Airport hell

Sigh. I'm three hours early for my Heathrow flight. Thought there would be lines, or something, but the train was on time and at the airport check-in went though like winking. Now I'm past security and sitting on a noisy concourse without access to a power outlet or wifi. What could these people possibly be thinking?
I've gotten through a half hour of this hell.
Must find outlet. Cannot get on 5-hour flight with no battery power. Not possible.

Five-hour flight turned into 6.5 hour flight, and I have now missed my connection and am stranded in the armpit of the airport world--Heathrow. Crowded, bad traffic flow, dirty (bathrooms rise to putrid) and topped off with stained, suspended ceilings that seem to be inches above my 5'7" head.
Having said that, the flight was rather nice, even though the seats were tiny and cramped for space. Was surrounded by 34 members of the Middlesex (Massachusetts) fife & drum corps, on its way to Basel. Of course, they missed their connecting flight, too, and I don't know where they are now. We snaked through transport hell to customs hell together, where we were joined by about 50 Aussies getting back from some World Cup match and a young and disorganized family with a vomiting child. We passed the word back through the line, "Don't step in it."

I was assigned to the local British Airways carrier, BNI, and am in their section of the terminal, which isn't elegant but much the best thing I've seen so far.
Whoops. I thought it was the local carrier, but when my boarding was called I was told I was at the wrong airline! Then I was at the wrong gate, and the plane was still scheduled to depart at 11:15.

Sue G was expecting me to arrive at the Edinburgh airport at 9:10, and she was scheduled to arrive at 9:55. Now it will be after noon when I arrive. Hope she has the good sense to leave me in the lurch. Maybe she will be late, too. Oh, well. I just got 100 pounds with my cash card. Time to get something to eat.

I finally got to Edinburgh and had collected my luggage by about 12:30. No Sue, but I hardly expected it. Got on a wonderful shuttle bus that took me right to the Royal Mile and my hotel.