<p>US6509 BOS DCA 2F - Lots of bustling businessfolk on this flight. I had one of the few empty seats next to me, which was kind of nice. The flight was uneventful; the crew was pleasant but stricter with safety things than I am accustomed to (one FA checked under my
jacket, which I'd draped over my legs and secured with the seat belt), to make sure I wasn't hiding a carryon! Breakfast was a bagel in a bag - I declined and asked for my usual, tap water no ice. No audio on this plane. Took the coastal route that I remember from the days
of my youth - down to Long Island, skirting the shore past NYC, then turning inland around Delaware someplace and across the Bay well south of the bridge (very different from the route I usually take on United, which is essentially straight west to Albany and then straight
south to Washington; the return flight on United more or less follows the shore, though); then we circled around approaching DCA from the west. A decent but noisy landing. I had to go from the Shuttle gates to the regular terminal, which involved wasting 15 minutes in the
line for security. Had just enough time to have a glass of OJ and a pastry at the very ritzy RCC before boarding </p><p> US981 DCA MSY 12F. This flight was way oversold, every seat taken; they were offering a fistful of dollars, accommodations, and first class passage next
day. Not for me, I had a dozen oysters at the Acme calling my name loudly. This flight on an MD-80 (I hadn't been on one of these since well before the troubles) was also uneventful, but we suffered a bunch of turbulence near the end of the flight. They offered a small but
tasty and 100% nondairy snack: an ounce of zucchini bread, the tiniest little Delicious apple, and 90 cal worth of Sun-Maid raisins - my seatmate was also lactose intolerant, so that was an hour's conversation right there. No audio on this plane either. </p><p>
Had the first of many beers at the Mardi Gras Lounge - $4 a pint is highway robbery, but it's Abita, and it's good. The food looked and smelled good as well - I've never eaten the stuff, as there is always someplace good to go. </p><p> My buddies picked me up and we
wandered around the Quarter for a while before we were hungry enough for the Acme, where we split a dozen silky grays on the half shell along with jambalaya, red beans and rice, and gumbo. As this day was shot anyhow, we spent the rest of the day picking up silly gifts,
drinking from random bars (some of those drinks, I recall a Long Beach, I think it was, not Long Island Iced Tea in particular, are both nasty-tasting and lethal), and spending our spare change on beignets at Cafe du Monde (better even than Krispys, I say).</p>