TRAVEL WOES

Let me begin by saying that while I respect everything that’s been done to improve the safety of air travel, some of these rules are downright ridiculous.
Already a bit out of it because I had a flight leaving at 6 a.m., I became frustrated in the early hours because half my toiletries were removed from my bag and could not travel because they were larger than a minimum standard. Remarkably, those same odds-and-ends made it on the plane just fine last week in my journey from New York to Pittsburgh and back.
Like I said, I get that rules are rules, but come on, what’s a little soap going to do?
Things got even more interesting as I was waiting in the Baton Rouge airport. I was supposed to catch a ride with another writer who had a different connecting flight that was due to arrive about 90 minutes after I got in. But roughly halfway through my wait, I got a call saying something went wrong with their plane out of Atlanta, so the flight had to be rerouted and the new timetable is unknown.
In light of those events, I guess I don’t have too much to complain about.

Anyway, it’s approximately 1:15 p.m. local time, about four hours until the media — at least the part that makes it here in time — is set to meet UConn players and coaches at their hotel for interviews. I’m killing time by trying to get my other work done, but when coaches don’t immediately return calls the process becomes slowed.
I’m hoping to get down to New Orleans before returning home Sunday — it’s about 90 minutes south of here by car — to see how the city looks in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I’ve never seen New Orleans before so I don’t have anything to base my impressions on, but I’m sure certain aspects will stand out even to a first-timer.