Break Of Dawn

5:45am, Monday morning:

The scream of genero-rock coming from my alarm clock radio is abruptly ended by the force of my hand applied to the snooze button. We are awake. We have been awake, on and off, for most of the night. As quickly as possible, Megan and I come to. We prepare for the coming adventure. Basic necessities of living are met (brush teeth, shower..), animals are taken care of, bags are packed and employers are called...

A Quick Note: It's at this point that I need to acknowledge Megan's boss, Tracy and my manager Pam, who both gave us the vacation time on short notice that allowed us to take part in this amazing opportunity. For that, we are extremely thankful.

Back to the story. With all our affairs settled, we head to Portland International Airport where we have exactly one chance of making it to Los Angeles using the stand-by, non revenue flight privilages provided to me by my employer. We are listed on a flight to Los Angeles with a stop in Redmond, OR. The Portland to Redmond flight is not a problem. From Redmond to Los Angeles, there are two open seats with ten people standing by. To say our chances are slim, is a bit of an understatement.

10:00am, still Monday morning:

We arrive in Redmond, OR. As the plane is being empited, I over hear a ground service agent talking to our flight attendent:

"How many people do you have standing by for the Los Angeles flight?"

"Ten, I think"

"Well, let them off, we'll take them into the boarding area. There aren't any seats available for that LA f LA flight. There's no way they're getting on."

At this point, I begin to feel a bit nervous. But, I quickly remember that this whole experience has been based on the power of positivity. So, I remind myself that if we don't make it to Los Angeles, it's not the end of the world. At least we had an adventure. At the same time, I imagine Megan and I boarding the plane headed for LAX.

Thirty minutes pass. The small boarding area at the Redmond airport is a flurry of tension and confusion. A party of eight that are standing by for the Los Angeles flight crowd around the gate agent. The patience of paying passengers is tested as the details for this flight are sorted out. All the while, Megan and I stand back and wait. Our hearts are pounding. Our nerves are shot. But, still, we hold hands and wait.

At 10:30am, as nearly all the passengers have been boarded for this flight, the gate agent announces that there are two seats open. She looks to Megan and I and asks if we are with the party of eight that is anxiously pacing the boarding area. We say no.

"Are you my party of two?"

We sure are. We are given the last two seats on the flight. We are on our way to pay tribute to Michael Jackson. We are about to take part in one of the biggest media events in history...