back home on range

Back in Wyoming and its summer! Yay! A smooth but sleepless flight over the Pacific put me in a familiar but grubby unwelcoming LA airport where I experienced the usual hassels. This is the 3rd time I have been detained and I've never committed an offence. I've never even thought about committing one! I had all the documentation that the Sydney consulate assured me i needed to get through immigration but apparently struck the wrong official. When I handed the pan-face, uniformed clad, 'gentleman' the sealed envelope he asked me where the attached piece of paper was. There never was one but there were staple marks. It couldn't have been too important if it was stapled to the outside with one measly staple! I said I had no idea and gulped as he ripped open that precious document I had been guarding with my life. Then he put it asside and told me to wait while he attended to TWO 747's worth of passengers. I told him I had a plane to catch at 10.44am and he just nodded and mumbled, "you'll catch your plane." It was 7.30am but after having been detained twice before for a miserably long 5 hours a piece, I wasn't feeling too reasurred. So I sat down where he told me to and tears welled up as I watched and airport full off people of all nationalities pass happily through his hands.
After about an hour another officer came out from the 'little room' and asked me what was going on. By now my friend at the counter had served everyone and had dissappeared with the all my documentation including my passport. The second officer said "this isn't right" and took off looking for him. Now both of them had dissappeared and i was left in limbo. However they both returned a few minutes later.The second officer went back to what he was doing and 'Gracia' beckoned me back to the counter. Suddenly he was Mr nice guy telling me i didn't have to get so upset.
He figure-printed me right there at the counter, handed me my stamped passport, smiled broadly and told me to have a good day. I took it mumbled something like, "you too" and raced off to get my baggage to take through customs. I caught them just as they were ready to take them to the unclaimed dept. No hassels in customs thank goddness;got to the terminal with only 25mins to spare. Ordered and drank a nice vod and ton, boarded the plane to Denver and bopped across to Colorado.Need I say it was so comforting to step inside the friendly and civilized DIA and be greeted by sweet Mernie.The rest is not history, its the future.