I was chugging towards the start of my Tennessee trip but this morning the train sorta came off the rails. The annoying head cold turned into a fever, headache and other symptoms too graphic to describe in a family fly fishing site.

The ever alert L&T Nancy called the airline to see about pushing my departure a day or two, and what we discovered was that United – despite the fact they’re losing millions every hour – doesn’t have an empty seat. (You have to admire a business model that includes losing money while at nearly 100% capacity.)

While some friends have snidely suggested that this is instant karmic payoff for the high levels of taunting they’ve experienced on the Underground, I haven’t abandoned all hope yet, deciding to decide tomorrow. See you at the medicine cabinet…