fly

o.k. So I am sitting in an airport terminal (#2 to be exact) and because we are here about 2 hours early, thought I'd write a blog entry. I will say in advance that because I am using the laptop and it's Thor's, I can't enable the spellcheck...so sorry about any spelling errors.

I have decided that although I really hate dropping 65,000 feet (heck I hate dropping 4 feet) flying is a must. If flying is a must then I prefer to go Jetblue. One reason is they have a "port" (is that what they call it?) in Long Beach aka John Wayne Airport. For S'mee this is a good thing. The drive from our house is faster than most of the other airports and the freeways we need to take to get there are usually less active than the other more crowded freeways, i.e. the 60, the 91...yikes.

Another reason is the parking is pretty hassle free. Easy to find number one. Have you ever tried to find the danged parking lots for the correct terminal at LAX? Holy Hannah! John Wayne has a small little lot and the shuttle drivers search you out and pick you up at your car, no hiking to the nearest tram stop. Yes, I am lazy when lugging heavy baggage and while toting my carry-on and wearing a wool coat in the rain. (and yes, I know that last sentence was really ugly, but I am way tired)

So here we are waiting for 8:00 to arrive. We went to bed last night at about 10:30 thinking we could get in a good night sleep and be fresh for the 3:30 wake up call and drive into town. Well it was as if we were both 10 years old and anticipating a trip to Disneyland for the first time. Neither of us could sleep a wink. Not even tired! UGH! So we laid there and watch Leno and even that didn't help. Up at 3:30 and in the car.

D.C. awaits our arrival. D.C. is always interesting. Thor never knows until sometime during a meeting or conference (which is it this time???) if he will get an invite to this party or that and if someone "important" will be there to glad hand or ask for money, support, or endorsements. Sometimes these rubber chicken dinners are actually a good time. Like the time he was invited to a company dinner (no expectations, just come and eat). Arrive at such in such Italian eatery and tell them the group name. At that he was led to the top floor of the building and sat down to an all night feed fest complete with strolling Italian musicians who led everyone in drinking songs after the meal was finished. There was the time we were entertained by the most amazing Flaminco dancers, so close to us you could feel the heat from their bodies and get an occasional splat of their sweat.

There was one breakfast here in SoCal when we were able to meet the (then) current governor. It sounds impressive until you realize the guy will never remember meeting you. That particular breakfast happens every year on the same day... it can be a recurring nightmare. For instance the years they had this little girl "entertain" us. She had a pretty good voice for a child, but let's get real. What the real important part was she had a very good stage mom who is somewhere as we speak trying, pushing that same sad little girl into pageants or American Idol for the preteen set. During one performance, not only did the little gal not know the correct words to our National Anthem (and the rockets did dare- to go up in the air...), but kept singing it over and over incorrectly. Follow that up by a horrendous rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings" sang personally to the awkwardly put on the spot governor who just stood there like "what the heck???". As the song was nearing it's tedious end the governor raised his hands over his head and waved them "in the air like he just don't care" and this gave her an opening to slide into another song.... the poor man had a look on his face like "SOMEONE STOP HER!!!" I kept waiting for Secret Service Agents to take her out, but your tax dollars were not at work that day. Two more 8 year old versions of country pop hits like "I'm Proud To Be An American" and pretty much everyone wanted to hurl.

Well gotta go, see you in D.C.!