8.16.2006

Honey, I'm Home...



Wow...what a vacation!

I wanted to start off telling you about Airports and Airplanes. Mostly because I am so fascinated with how people miss their flights and what that must do to your nervous system. Not to mention your wallet.

This is what the sky looked like on the way TO the Airport last week, by the way. (If you are wondering why I am capitalizing the two words starting with Air, it is simply because I have learned that Airports and Airplanes must be shown huuuge respect in order for everything to go smoothly. Don't p*ss off the Air-words.)

Because we fly jetBlue, our flights back East are always very late at night. Because my husband usually drops us off at the Airport, we have to go very early so he can get home and get to bed at a decent hour. Which leaves us in the wind for a few enjoyable hours - hours spent shopping, eating, reading, and people watching. Oh. And getting through Security. (Another word to capitalize...)

Now remember, I have three children to entertain: this means going up and down the escalator one million times, TCBY at an ungodly hour, pleas for Gatorade and many trips to the potty. Although we got through security just fine and got to our concourse just fine and checked in our luggage just fine - I was completely frazzled when we learned that our flight was an hour behind schedule. Soooo...I decided that I would do a very logical thing: I would go have a smoke. I would simply go back out the way I came and it would kill a few minutes and save the children from certain death-by-strangulation. Besides, it would be several hours before I could afford myself that luxury again.

My time outside was wonderful. And then I got a txt from my daughter: The plane had arrived after all, and they would be boarding in 20 minutes. (Here is where I learn how stressful it is to be late for a flight.) The mad dash back inside must have been comical, because I got pulled out of line in security and shown to my own private screener...ohmygawd.

First thing she asks me is, "Have you been here before?".

I replied that I had, but had foolishly stepped outside for a smoke and needed to pass through quickly if possible. Smiling, (evil-like, now that I look back on it) she told me to enter this small plexi-glass booth and stand very still. Which I did. And then she SHOT me with SEVERAL puffs of rapid fire air...I swear I thought I had been killed. I screamed of course, and hit the ground which is exactly what you are supposed to do when being shot.

Laughingly, (smirking, really) the Security Demon told me to come on out...to which I shrieked something like,"You really should tell a body before you do something like that!".

"Dear, you told me you had been here before!" she giggled.

I tried hard not to mumble and pee my pants simultaneously while explaining that I had been through the NICE Security Line - the only crime I had committed to deserve this was going out for a smoke! To which she replied, "Guess you won't do THAT again, huh?". Ugh.

Needless to say, it was some shaky legs that carried me back to the terminal where I had just enough time to take the kids potty once more, and then collapse on our seats in the Airplane. Which was pretty close to departing on time...Until the steward noticed that the two guys DIRECTLY behind me were almost unconscious. (Apparently, they went to the bar instead of going out for a smoke.)

Deciding that it was too dangerous to leave the drunkards in the aisle reserved for quick escape in case of Aircraft Malfunction, they asked them to switch seats with two lovely ladies up front. And switch they did. Which should have fixed everything. Except for the ladies popped right back up again, demanding their original seats back. Unbeknownst to all, the gentlemen had vomited on the floor...and the seats...and on the Airsick Bag. So of course, the Airline Staff asked them to exit the Airplane and take a later flight when they were sure to feel much better. So, leave they did...but not before assaulting the First Officer on their way off the plane! Whaaa?!

It seems that assault on an Airplane is a Federal Offense - requiring a visit from the FBI or the CIA or whoever it is that takes 1 1/2 hours to arrive in their unmarked cars to haul drunk b*stards to the pokey.

Our Airplane left the tarmac three hours later than planned. I could have smoked a whole damn pack by then.

Oh, by the way... I tried the whole leave-the-terminal-and-brave-Security-again-to-have-a-smoke in New York on the way home, too. With much calmer results. Our plane was 15 minutes early arriving home.

God Bless Airplanes and Airports and Security. And also the FBI/CIA/IRS/whoever it is...

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

See what you get for smoking?!?!? Ha Ha! You are treated like a criminal! So sorry, but I still think you are strong enought to quit that sh*t! :) Funny story though!

Anonymous said...

LOL - Welcome home T. Hope the time between Airport adventures was fun. I once had to spend 6 hours on a plane in Dallas waiting on thunderstorms and tornadoes to pass. Seems the weather was too dangerous for the ground crews so they evacuated all of them. No ground crew meant the plane could not go back to the gate, so we just sat and drank the thing dry...

Anonymous said...

It doesn't matter how you slice it, smoking is bad for you. More proof;-)

Looking forward to hearing the rest of the saga....

jnuts said...

Coming back on a flight from Washington DC, the plane made an emergency landing in Denver because someone had a heart attack and died on the flight. If I remember correctly, I smoked AND drank myself stupid during the layover.

Glad you're back and I hope you had a wonderful time.

Terri G said...

Miss Lyss~
yes, yes, yes dear...you are right, as usual. ;)

Mike: I didn't even THINK about drinking...I wonder why?! That would have made the time so enjoyable. Now that I think about it, they didn't even offer anything to drink. How rude of them.

Jeff: yep, more proof! as if more was needed. Ugh.

Jock: OMG! a dead man on the plane?! I am afraid that would make me smoke more than cigarretes!
:)t

Quindigo said...

Oh, I see...you're envious of all my missed flights/paying extra/getting mauled going through security adventures and wanted to be a bad ass yourself? HA!

(I'm not still in 3rd grade, but knowing there was barf near me would have had me puking out one of my lungs. Gag!)

Oh Haiiiii!!

I was so afraid that my blog had disappeared- I mean, I haven't actually logged in for a couple of years, but still, shouldn't it be...