Beautiful Boise and my brush with infamy

I returned from Boise on Wednesday night but I'm just now finding time to write about it. It was so great getting to spend time with Trish and Mike in Boise. So great that I didn't even take any pictures. Boise is a much cooler town than I thought it was. There were all kinds of things going on that I was never bored. I even went with Trish to school a couple of days and got to see her teach. She's a great teacher! It made me miss the classroom.

While my trip was great it was very uneventful compared to how it began. I normally try to check into my flights online so that I don't have to wait in line at the airport. So last Friday I checked my e-mail and clicked on the link to check into my flight. Everything seemed ok, until the end when it said that I couldn't check in and had to see a rep at the counter at the airport. No big deal, but I hate dealing with airport personnel.

Saturday rolls around and I'm at the airport. I get into line at the checkin point and wait patiently. I get up to the kiosk, do everything I'm supposed to and it still says that I need to see a rep. I get a workers attention and am told I have to go to the customer service counter. I walk over to that counter and find an available rep. I tell her I've tried checking in online and here at the airport but that I was told I needed to see a rep. I give her my i.d. and think that this is all because I finally have i.d. that has my married name. How wrong I was.

I notice that the rep looks at my i.d. and picks up the phone. She turns her back to me and talks very quietly into the phone. She hangs up and then walks over to a co-worker and talks to him for awhile. She comes back and says to me, "Your birthday is July 28, 1985?"

I'm thinking "that's what it says on my driver's license!" but politely reply "Yes."

She then proceeds to tell me that I have been placed on the FBI's watch list. What?? I ask for clarification and she repeats that I have been placed on the FBI's watch list, but not to worry and she just has to call this in. The whole time I'm thinking, Call what in? Call who? The FBI? The police? You don't just tell someone the FBI is watching for them and not clarify why!

The rep picks up the phone and I can hear her telling whoever is on the other end, someone in Langley, Virginia for all I know, all of my information. Apparently I passed whatever test they had because she gave me back my license and gave me my boarding pass. I'm now thinking that security is going to be a nightmare. I'm envisioning a little room with some TSA official, a wand, and the contents of my bag being thrown around. (I think this because it has happened to me before in Oklahoma, but that's another story for another time) I blow through security so apparently TSA isn't worried about people on the watch list. Comforting, I know.

I mean after that, Boise was wonderful! Eric and I are camping this weekend and hope to see some beautiful fall color in the mountains. I should have pictures unless something goes terribly wrong.