4:45 a.m. — Previously arranged Coop Taxi arrives at the door. They have never missed an early call. Day starting well.
4:50 a.m. — Remember that it doesn’t take long to get to the Charlottetown Airport. Happy that I have heeded all of the advice from CNN to arrive at airport very early. Expecting huge lines, rigorous bag checks, chaos, etc.
4:51 a.m. — Enter airport. Find I am the only person in the airport. I don’t mean this is some exagerated ironic sense: I was the only one in the airport. No other passengers. No gate agents. No security people. Nobody. Have fears that I have woken up in Quiet Earth-like scenario.
4:53 a.m. — Another passenger arrives. Feel relieved. Then remember that the man in Quiet Earth found two other people left on earth.
4:54 a.m. — Security guy emerges. Says Air Canada people usually “show up around 5”. Another passenger arrives. Things are looking up.
5:03 a.m. — Now 8 people in line. Quiet Earth fears gone. Still no gate agent. Wondering whether CNN has it all wrong. Thinking I could have gotten 30 minutes more sleep.
5:05 a.m. — Guy who removes chocks from under plane wheels and uses glowing baton to guide plane out of parking space arrives.
5:06 a.m. — Luggage handler arrives. He looks like Matt Rainnie. Wonder if CBC pays Matt too little and he must work at airport to afford to feed family.
5:09 a.m. — No gate agent yet.
5:13 a.m. — Offer to check other passengers in myself. No humour in this found by other passengers.
5:14 a.m. — Gate agent arrives. Finally! Checks me in. Oops, boarding pass printer is broken. Brief delay. Move to another terminal. Get boarding pass.
5:15 a.m. — Try to use Aliant’s World Class Business Centre to get on Internet, but room is locked. Reminds me of other dealings with Aliant.
5:18 a.m. — Find Tourism PEI Internet kiosk is operational.
5:27 a.m. — Security call. Must run to plane. Mind still foggy. More later.