Chicago was a rough weekend. First, I've got to say I hate flying. I used to love it. It was an event. People got dressed up, people met you at the gate at the airport, there was food served, not great food but it broke up the monotony of the flight...and I am pretty sure there was more room in the seats..Now you're squished together, stressed from the duress of getting through the security check...packing is a nightmare, trying to make sure your liquids and toothpaste meet TSA requirements...flights are canceled and the now packed to bulging flights have no empty seat when your flight is canceled...vouchers are being announced because they overbooked the flight and you pray you're not the person asked to not fly because no one wants the voucher, they just want to get home. When your flight is canceled, you better hope you have money to pay for a room because if it is weather related you have two choices...pay for a room or sleep in the terminal. Oh, and when your flight is canceled and you have a checked baggage, like say a hockey bag, you hope and pray you end up in the same place...oh, and checking bags used to be free...now it costs an arm and a leg, especially if your bag weighs more than the limit...This used to be included in flying...it was assumed that a person flying required more than can fit in a 22 inch carry on bag. Now, if one was flying to a tropical island a 22 inch carry on would be no problem but in most societies one needs more than a thong or bikini...especially if the temperature is below 80 degrees or you are going to spend a significant amount of time in an ice rink...for the entire weekend. Sweaters, sweatshirts, and pants take up a bit of room.
Second, who knew I would be considered a dinosaur just for remembering that flying used to actually be a pleasurable experience.
Can you tell my flight to Chicago did not go down in my diary as a an event to remember? I should have known when TSA found the pocket knife that I had searched for more times than I can remember it was going to be all down hill from there. Oh, and the small water bottle from a hockey practice last week was still in my backpack....yeah, it just went downhill from there.
On the bright side, I am blessed with a wonderful friend who drove up to Nashville to retrieve my family when we couldn't get a flight to Hunstville for days and didn't flinch when American called to say they didn't send our bags to Huntsville like they originally told us but Nashville...after we had already left the Airport. I should probably do something nice for her...like give her my kidney if she ever needs it...
Ready for Takeoff
Checking out a payphone in a cell phone world
