Apologies for the long post to follow

OK let me just first say that Dulles is probably one of the worst airports I have ever set foot in.
With that, our story begins:

I got back from cleaning offices on Monday night at 1230am on Tuesday. (21) and couldn't really go to sleep. I managed to fall asleep at 0200 and had the alarm set for 0300. I lazed in bed for 11 minutes and almost fell back asleep. This would have been fatal. But I woke up quickly, got ready and left my house at 4am. Now this just happened to be the coldest night of the season and it was -2º F (-19º C). I drove to the airport and Murphy's law would have it. I see an electronic message board that said:

I-93 CLOSED
AT STORROW
SEEK ALT.ROUTE

Great. I knew now I would have to go on the detour that they don't mark. No signs were up. If I didn't have an intrinsic sense of direction I would have been screwed. Plus going off memory (I had been on this same route back in March. And they were still working on the airport tunnels back in August). I drove through Boston Congress St, Merrimack St, ??? St, Finally Williams Tunnel.
Got in to the airport parking and was at the ticketing at 0430. It was packed! People travelling for Christmas no doubt. I didn't have time for Dunkin' Donuts so I just went to security and onward to my gate.

The plane was what I have come to expect. An aging Boeing 757. Seats were small, cramped and old. the flight was completely full. I am thankful that I had someone of normal size sitting next to me. I was seated in an aisle row. In the row behind me, but not seated directly behind me was a huge fat bastard. This would have been ok in itself as he was not sitting next to me, but then the guy started coughing up his left lung which not only sounded disgusting but probably would be responsible for making several people ill. When the drinks were served, I ordered up a Cranberry so that any vitamin C in the drink could hopefully counter any of the stuff that guy was throwing at me. I am not a fan of people being paranoid about germs, as the body is only made stronger through exposure to these germs. But this guy was revolting.

I slept in and out on the plane ride down to Washington, D.C. I usually don't sleep well on planes but this time was different. I was dead tired. I almost slept through the landing. In Washington Dulles (hereafter referred to as IAD). I got out groggy. A wall of people greeted me at the gate all waiting to go to... I turned around to see... New York La Guardia. This place (IAD) is truly one of the levels of hell that Dante must have written about. I was in "C" terminal and this place was awful. My next flight to Knoxville, TN (TYS) was going to be in "G" terminal and I thought anything would be better than "C" terminal.

But no.
I followed signs that said "Shuttle to G terminal" I walk down a flight of stairs to this shuttle and when I am expecting a subway or train it is a bus. I get to this G terminal and from the outside it is a plain looking square building -a steel building. Looking at the outside it reminds me of a bus depot. Going inside it reminds me of a bus depot. Rectangular, and at one end (facing the flightline) is about 10 doors. On top of each door is a monitor that showed up to 4 different destinations on it. (I took a few camera phone photos of this Which I will post later) and the place was so busy they were calling destination after destination. So if one wanted to drift off to sleep one couldn't. The doors would be open to the outside so it would get cold inside. Finally it was time to board my plane. I walked outside to the plane by about 300 meters in a sheltered walkway exposed to the outside air.

Knoxville, TN. A nice, remodeled airport, that although small, was a good deal better than Dulles. Arrived at 11am. Waited the half hour it took for them to get the checked luggage, and then I took my rental (a Chevy Malibu) and drove to my job, did the job and drove back to the airport at 1500. I completed the mission with time to spare four hours early. I killed time by collecting my email, listening to mp3s from my laptop and dining in the airport's only restaurant - a "Ruby Tuesday". The food was a welcome change of pace from normal airport fare. The price was unbeatable as well. It was $15 for my meal.

I boarded my flight to IAD. I noticed at least 3 people who were on that morning's flight from IAD to TYS. Funny how you notice these things. That flight was ok. I was fed, and not really tired. Completely smooth sailing on all flights. No turbulence to report on any. IAD was a nightmare again. The walkway was so narrow - It was as if I was suddenly back in high school again. Long and narrow. TOO narrow. I was to head to gate C2 and it was there where I waited. Gate C7 was going to London Heathrow and gate C? directly adjacent to my gate was going to Frankfurt. The Lufthansa flight was boarding at the exact same time ours was. I had several people ask me if I was going to Boston. Cause the lady who was supposed to be announcing seating areas didn't do so. It was chaos. The line going to Frankfurt was intermixed with us trying to go to Boston. It was only this way because the width of the terminal in IAD was too freaking narrow!!!

Anyway, That flight was 100% full as well. It was another aging 757. I just wanted to go home. We landed back in Boston at 2315. This was almost 20 hours after I left my house that morning.
It took United another 30 minutes to get the bags. After I got my bag I went to parking, paid the $22 and left.

I decided to go back to Ted Williams tunnel cause of them doing work to the Sumner tunnel. Paid the $3 and it was smooth sailing all the way to...
...My second job. Straight up BLAZED through this work and got home at 0130 this morning.

Quite a day. I will post pictures later.