I attended two Devcons in San Diego, I don't remember if the other was in 1995, but it definitely was before the 2001 DevCon. If you saw a nice who spoke English with an accent, it probably was me. :-)

>Great story. I bet it was good to finally get home.
>
>That's funny about the toothpaste. You can't be too careful with Norwegians, everyone knows you're all terrorists <g>. You know I am joking. I picture Norway as about the most idyllic place on earth.
>
>Were you at the other DevCon in San Diego, in 1995 or so? The one where VFP 3 was launched. I was. What a great time. I even ran along the path you walked, from the Marriott up to the airport and back.
>
>>I was "trapped" in San Diego for several days, and felt that I was in the world's biggest prison. Not that I disliked staying in San Diego, but the fact that I could not get home gave me a feeling of emptiness and despair that I will never ever forget.
>>
>>I moved to a cheaper hotel downtown San Diego, Holiday Inn on the Bay, and walked to the airport every day to check when I could get home. Since so many flights had got canceled, I was told that I probably would have to wait one week after the air space was opened again. After three or four days at the new hotel the air space was opened again, and I went to the airport to stand in line for a couple of hours. At around 01:00 PM it was my turn, and I got to speak with a really nice lady. I was told that since my flight was via Chicago, and many people was going in the same direction, I would have to wait seven more days. Then I said that I didn't care how I got home, as long as I ended up in Norway. She could send me via Katmandu if they wanted. "Ah, so you're that flexible? Then there will be no problem". I don't remember the route, but she said that I could get a ticket with departure 03:30 PM. I asked "what day", and she said "today". Then I told her that I had to get back to my hotel to pack and check out, and get back to the airport to stay in another line for two or three hours, which made it impossible for me to make it time. She asked me to come to her counter wearing the same sweaty T-shirt, and she would remember me and get me through in time.
>>
>>After about an hour I was back at the airport with all my luggage, and more sweatier than ever before. But I had to use the same T-shirt, or I would not get home, so I had to accept that. I tried to locate "my" lady, but I could not find her. I contacted another person who told me that they had very frequent briefings about the ever changing safety precautions, and that "my" lady probably would be back soon. After another thirty minutes or so I saw "my" lady, and waved to her. She recognized me, and followed me directly to the security where I became a "special case", meaning that they checked all my luggage very carefully. They went through all my dirty, sweaty clothes and even emptied my toothpaste. After a while I was cleared, my luggage was pushed on a conveyor belt and I could go to my gate. As you may guess, I was now soaking wet with sweat, and with no clean clothes to wear since they were in my suitcase on its way on the conveyor belt. So I went to an open souvenir shop, bought an awful T-shirt and went for the bathroom. Have you ever washed your hair and upper body in the bathroom at an airport? I even had to use the hot air blower to get dry. It wasn't very comfortable, but at least I felt a little fresher.
>>
>>Now it's nine years ago, but I remember it as if it was yesterday.
>>
>>>John Harvey posted the same topic on Facebook. A bunch of us were at the VFP DevCon in San Diego at the time, so several replies to John's post talk about that.
>>>
>>>They didn't cancel the conference, but as I recall the sessions started late and attendance was low. Lots of people were in shock ... they set up lots of TVs in the hotel lobby and hallways and there always flocks of people gathered around the TVs.
>>>
>>>It was tough getting home ... we rented a car and we crammed 3 large people and me (not large) into it for the drive back to WA. Gary did all the driving, so we didn't drive straight through ... did it in two days. The guys referred to the rental car (a Monte Carlo) as the "Iron Maiden" because it was so uncomfortable for such a long drive.
>>>
>>>~~Bonnie
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>The original 9/11 was a normal day for me at first. I was still married and living in the city of Chicago, working from my basement office. My wife called from work and said you should turn on CNN. I turned it on and watched a replay of the second plane turning sideways and hitting the second tower.
>>>>
>>>>My younger daughter was in 3rd grade and was going on a field trip to downtown Chicago. I got in the car and drove over to her school so she didn't go. It was still unfolding and downtown Chicago was a not unlikely target. (The Sears Tower was evacuated many times in the aftermath). They had already called the trip off. I gave Emily a hug and went back home to watch TV coverage for about the next two days.
>>>>
>>>>Among the related memories is the candle lighting that Friday. Everyone was supposed to light a candle outside. It sounds sappy but I did it, as did most of my neighbors. The next day at soccer before every game the commissioner, an older guy named Josef who immigrated here from Austria, had everyone come out to the center before the game and hold hands.
>>>>
>>>>That Sunday's football games were rescheduled. Baseball shut down for several days. When it resumed the New York Yankees were here to play the White Sox. They were given a long ovation when they took the field. Joe Torre, who was managing the Yankees at the time, said it gave him a chill to be cheered on the road because they were from New York.
>>>>
>>>>It was a horrible, horrible event but it brought us together like nothing has since.
>>>>
>>>>What were you doing?