Friday, July 20, 2007

Going back to Cali

So I leave for California at the crack of dawn tomorrow for a week-long 3 prong vacation (during which you will likely be update-less).

My cousin and I are starting in Lake Tahoe at her parent's lake house, then spending a bit of time at their ranch outside of Sacramento to ride horses and visit relatives, then to San Francisco to see my cousin's new apartment and do the museum thing.

I am very interested in the Cartoon Art Museum... which happens to be located quite close to Beard Papa's Creme Puffs (though I hear one is opening soon here in Seattle). I also hope to cross a few things off of my 101 List while I'm down there, so that should be a good time.

I would be remiss, however, if I failed to mention that I am utterly stressed out about this trip because I have to fly.

I'm not scared of plane crashes or anything- I just hate the whole rush to get there, then wait, getting checked in, dealing with getting luggage into bins I can't reach using 1 working arm and 1 with no sensation and limited strength, sitting by strangers, and getting out of the airport. I'm terrified of not packing the right things, sitting next to a smelly or a chatty, missing my flight, or getting bumped.

Worst of all is the pitifully ineffective but incredibly inconvenient security. Inevitably I am searched. I must be on some list or perhaps I'm just traveling alone while looking vaguely ethnic-ish. I always get hand searched and my luggage always gets turned before it gets on the plane because when I arrive my stuff is always all mangled and occasionally missing.

The second I am out of the airport, luggage in hand, I will be zen- until the day before I have to return.

2 comments:

cymberleah said...

Have fun!!

PalinDrome said...

The reason that you keep getting pulled aside is that your first name starts with a Q just like Qatar (Middle East). Just be thankful your name is not Irene because TSA may think your are Iranian or something.

And whatever you do don't forget it is your patriotic duty to only have containers that can hold 4 ounces or less of liquid or gels and will all fit into one one-quart sized freedom baggie. Because if the US losses the War on Liquids, we all get wet.

But the good news is that next month you can carry lighters on the plane again. It is a shame that the beverage drinking lobby is not as strong as the smoking lobby.