Red Eyes

As of about half an hour ago, I have officially booked 3 fun trips for the next 2 months and each and every one of them has me landing at DFW between 5 and 9:30 a.m. on a Monday morning and going to work that day.


Yow!


But at least it's some good trips on the books.


At the end of February, we're going to New Orleans for the marathon.  Flights to come home Sunday night were crazy expensive, and the bonus to a Monday morning flight is that we can go out Sunday night in New Orleans with my running buddy (who may or may not run the marathon with me).  But it will make a 6:15 a.m. flight on Monday feel very early, but totally worth it.


Then at the end of March, we're going to San Fran for 5 days around Easter.  The only reasonably priced alternative flight was leaving Sunday morning before 6 a.m., which would have meant missing all of Easter with my nephew.  We were originally planning to be there for his first birthday in mid-March, but my bro and sister in law are going to spring training that weekend, so we thought Easter would be just as good.  But now I definitely can't give up wine for Lent since we'll hopefully make it up to wine country at least one day while we're there (I also can't really give up wine for Lent since it would be fairly meaningless since I don't really drink often.)  Anyway, the best flight option coming back since my husband didn't want to take another vacation day has us leaving San Fran at about 12:30 in the morning on Monday and flying a true red-eye, landing at DFW a few minutes before 6 a.m.  At least that should give us enough time to go home and change clothes before we both head to work.


Then, the following weekend, the first weekend in April, one of my best friends is having her baby shower in DC.  I just booked a stupid cheap flight there.  I had the option of coming back on Sunday night, but the flight was at 6:00 p.m. out of Baltimore, and her baby shower is at noon on Sunday in Arlington, VA.  I would have needed to leave for the airport by 4:00 at the latest, likely 3:00 or 3:30 to be safe, given that I'd have to return a rental car and everything.  That didn't sound like any fun.  I looked around and found an even cheaper flight ($162 round trip!) (and not on Spirit, which I've sworn off forever!) (and in and out of National, which is right by her house and doesn't require a rental car!) that comes back Monday morning.  I had the option of a 5:45 a.m. flight that would land at 8:20, or a 6:45 a.m. flight that lands at 9:20.  I went with the 6:45 one and figured I could still be into the office by 10:00, which wouldn't really be a big deal. 


So that is going to be three Mondays where I look (and likely feel) like I've been hit by a train. 


Incidentally, when I look at my American app on my phone, I can see the one other non-work trip that is booked for 2016 -- our big annual trip in October.  And we are scheduled to leave Montevideo, Uruguay at 9:10 p.m. on a Monday, change planes in Miami, and land at DFW at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, and then proceed to head into the office after weeks away. 


Double-yow!!


So my big tip to anyone reading, buy stock in Visine, I'm going to do my part to sharply boost their sales in 2016!  But since one of my biggest joys in life is buying plane tickets for fun, I am totally on board with this plan.