SEA at 3:50 a.m. - Quirky Queue

A foggy morning but we catch the 3:40 a.m. shuttle from the Doubletree and arrive at the checkpoint behind the UA counter. It's closed. With nothing better to do we walk to the next one. It's closed. We walk to the next one. It's open with one line. As we start to queue, various employees scuttle past us on their way to the 4:00 a.m. start of their work day.

A flight crew arrives, and reward Kathy with smiles and thanks when she makes a space for them. Imagine having to start your day by cutting in line in front of other people. No thanks.

Despite no fewer than 20 employees jumping the queue, we're through the checkpoint within a few minutes. Thank goodness - no Nude-O-Scopes installed yet to have to opt out of.

We hear the train doesn't start running to the N satellite until 4:30 a.m. Such is the human condition that rumors abound in a deserted airport.

As we sit here drinking our first cup of coffee in the beautiful center food court that we hardly ever visit, it starts to come alive. Now, at 4:35 a.m. people are lining up for at the various outlets. It brings back memories of the day we sat with our kids in a square in Venice Italy and watched it come alive after a siesta-like pause in the middle of the day.

Still, the train is, well, quiet, at 4:55 a.m.

Onward and upward...