Quick observation at the Denver airport ...

I soon have to board my flight, so I have to keep this short, but ...

There's some seriously ugly motherfuckers accompanying me on my connecting flight. Some of them are dressed in Halloween costumes which just exacerbates the fugly.

I am, by an Obama-like margin, the best looking person boarding this plane. And anyone who knows me is well-aware that I am several plastic surgeries shy of passable virility or sexiness.

The threat of a Southwest Airlines-like scenario where a scantily-clad woman is thrown off the flight is approximately Defcon-100.

I hope I'm seated by myself, this is hideous. One way or another, I'm going to need a machete to chop my way past the branches in this Amazonian forest of ugly trees.

God damn.

 

So it's kinda like your typical late night stroll through a Wal-Mart?

 

How was the flight?

 

Thank you for flying SportsJournalists.com air, local time is... Ahh, fuck it.

 

Hey, Wal-Mart's got some winners.

I think.

 

Forget the people. DIA is an ugly airport - period.

The designers must have thought they looked like mountains. I think it looks like the big top run seriously amok.

*Wishing I was on that plane with Bubbler. It would take the ugliest bunch of people on Earth to make me look passable ... *

 

Karma bit me squarely on the ass for this thread, or should I say, karma went straight to my head.

The flight itself was fine. However, I suffer from sinus issues and flying tends to excerbate mega-sinus headaches, especially when landing. No more so than tonight.

As we're making the approach, I got hit with pain like I've never felt in my life coursing from my right temple down the right side of my face. My right eye starting blinking and I felt like my head was about to explode, both from pressure and the (perceived or real) feverish heat I felt in my head as my body tried to adjust.

I've had sinus headaches before, I had a sudden headache like this on another flight a few years ago, but nothing like this. I could literally feel my skin puff up on my right side from the pressure build-up. As with most pressure headaches, the pain moves into your mouth and it feels like someone is trying to extract your teeth from within.

I thought for a minute that I was suffering an aneurysm. I nearly passed out, it was absolutely excrutiating.

Usually, these types of headaches last a few minutes and then there's a pop when the pressure is relieved and you quickly return to normal. Not this time, it persisted all the way to the tarmac, the pain very slowly subsiding.

When everyone de-planed, I felt punch drunk and weak. I staggered off the plane and really didn't start to feel myself until I got some fresh air.

I still have some residual pain now.

My destination was a good 500-750 miles from where I live. I would gladly trade the day-long-plus drive I would have had to lose the 10 minutes of absolute pain I felt tonight.

I am dreading my return flight on Sunday. Flying sucks in general, but these types of headaches are the A Number One reason I dread flying.

On a related note, some late boarders were better looking than me, so I couldn't even claim sexiest man on my flight.

 

Just did a little reading. Apparently what I suffered is called sinus barotrauma, also known as aerosinusitis. According to accounts I read, the pain one suffers is disabling (duh), but the only long-term risk is an ear-drum perforation if you get a real bad one.

 

I have had this before. Flying into Orlando when I lived in Daytona Beach. It started about a half hour before landing and it didn't pop until we were halfway home on I-4. The good news (maybe) is that that's the worst episode I ever had, and I haven't had one in the 25 years since. Maybe that gigantic pop cleared it up.

I also used to have trouble scuba diving.

 

You guys realize when you shop at Wal-Mart your soul dies a little.

 

I had a pretty bad attack on a flight home from Jacksonville. Flight attendant ended up giving me a hot washcloth and a plastic cup. Put the cloth in the cup and cover your ear. That should help reduce the pressure.