Before the Boarding Door Closes

Ahhh... On board a plane headed to Portland. I am ecstatic to be heading to the northwest and even more excited to be healthy this time. No more passing up the beer and wine on my horizon flights due to being knocked out on Nyquill like last year! No more being reduced to heinously brewed starbucks coffee at my hotel! Hipsters and hippies everywhere! Time to visit Powells books and get stumptown!

It's the little things that make me happy.

Before the Boarding Door Closes

Thoughts before boarding in O'Hare:

• Today was not the day to mess with me. I have a short fuse after being super exhausted (which no amount of sleeping 12 hours a day seems to fix), and having a lack of hot water in the morning and a heating system in my hotel banquet room on the fritz (for the second day, after they insisted it was working) definitely did not help. Don't ignore my 50th plea to fix the thermostat. Don't take 15 minutes to get to my request every time I ask while you insist you must lock me out of being able to touch the damn thing. Don't get defensive when I point out that a 30 second adjustment is all I'm asking for. Because you will pay for it with a verbal tounge-lashing resulting in me getting my way.
• I don't throw the hissy very often, but turns out it works. Like gangbusters.
• I still don't really get Chicago.
• I still don't get how people SUCK at going through security. Really, you had 15 minutes in line and you're just NOW emptying your pockets? Put it in your laptop bag, your coat pocket, a pocket on your rolling bag. Take out your laptop and hold it so you can put it straight in the bin. Untie your shoes if you're not wearing slip ons already. Take off your coat. Pull out your liquid ziplock. If there's no line, take your time... but with a 15+ minute line, you owe it to everyone else to figure it the hell out.
• Did I mention I'm grouchy today?
• Grouch Grouch Grouch Grouch Grouch Grouch Grouch Grouch
• Why won't people who clearly have been removed from my life stay removed? Not helping my grouchy day, buddy.
• They should have left this place an orchard.
• I'M COMING HOME FOR TWO WHOLE WEEKS IN TWO DAYS OH THANK GOD FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!!!

Before the Boarding Door Closes

Flights in and out of Orlando have the highest population of children I have ever seen. Thank God I have a drink coupon for Southwest.

Before the Boarding Door Closes

SeaTac has free wi-fi! I'm typing on my computer as I'm sitting on the plane waiting for the masses to board.

A few thoughts about this weekend:

• A 7:20am flight to Newark isn't sooo bad, until you find out the seat you got is in a "limited recline" row in front of the exit row. I tried to check in and change seats, but with holiday travel the flight internets just laughed at me.
• Being in town for 4 days is just a tease. All I want to do now is not be flying out.
• I have hot pink toes just in time for MIAMI!
• After ogling netbooks at Best Buy I'm going to have to try to partake in cyber Monday festivities.
• Holidays centering around eating as much food (especially potatoes and desserts) do not leaving you feeling better.
• Holiday travel complications make me wish we all celebrated on different days.
• Limited recline SUCKS.

[Edit:] Turns out it's not so bad. I slept almost the entire flight without reclining, most of it curled up with my feet resting in the seat-back pocket. Yes, I sleep very oddly on planes.

Before the Boarding Door Closes

(Trying out a new phone app for posting blogs without wifi proved to be ineffective Friday evening, but here's the post anyways. If I can get it to work, this might become a feature.)

Thoughts before taking off:

Having an 8pm flight is not as bad as it sounds. Things I've done since the seminar ended--

• Worked out for an hour.
• Got my amazing winter schedule. Oklahoma and Arkansas are on it! As are really great presenters and Hawaii!!!
• Ordered my first espresso straight up, since I can no longer bring myself to order 12 oz of hot milk. (I added the tiniest bit of milk, cinnamon, chocolate, and nutmeg. DAMN FINE.)
• Had a beer (or two) and dinner at the airport.
• Found headphone covers that will allow me to continue to use my iPhone earbuds longer.
• Got really excited to be going to Nashville for the first time.