Nice report!! ^

You didn't get sick of flying with so many legs during your trip? 17 legs is quite a lot.
Well at least you must have seen quite a bit of the US from the air.

I agree CDG is very very bad, gosh I just hate that airport!!
As you noted the check-in desks are actually in the "transit hall" in many of the T2 terminals which makes it very confusing.
I don't understand either why the terminals are called 2A, 2B, 2C etc instead of 2, 3, 4, 5... That must create a lot of confusion among transit passengers who think they will transfer within the same terminal.
The other terminal, T1 (used mostly by *A airlines) looks like something between a multistorey carpark and a concrete factory. I have actually found it is better not to read the signs than to actually read them, that will reduce the risk of getting lost. Also, it must be the only terminal in the world where the arrivals hall is actually above the departure hall. When you have reclaimed the luggage you need to take the elevator one floor down (or is it two?) to get to the airport buses.
And now that has become my primary airport...
Sorry, had to relieve some tension...