DC Update
I uploaded some more photos tonight onto Picasaweb. Hooray Google is now giving 1GB of space to upload photos. Unlike the rest of the crowd who are using Flickr, I've decided to stick with Picasaweb because of the tight integration with Picasa, which is hands down the best photo management application I've used. iPhoto is an embarrassment by comparison -- slow and lacking in features, and not that user-friendly imho.
Anyway the latest set is from my trip to DC from a few weeks back.
The return journey was a bit of a nightmare. The bad weather on the east coast resulted in my being bumped from my original flight. Funny thing was, they were asking at the gate (i.e. just minutes before takeoff) for 22 volunteers to catch a different flight so the plane could take off with a lighter load; unfortunately they had no PA system so I had no idea this was happening and instead thought I'd do my usual routine of waiting patiently for the rest of the plebs to queue up like cattle and then stroll up at the last minute pleased as punch... At least that was the original plan. Once I cottoned on to the fact I was up for another night in DC, the rest of my belongings (camera, clothes, toiletries) were already winging their way to Seattle via Minneapolis St Paul...
One saving grace: the flight on which I was rebooked was direct (one 6 hour flight instead of 1 short hop, hours of lounging in some airport hub and another 4 hours of domestic airline bliss). Too bad that I was seemingly singled out for an extra security sweep of my backpack when trying to board my flight the following day. (Even *after* I bothered taking off my shoes and belt for you guys?)
My work laptop, portable hard disk, iPod and recent copy of Wired magazine were treated to some cotton swabs which were then analysed in this big photocopier-size doohickey. Murphy's Law of course meant that (figurative) alarm bells went off (what it found I'm not exactly sure). After the security guy rummaged through a few binders of procedure (I heard him say to one of his more jaded colleagues: "this has never happened before!") I was cleared to board, but let's just say the experience has soured me on domestic air travel. Australia: we might have to endure an airline duopoly but SYD-MEL or MEL-BNE on any (ok either) of our airlines is paradise compared to this!
