FA Patricia, who was coming up to visit
her son who had just smashed his leg in a mountain bike
accident. No wonder about the hyperness. Between naps I
had a bunch of Courvoisiers (4) and heard her life story,
which involved a lot of reminiscing about the old days when
flying was flying, with roasts carved seatside and piano
lounges on the upper deck of the 747s. One can get a lot of
conversational mileage, as it were, out of the old days.

Breakfast: chive omelet (no cheese!), sausages, soggy home
fries, with a good fruit appetizer. The omelet tasted a lot
better than the rubber cheese omelet that UA has been
serving. The other things were fine. I ignored the croissant
and the yogurt that now come on the tray, having learned my
lesson about these from a previous flight.