The Boys & Me

I spent a lot of time in airports the last two weeks. This week I began on Sunday and hit ground in six cities and took eight flights within four days. I thought I could share my travel tales with you.

A nice surprise to my trip this week was bumping into my friend Amelia on Sunday. We chatted it up in the airport which was a ton of fun especially when you expect to spend four days alone. A spotted a man staring at me several times; I must have been very animated in my conversation which I am known to do occasionally.

Since I travel alone I get to spend a lot of time watching other people which I prefer to do rather than actually talk to them. I like to make up my own stories for these people. Sometimes I check to see how accurate my reading is by sparking a conversation. It was much more fun when you could meet your party arriving (or saying goodbye) in the airport at the gate. I loved witnessing those interactions.

This week I met a University Professor traveling around the country educating businesses on the latest buzz word “green” efforts. He gets paid the same as a Professor who would teach 20 hours a week but it’s his passion so he does it. The man seated next to me shares his latest text from his daughter, “Lock your phone, your butt just called me.” And as if he is embarrassed by his daughter’s use of the word “butt” he says he supposes it’s acceptable to use the word butt nowadays. One man flying to visit his son and grandchildren in Texas converses with me on his take of the American Idol finalist. I found it funny that a man in his late sixties would go on about Adam Lambert’s talent as a singer and artist and compare him to Elvis. I heard a girl talking of her divorce the year before. I see a woman separated by one empty seat from me wiping her teary eyes while I wonder what Emily Post would say is the right etiquette in this situation. One man shared his Bose headset with me and insisted I tell my husband to buy them for me at my birthday in July. He also shockingly told me I had to get blinds for my house when I said I don’t use blinds. Then he told me which ones I should buy. He is in the blind business living in Los Angeles if you were wondering. I misread him. I would have pegged his smart, sophisticated, Indian accent self as a doctor. He really looked and had mannerisms of someone you wouldn’t mind operating on you but I probably just watch too much TV. It’s always fun to be wrong. I hear a man upset that someone at his company with no authority to do so, approved a quarter of a million dollar discount for a customer. He wasn’t happy. I met a man who was so good at his job as a Superintendent of a school district with over 120,000 students that he now educates others on how to be successful and has spoken at the University of Arkansas. All my flights were on time except the last one, the most anticipated one, the flight home to XNA. It was over an hour late. At this time, I wait fascinated by the slightly obnoxious, posturing men in their cave clicks also waiting for their flight. Nowhere but on a flight heading to XNA do you see these types of men. I am not sure why that is.

I do not like to fly. I don’t have panic attacks over flying but it’s kind of like housework. You do it because it is necessary but you don’t look forward to it. I am claustrophobic and have gained control over this condition for flying. I have three necessities for flying to ensure no anxiety attacks that the flight attendants most certainly are not equipped for. First, I need an aisle seat. Secondly, I need to be in the front of the plane. Lastly and most importantly, I need a book. If more than one of these things is not happening, I get nervous, very nervous.

I am a priority access flyer so I am the first group to board. I sit in anticipation eyeing everyone walking down the aisle mentally noting three categories of people

1. Please don’t sit by me.

2. Don’t mind if you sit next to me.

3. I can’t decide about you.

I was lucky on about half the flights I didn’t sit next to anyone. It is always when I get cocky about how smooth my travel is going with no terrible seat mates or anxiety when I spy him walking, peeking behind the tall man to see who he will be sitting next to. He is in category three until he sits down and then he becomes category four very quickly. Category four is oh god, I have to move – how rude is it to move? – oh dear I can’t take it. Invading my personal space on a plane is pretty common since there are a lot of men who fly and they are generally big and think it is acceptable to stretch out. This guy either has a fear of flying, has some other mental problem, or his mother just didn’t teach him manners because he had no problem not only invading my personal space but seriously touching the right side of my body as he squirmed, attempted to will more air out of the vent, and sleep. He became a category four when his leg was lined up, pressed against my leg while he tapped rapidly in a leg spasm all in a pattern of beats but it was when he turned in his seat to lean against the window and his butt (yes, it is acceptable to say butt in my world) was pressed against my side that I became officially appalled. I focused on my book because I really try not to be rude plus since he couldn’t sit still I knew it wouldn’t last long.

I started my third book before boarding my 8^th plane. I have a kindle which makes reading three books in one trip easy, inexpensive and very green. Since I have a fairly new gadget getting lots of press time over all the updates and competitors I get asked about it each trip. I think I explained my likes and dislikes about my kindle three, maybe four times this week.

I ended my trip by bumping into Laura, a woman I worked with 6 years ago getting caught up on each of our lives. The best part of the trip was going down the escalators and watching my handsome boys bouncing up and down excited to greet me home. It made me feel like having a Sally Field moment, “They like me, they really like me.”

You know I don’t like to post without a photo so this is all I got. I had a meeting at the Chateau Elan Winery and Resort outside of Atlanta. If I didn’t need to hop a plane for Nashville (and it wasn’t raining) I would have LOVED to have taken the tour. I tried to get one of the Inn and of a smaller field of grapes but the rain really hindered the picture taking. Google it and you will be impressed. I am now adding it to my wish list of vacations.