Whether you are laughing at me or with me, you are still laughing.
En Route To Buffalo -- Every time I travel to Buffalo, I get flashbacks to my first time ever hitting the road to cover the New York Islanders.
It was in February of 2022, and I was a nervous but excited wreck.
I chose Buffalo for my first trip because my twin brother Jamie lives there, so why not visit him while on the job?
I couldn't sleep the night before my flight, so I made sure I had everything I needed ready to go.
The alarm sounded, and before I knew it, I was out the door at 7 a.m. to make sure I arrived two hours before my flight, the recommended amount.
My flight was at 9:30, so I had nothing to worry about until I checked my phone.
I had made a horrific mistake.
My return flight was at 9:30. My flight to Buffalo was at 8:10.
For people who have to go west to JFK Airport during rush hour traffic, an hour is not enough time to get to the airport, let alone through security.
At the time, I didn't have TSA pre-check, something I signed up for and bought immediately after.
The GPS said 35 minutes, and I lied to myself that I would be able to make my flight. Then I checked the JetBlue app again, and it said the airplane doors were to close at 7:50, and takeoff was at 8:10.
I was what some people like to call “screwed.”
So, I did what any normal person would do. I checked to see if any other flights could get me to Buffalo before puck drop, trying to take deep breaths in the process.
JetBlue failed me after I had failed it.
But Delta had a 9:30 a.m. flight because, of course, they did. So, I canceled the first flight, paid in full because of my brutal mistake, and got myself a ticket for the next fight.
Piece of cake after that.
They say sequels are never as good as the originals, but in my case, sadly, the second issue of the day was the bigger hit.
Jamie had purchased tickets to the game, so I thought I'd be a nice brother and go down to see him during the second intermission.
With about five minutes to go before the third period began, I told him I’d see him later and made my way back to the press box.
There was one problem with that.
I had no idea how to get back up.
So, like any normal person, I asked for help.
I was sent in 15 different directions, as there was confusion about which elevators went to the press box.
I ended up finding a flight of stairs and praying that they would lead me to the press box. Sure enough, there was a sign that said press box followed by a door.
I had made it. But when I went to pull on the door, it was locked.
To make me feel even worse, I heard, "Please welcome back to the ice, your Buffalo Sabres."
Time was of the essence.
So I walked down the flight of stairs back to security and told them my dilemma: the door was locked. One of the gentlemen radioed up to press security to open the door for me.
He was met with radio silence.
I had no other option, so…I texted Newsday’s Andrew Gross. I explained my current situation, and he asked me, “Where are you?”
And for some reason, I typed “behind a door.”
I still struggle to sleep at night, wondering why I thought typing that would help me.
The security guard still hadn't been able to reach anyone, so I banged on the door. Sure enough, I heard footsteps, and the door swung open.
It was Andrew. He had come looking for me.
When he opened that door, I probably looked like a lost puppy.
Andrew greeted me with, “How did you get here?”
I had no idea. I was just relieved that this latest nightmare was over.
We did have a minor issue postgame, with a restaurant being closed as we pulled up, but I was just happy I wasn't still chilling in a stairwell.
Honestly, given the embarrassing nature of this story, in so many ways, I wasn’t going to tell people about everything that went wrong, let alone write about it.
But it is a trip I will never forget, and because it was so hectic, I can now laugh at myself.
And remember, whether you are laughing at me or with me, you are still laughing.
The Islanders battle the Sabres on Friday night at 7 PM ET.