Fright Flights

Well how creepy is the attempted attack on the flight to Detroit from Amsterdam? Update-and now another one.....

For someone who uses planes to go to work almost every week it’s very scary. Here’s a little tidbit that I’ve noticed over the last year-I’ll bet at least 85% of the flights that I’m on, the person in the window seat in the exit row is a dark skinned guy, by themselves, aged around 25 years old. Not being prejudiced, just noticing a fact.

I started noticing that awhile back because if I can’t get a seat near the front I always go for the exit rows because they’re roomier. And it didn’t take long to catch on to that demographic. Sometimes I’ll be sitting in the aisle seat in the exit row and watch the line of people coming on the plane. When I see a person who meets that description I know they will sit there and they usually do. And, for planes that are usually about 90% white or couples and families, this is even a stranger statistic. I’m going to start taking pictures now of them……I’ll pretend I’m getting a picture out the window.

Of course now I’m also worried that I’ll over react. Like, when one of them reaches for their bag of peanuts I’ll head butt them or something.

I know if I’m ever on a plane and something happens like that guy from Nigeria was planning, I’d want my kids to know how much I love them, that’s for sure, but I’d hope they know that anyway. No matter how old I get and they get, I still get a kick out of looking at them and talking to them. Yep, in the family area I really lucked out! But then again that’s another tangent.

The worst part of this story could be new rules for air travel. I mean, what if they really start limiting what you can bring on. What about all of the hair care products that I routinely travel with? And if there’s longer lines my occasional lack of patience, especially with early morning flights will exhibit itself even quicker.

And once again, not to appear biased, but if that TSA agent in Detroit who wears a turban puts me in the high security screening line again I’ll scream. Well, no I won’t cause that’ll just delay me even more.

So I guess I’ll just expect longer lines and less patience and try not to jump on someone on the plane for reaching for their MP3 player or something.

Creepy Nightmare

While I was in Indy this last week I had a horrible nightmare on Thursday night. It was about a huge fire in a party like scenario that started from the top and killed 112 young people. The worst was that in this nightmare I could feel the emotional pain of the families that had lost their kids. In my nightmare I could see the families sobbing uncontrolably, falling to their knees and I knew that there was nothing I could or say that would make their suffering any less. In the dream I could see the bodies and the smoke in the aftermath as people were digging through it trying to find things.

When I woke up it was a troubling nightmare that kind of bugged me all day-it was just so vivid.

So today Jenna and I were out running errands and I turned on CNN HLN on the XM Radio and heard about the fire in the Russian Nightclub. I was so freaked out about it I couldn't wait to tell people about the 'premonition'.

But now I can also sense how horrible the families across the world are feeling.

If I'm going dream things that come true I'd much rather dream that I won the lottery or something.

More fun on the road

This week I flew to the glamorous city of Indianapolis. Actually it's a beautiful city and their downtown is nice, vibrant and clean.

However...back to the traveling, since I'm boycotting Northwest Airlines I ended up taking United. Unfortunately they fly out of the old terminal, the Ghetto Terminal.

When I landed in Indy I picked up my rental car. It was really rainy and foggy and I totally didn't see a Stop sign and ended up running it and crossing four lanes of traffic which scared that crud out of me. Fortunately traffic was really light and I didn't really come near hitting anyone.

On the flight home I was lucky enough to sit next to a guy with the grossest smelly breath. Even just by facing forward and breathing normally he was filling the local air with a disgusting odor. I was hoping he'd yawn so I could toss in a Tic Tac.

Once we landed, when it was time for our row to exit I was ready to pop up and get out of there. Unfortunately I forgot to unbuckle first so I jammed myself and rearranged some internal organs.

And of course there's icing on the cake. Returning once again to the Ghetto Terminal I used the restroom on the way out where they offer the finest in hygenic inventions-the Buttwasher 2000. That's the automatic toilet that continuously loops through the flushing cycle the entire time you're 'visitng'.

Ah but nice to be home:-)

Adventures in Travel

Well I got up this morning a little before 4:00 a.m. to drive to a 9:00 appointment in Cincinnati. Last night we picked up my rental car since I don't want to put my travel miles on my car.

About an hour into Ohio my lovely Hyundai Sonata lost all power on I-75. Fortunately it wasn't completely dead, it did sputter along at eight mph.

