Have you ever lost something important… or a backpack full of important items (like your cell phone, laptop, PSP, etc.)? It happened to me. I “lost” it at the airport - and when I say I lost it (the knapsack), I mean I totally almost lost it (mentally). We picked up our luggage and headed for the rental service waiting platform. I set down my bag so that Ponzi could snuggle up behind me, as it was quite breezy on that chilly Seattle afternoon. I didn’t imagine I’d ever forget my lifebag, but I set it down on the bench behind us. Hindsight 20/20: I should never have removed it from my body, or I should have placed it atop the large suitcase. This wasn’t just a bag of snacks that I misplaced - it’s my all-inclusive travel pouch. And I lost it. Rather, I accidentally left it behind when the courtesy shuttle arrived. It wasn’t in my line of sight, so I lost it on-site. There it sat, alone and lost, as we drove away into the… HOLY [BLEEP]!

“Ponzi,” I exclaimed, as we were driving away from the car lot. “Did you pick up my backpack?” No, she had not. I pulled the car over to the side of the road immediately, hopped out, and double-checked the trunk. It wasn’t there. It wasn’t there. It wasn’t there. Panic mode. I lost my backpack. Where did I leave it? Would it ever speak to me again? Could I get disbarred as a geek for doing such a thing? Okay, time to retrace our steps. We drove back to the lot and asked to check the van. The driver was on his break! Argh! We were losing precious moments. The supervisor peered into the vehicle and couldn’t find anything, so we crossed our fingers and headed to the airport. I was surprisingly sane, though there were quite a few new obscenities passing over my lips. Could it still be in the place where we possibly left it? Er, where *I* possibly left it? We may have to go through the hell known as an airport’s lost and found. Would Homeland Security ever let me fly again?!

We followed a few shuttles into the circle, knowing that we were originally positioned at the end of the run. There were a million vehicles ahead of us, and I just couldn’t wait that long. “I may have lost my backpack, people!” Ponzi thought about jumping out and fast-walking ahead. No, that wouldn’t get… YES, GO! She took the sidewalk while I remained moving foward (slowly) in our car. The congestion let up enough for me to sneak past Ponzi’s position in a few minutes. There was “Area 3″ straight ahead - and nothing on the ground. “Did I leave my bag on the ground? Did I lose my backpack!?” I motored closer, scanning for any signs of lost baggage. Lo and behold, the black sack was sitting where I must’ve lost left it - at the end of a bench. Thank you, karma - thank you, whatever. What was possibly lost was definitely found. A lost and found tale we’ll soon not forget.

Now, to find something to protect my laptop’s data should it ever fall into the wrong hands.

[tags]backpack,baggage,luggage,lost,found,lost and found,misplaced[/tags]