My kind of town

So we never actually saw the ground until the wheels touched it. I
think I prefer those types of landings. I get a little wonky when the
ground is coming up quickly. Anyway, we let the woman who shared the
misery of her trip thus far and the drama of the continued flight
delays which only added to her, ahem, joy with the five rows around
her go ahead of us when deplaning. It was a small gesture which
probably was not the difference between her making her connection or
not but 'tis the season and I hope she made it. We also met a
gentleman from the Buffalo Bills' practice squad. Mr. Copeland Bryan
was gracious while I was a babbling idiot. I wish him well in his
football career. We then found a beverage spigot and are now huddled
at the gate with our fellow travelers. So far the departure time has
been delayed by 43 minutes. I've never been in a de-iced plane before.
Wish me luck.

Not moving

While sitting at the gate, a gent taped up a sign that informed
travelers that a new state law requires airlines to make accomodations
for food in and food out if the plane is stuck on the tarmac for three
hours or more. It seems now to have been prescient because we are now
sitting on the runway without our main engine running. We can't fly
into Chicago due to traffic at their end so we get to sit here for 40
more minutes. The folks in front of me have partially unpacked their
puppy (how do you tell an animal to yawn and pop their eardrums?) and
the woman behind me is sharing her misery with whoever answered their
phone at the other end as well as rows 15-20.

Hmm, I wonder if FrenchieFoo got out of Chi-town ok ...

Stay tuned. I'm not going anywhere for a while.

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And so it begins

This (below) is what we like to see: pavement! No worries for the
first flight and I hope the runway in Chicago is just as clear. We had
a good time but I'm ready to be in my own bed, fighting the grrllzz
for space.

Mother Nature comes through at last

Finally, a bit of fluffy white hit the ground. Of course, I hope there
is none of this on the runway in a few hours but I'll enjoy it in the
meantime.

Last day of world's best cuisine

Tomorrow we head back to the great northwet and leave this snowy
wonderland behind. Apparently Mother Nature forgot we were coming and
failed to order up the snow. Absolutely no frozen water to be seen. Oh
well.

The trip has been a culinary delight. It began with a fish fry that
cannot be beat anywhere else in the continental U.S. If the beer-
battered fish isn't hanging over the edges of the platter-sized plate,
take your $8.95 elsewhere. I've lived in two regions of the country
that are not here and have reputations and industries based on seafood
and they cannot hold a candle to the fish dinners found in this Rust
Belt city. That meal alone made wrestling with TSA worthwhile.

I'm drooling again so perhaps it would be best to set the electronics
aside now.

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From the tarmac

Made it all the way to my spawning grounds and can't get off the plane
because there are no worker bees here to meet the plane. The pilot
just executed a "circle around the parking lot one more time." Still
no drones around and parts of the terminal are dark. This is bizarre.

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A Xmas Xocktail in the nation's Capitol

11:02 am

I still have questions about this interfaith service. It's Christmas
day. Are the christians peeved about the interfaithness of the
service? Is such a service held everyday? If the service is being held
because today is Christmas, why bother with the interfaithness?

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Airport chaplain??

Wow. The disembodied voice just announced the airport chaplain will
hold an 11 am interfaith service in the meditation room of the main
terminal. See previous post re: my not knowing the new air travel
script and kick up my confusion factor by an additional 1/2. I'm
picturing Father Mulkahey from M.A.S.H. Now I'm also picturing
Corporal Klinger. So far it is a surreal holiday.

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At the aeroport

We are at the airport 3 hours before departure. We have plenty of
time. There is no security line worth commenting on. So why is my
stomach in knots? What is it about being in an airport that makes me
crazy? I've decided today's unease is because I do not know the new
airport script well enough to be comfortable. The check in kiosks keep
changing style and arrangement. I've never before printed out my
boarding passes the night before. I didn't know how to check in and
get my bag checked. And then the very friendly United employee tapped
through the video screens too quickly for me to see the gate info. I
was adrift and, in my head, I identified myself as one of those newbie
travelers who piss off the more practiced folks. And all this happened
before my iPhone set off the metal detector.

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