So I crawled on the shoulder for a couple of miles to get to a well lit exit. In the meantime I called Hertz Roadside Assistance and told the lady who answered of my issues. She asked me to let them know when I get to an exit so they could tell the tow truck driver where to pick me up. However I asked her to stay on the phone with me as it was really creepy and I couldn't think of anyone else to talk to at 5:30 a.m. So she did and I'm now sitting here at a Loves Truck Stop filling myself with unsweet Iced Tea at the Arby's.

At least I have Internet here, a puzzle book and if worse comes to worse my Nintendo DS is in my suitcase.

The Canteen

Last night was the much awaited ‘Hilbert Canteen’. This is a social event for the students at Jenna’s school and since it was before Halloween they got to wear costumes.

Jenna chose a ‘Belly Dancer’ and she actually moves pretty good in it! She went with her friend Jamie who was dressed up in a red outfit with wings. However, since Jamie’s costume had come from a friend who was bigger than her, and was pretty low cut I did have to run home and get her another shirt to wear with it.

All in all they had a great time. They had pizza and got tons of pictures taken with different friends by the school photographer. They had a booth set up for Polaroids for $1.00 and they spent a fortune there.

I had signed up to be a chaperone. It had to be volunteer work because they couldn’t have paid me enough to it! Lots of kids, loud music that I was years away from being familiar with. NO Moody Blues or Kingston Trio. But all in all it as fun. Jenna and Jamie had a great time.

And it was a learning experience for me. I can now name all three Jonas Brothers.

***UPDATE**** OMG-Eric informed me that I had missed a younger Jonas Brother, Frankie, the Bonus Jonas. I stand corrected.

Habitat for Humanity

Well, despite Jimmy Carter's 'out in the wild blue yonder' comments recently I still felt motivated to go help the Sysco Grand Rapid's team on a Habitat for Humanity project.

So I drove in on a Friday evening and cashed in some hotel points for a free room so I could be up and raring to go Saturday morning at 8:00 am in the rain.

The group of us stood outside while the supervisor went over the rules and how Habitat for Humanity works. Then they started whittling down the crowd by talent level.

First they asked who could paint and some people went off with the paint person. Then it was who could do woodwork and that narrowed the group a little more. After about fifteen minutes I was the only one left standing when my call came out! 'Who is totally inept and construction ability deprived' and I jumped up and down shouting 'It's me it's me!!!'. So I got to follow around someone who was drilling holes in walls and then I put some plastic thing in the holes. I don't know if this was really something they needed to do or if they felt obligated to find busy work for me-but it was OK and I felt like I did something.

Next time I'll have to look for volunteer opportunities more my type. I'm still afraid that then the people move in the house might fall down due to the plastic things being put in the holes wrong.

A Day With Westland's Finest

Helicopter Moon Walkers Cool SWAT Team

Today was the much anticipated 'Open House' at the Westland Police Station. Fortunately for me Pattye, Julia and Muffin decided to go to so I wouldn't have to be embarrassed going on my own. I don't know how they liked it but I thought it was AWESOME!

I, I mean, 'we' got to see the Police Helicopter land.

There was a demonstration of a SWAT team which Julia and Nathaniel thought was too loud because they had real sounds of gunfire. But that was really cool-afterwards we all sat in the SWAT truck and talked with a member of the team. VERY COOL! I wanted to ask him if he had any B.O.L.O.'s on any perp's lately...but that's technical COP talk, that you lay people don't need to concern yourself with.

There was also an actual Police Cadet who got tasered. Apparently before they're allowed to have a taser they all have to submit to being tasered so this guy decided to do it for the audience. I felt bad for him, it looked like it hurt. The taser spit out darts that plunged into his back and it incapacitated him for about a minute. And they actually had to yank the darts out. But they said that it didn't hurt because he was so numb from the taser itself. And for those of you who want to know, if you touch someone who is getting tasered, the current won't flow to you like electricity would.

By this time Pat, Jules and Nate had wandered back off into the Moon Walk inflatable bouncer but I followed the crowd to the next demonstration-the drug sniffing dog. And I was so proud, I was standing there with my purse and I didn't even have cause to panic when the dog walked by me:-)

A great fun day for all of us....well, for me anyway.