Yeah, that's what I thought. But still, people miss planes. As long as there's no bags checked, I would think it wouldn't be too big a deal. Hell, I could even tell them. If it was on the way, I wouldn't do anything of the sort, of course, but on the way back I'm not sure it wouldn't work out.

If you book a connecting flight round-trip and don't take the connection, the airline automatically cancels the rest of the round trip.

Yup, but this is on the way back - I don't ever need to take that last flight. Must ponder.

Did you have a great time? My first F2F was a revelation. I had such a blast.

I had a great time! Now for a little story...

When my parents first got the internet about 10 years ago, my siblings and I were told not to go into chat rooms or talk to other people. The sole purpose of being connected was for research for school (and for the occasional game or two). I had heard the warnings from the news and my parents about serial rapists and killers meeting kids on the internet and, well, you know how the story goes. So, I stayed away.

Flash to a couple months ago - I still had not joined any kind of online groups. It's not that the warnings kept me away but lack of experience. I started internet chatting last year at another site, but it was mostly kids and young teenagers. Finally, I hopped onto b.org and I was amazed. I couldn't believe that everyone was talking about their families, sharing medical/employment/personal problems, and posting pictures of their families becuase, hello!, there's serial rapists/killers out there. Well, I finally let that thought/theory go. I also saw pictures of different Buffistas getting together in smaller groups and then a big F2F once a year. Well, I thought, this group is pretty neat.

So, last weekend I drove out to P-C's apartment to stay with him so I could visit everyone who was in town for the convention. At first it was a little odd to show up at someone's door and say, "Hi. I'm Elizabeth. I'm the one that's spending the night". Alone. With someone who I'd never met before. I was both nervous and a little excited. My nerves calmed down and had a great Friday night meeting some of P-C's friends and going out to see Phantom of the Opera.

Saturday was even more fun, and a little scary. Last weekend was when the winter storm hit Michigan. The drive from Ann Arbor to Troy was not too fun. The roads were covered in snow. I was white-knuckling the steering wheel the whole way there. Once we arrived at the hotel I was so relieved (and a little nervous about the ride back).

To shorten up this story I won't go into a blow-by-blow description of everything that we did but I'll sum up. As I said in an earlier post, meeting the Buffistas was like old friends reunited after a long absence. In chatting with people online and seeing pictures of people I felt like I had already gotten to know them a little bit. Everyone is more beautiful in person, and sometimes more fun. I mean, how priceless is it that I was witness to the multi-tasking Aimée?

My experience has, in a sense, broadened my horizons a bit. (Yes, I know that's cliché.) People on the internet are just as real, nice, fun and quirky as me (maybe even more). This is a group of people that I hope to be around and chat/talk/meet for years to come. When people that I see every day give me strange looks about meeting people from the internet I can just smile and say "you wouldn't understand".

I know that was a bit sentimental, but it's the truth. So, when you say "My first F2F was a revelation" I can totally relate.

I told beathen that our only really nasty quirk is the white slavery thing, but she seemed mostly unconcerned. P-C expressed gratitude at being immune.

Beathen, that was lovely.

Thanks.

Predictably, I have to work this weekend.

Yup, but this is on the way back - I don't ever need to take that last flight. Must ponder.

It's known as hidden-city ticketing. The airline will charge your card for the fare difference, and make your frequent flier account disappear. It technically violates the contract of carriage, and in extreme cases airlines will pursue legal action. They may also deny you boarding on future flights.

If it were me, I wouldn't do it. It's not worth the risk.

Well, nuts. Thought I had a $209 flight going. Back to the drawing board. But thanks, Maria.