Once again, I experienced zero problems with the TSA.

[MineralMan]

38. I normally am, too.

For some reason, on my return flight from LAX, I wasn't, though. No big deal. Really the only difference was taking off my shoes and standing in a longer line before screening. I do the same transfer of my pocket junk either way. I no longer carry a notebook or tablet computer, but take along my wife's Android phone. She has both an Android and a iPhone because she reviews online apps on both types of device. There's no internet access or WiFi at my parent's house, anyhow, so I never actually used the Android phone this trip. For phone calls, I just used my pocket flip phone.

The longer TSA screening line at LAX wasn't a problem, because I got there way early to make sure I had time to drive to the airport and return my rental car. I just shrug all of that stuff off. It doesn't really matter, compared to the three days each way it would take me to drive from Saint Paul to the LA area.

Airline travel is still an amazing bargain, both financially and time-wise. Sun Country, the small Minneapolis-based airline I always fly on that route, doesn't even charge extra for last minute flights, and I use whichever car rental place that has the lowest rates for my travel dates. So, instead of driving for three days, I got to my parents' house in 7 hours door to door. It's a freaking miracle, really. I can deal with the minor hassles of air travel just fine.