@tobias primarily
Sunday, I can leave wichita around 12:30 or 1:30, and get back around 5:30 or 7. Should be easy to make that flight no matter where and in what condition I end up Saturday night, but gets me back later than I'd like, especially if I'd have to spend a few hours retrieving a dog from the suburbs.
However, I could instead stumble onto the flight out of salina at 7:45 am and then get on a flight from denver that would have me home by 1:30. However, that involves buying a "great lakes ticket for the salina flight and a separate united flight from denver. I'm a little sketched out that the salina flights are hit or miss, and then I'm mumped b/c it wouldn't be united's fault or responsibility to get me from salina when I've only got a denver-seattle ticket. The plan also presumes we'd be pak'n the crap out of salina and I'd crash there. All too risky? Set aside the prospect of salina flight #coverage here for the sake of me solidly getting home.