On the mend

I think my meds are finally kicking in because my throat has gone from KILL ME NOW painful to MAYBE I CAN TRY EATING AGAIN. However, I have noticed I've been producing what seems like a ton of spit the last couple days, which I guess isn't that big of a deal, except I keep having to swallow it and now it's literally making me nauseous. I've resorted to spitting into my garbage can every 2 minutes because it's grossing me out. (TMI?)

I planned on going to Lake Powell over the holiday weekend, something I was very excited about since I've never been. Usually when people go to Powell they go for like a week, and in the past, I've always had to work. Some friends planned a weekend trip, which was perfect....right up until I got pretty sick. I figured I'd rather go when I'm 100%, and not spitting into a Coke bottle every 90 seconds. That's no fun for anyone. So I'll be sticking around this weekend. Shannon decided to make the drive up, along with my requested Sprinkles cupcakes. Hopefully I'm really well enough to eat one tonight or tomorrow. And hopefully the weather is nice so we can go to the pool or something. I need to build up a base tan before I hit Rehoboth this year.

Speaking of which, have I ever talked about my love/hate relationship with booking flights? I think it's pretty similar to the same feelings experienced by those who love to shop at Ross or Nordstrom Rack. Ironically, I happen to hate such bargain hunting adventures. Those stores are too chaotic and messy. I get overwhelmed too quickly and end up leaving in a fit of anxiety. It's just not worth it.

However, when it comes to buying a plane ticket, I will pour over every travel web site I know before I book a flight. Travelocity, Cheaptickets, Kayak, StudentUniverse, and about 10 more, to find the cheapest deal I can.

In my experience, it's all about timing and variables - like changing the airport or arrival time. For example, I know from hardcore consumer experience that flying into the Bay Area can be significantly cheaper if you fly into Oakland instead of San Francisco, which is actually good for me since usually I'm headed to Sacramento anyway. Oakland is easier to get to and you don't have to go over the Bay Bridge. Also, I know that Southwest doesn't offer a direct flight from Salt Lake to Sacramento- they always stop in Las Vegas. So, even though Southwest flights are cheaper, you end up spending 7 hours traveling from SLC to Sacramento by-way of LV, when you should just spend the extra money and fly non-stop on Delta.

It's like a game to me and right now I'm in an intense battle for my ticket to Baltimore for my family's beach trip. 21 days is usually the cut-off for the cheapest flights - booking less than 21 days in advance pretty much screws your chances of getting a decent rate, especially on coast-to-coast flights. So, this means I have approximately one week to play the airline odds. My goal is to not pay more than $350. Usually, I'd shoot for getting something under $250, but because I have to fly in to Balitmore (instead of D.C. or maybe Philly) and at certain times to meet up with the rest of my family, my varibles aren't so varied.

Wish me luck.