My ticket Monday was $34.

I used to average about $50/week for mileage and parking if I parked off-site at IAH. When I was cutting it close and parked at the terminal, or was returning very late on Thursday night and knew I wouldn't want to deal with a parking shuttle at midnight when I was exhausted, it was more.

Yep, that's why I took it Monday. Acela meant arriving at BWI 1:15 before the flight. Taking the Regional meant arriving about 2 hours before the flight, with less time at home Monday morning to get ready, and more time sitting around BWI with nothing to do and no lounge to hang out in.

One time I took Acela from BWI to Union and when I boarded the train one of the conductors chased me down to make sure my ticket was for the Acela, yelling "SIR, SIR" to get my attention. Apparently he thought I had a ticket for a regional train which are less expensive.

The part in bold partially explains why I'm flying to Footie Do on SkyTeam USA (no *A Lounge in BNA) and from Footie Do on UA (SkyTeam USA AmEx doesn't get access to the US Club in PHL).

My sleeping has gotten much better since getting the job given the combination of physical activity and still wearing black long sleeve uniform tops in the heat.

There is a workout program that I tried to do a few years ago that I would consider revisiting given its basic nature and my long layoff from anything approaching an attempt at fitness. It has a cheesy title, but it gets good reviews.

I had a conductor Monday that was a little surprised when he punched my ticket and saw I was going to BWI. He even said "You know the Regional is a lot cheaper."

I said "Yes, and it also meant getting up an hour earlier, and waiting around the airport an hour longer. The extra $15 is worth that."

You'd think they'd be quite happy to collect the most expensive ticket from me I'm willing to buy.

Forty-five minutes in and the work laptop is on 8 of 21 Microsoft Update downloads. Netbook is on 6 of 17. Both are on wired connections as the WiFi in my building went tango-uniform yesterday.

I don't need to sculpt abs - I just need to know I'm in good shape :D

They would be if Amtrak were a private industry.

It's a long block between Herald Square and Penn

This mindset might eventually help the agency approach profitability.

ETA: ConciergeMike beat me to the abuse of Amtrak

I don't need to sculpt either, but the gist of that workout used to be available for free before Rodale turned it into a full-length book. It's not so much about creating abs as it is teaching basic habits. In the advanced stages, you in theory do end up creating definition by shedding fat, but I'm more concerned with safely teaching myself how to navigate a gym floor again.

I love that Mr. Commando is leading the consulting session today and I can hang out and mostly kill time in here.

BWI sucks to wait around in. If I find myself in a situation where I arrive early, I usually end up grabbing a bite to eat in the "healthy" cafe located landside in the hallway behind the ticket counters between C and D, then go up to the indoor observation area located between B and C. Next time you're departing BWI, you should check it out, if you haven't already. It's like a quasi-lounge with great views of the runways and comfortable seating, but aiport contract employees and families with children tend to congregate there.

You're really lucky that you've begun flying CO out of BWI only recently, because it has only been since last year or so that there has been an elite security line in D. Lines in D tend to be either really long or really short, depending on time and day of the week. I can't tell you how many Saturday mornings in the winter (when all the Kettles are headed to the Bahamas or LAS for their once-a-year trip by air on US, FL, or some charter) the line has stretched all the way down the hallway to the left of the security checkpoint at D, and sometimes even back to the ticket counter area where the E airlines' ticketing areas are located. Fridays before holiday weekends were notorious for that, as well (as you might expect). I almost missed many flights because of such lines and have sprinted from the D security checkpoint to the CO gates on countless occassions.

Remarkably, though, even if the line stretched all the way back to the E ticket counters, it still usually only took 20-25 minutes to get through security. The longest I remember waiting was about 40 minutes. Now, with the elite line, it never seems to take more than 10 minutes or so.

Someone who has actually lived in NYC in the past 10 years can probably comment better than I, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to make the 6:30 flight unless it's delayed. Any delays at security or the AirTrain or on the subway mean that you miss your flight.

You can always split the difference, give up the 1175 RDM, and take the 7:20 on B6 from JFK.