At the usual time Friday morning, I printed my boarding pass and got ready to leave work to head for home. I was going to be at the airport in plenty of time for the usual 1:30pm flight.

On my way out the door, I made the first of several errors. This was a Southwest Airlines ticket that left two hours earlier. I hurried to Hobby, taking advantage of the light traffic of the south portion of Beltway 8. I dropped the car off and kept going, thinking I still had a chance to make it.

I got to the Southwest ticket counter which splits left for pre-checked E-tickets and right for new tickets and reschedules. I asked the clerk which line I belonged, and she deemed me late. After waiting through the longer rescheduling line, the intercom announces my name, hurrying me to the gate.

I jumped to the front of the line, where they took my suitcase, and stopped at the metal detector to unload. I realized then that I didn’t have my phone. I had left it in the rental car. At that point I thought that if I got on this plane I would call and arrange a shipment.

I got to the gate, only to see my plane with its door closed 30 feet from the gate. I had missed it. I rescheduled for the next flight 1½ hours later. I had time to go back through security to the rental car center and get my phone. They had it and were preparing to send an email to let me know.

I retrieved the phone, went back through security, and caught the next plane home.

I thought it was strange when I didn’t see one of my carry-ons brought in from my ride home. I got a voice mail from the Columbus Airport Police that they had it. I had left it in baggage claim. This morning I picked it up, showing identification and correctly identifying the contents. Nothing was missing.

I’m back to Houston with the normal Continental tickets this week. I should be OK. :)

A big thanks to Southwest Airlines for rebooking me properly, to Hertz for keeping my cell phone safe, and to Columbus Police for impounding the unattended bag.