Massachusetts - Day 1 - Enroute

I can't believe I've been home a week now and am just now getting a chance to blog about my trip to MA to attend the wedding of my 87-year-old grandfather! (I previously mentioned that he was 88 several times in past blog entries, but it turns out he's only 87.) But hey, better late than never, right?


So, the night before my flight (Wednesday night) I didn't sleep at all. Part of it was my obsessive-compulsive need to make sure I had completed certain tasks before I left. (I finally found a stopping point or I never would have finished packing, but felt uneasy as a result.) Part of it was that I was just too excited to sleep!


My roommate dropped me off at the airport and I had already checked in online on the way via iPhone, so had plenty of time to get my bag checked and make it to my gate.


It had been some time since I had flown, and I mentioned to the security checkpoint employee that I wasn't sure if I was allowed to bring my tweezers and nail clippers because it had been about 11 years since I had flown. (It is allowed.) Then, I almost had to laugh at myself when I realized that wasn't entirely true. Actually, I HAD flown as recently as less than five years ago, on "Con-Air", the federal planes used to transport prisoners from the processing center in Oklahoma to their designated prison. How many people can say they've experienced that? I actually think it's pretty cool that I can say that I have. I'll definitely blog about that flight sometime. It was very interesting and rather eventful.


The flight to Atlanta from TN was pretty quick - 45 minutes, maybe? When I arrived in Atlanta, that's when the fun began.


First, there was the Wall Street Deli. I couldn't resist stopping to take a picture of this kiosk, because it really took me back. You see, when I was being held in one of the southeast's worst, most nasty, horrific jails, which happens to be the Jefferson County jail in Birmingham, AL, the one bright spot was that when you were a federal detainee, like myself, if you had a court hearing you went to the federal building and at lunch time they would bring you food from the Wall Street Deli... a sandwich, chips, a coke, and a chocolate chip cookie. You have NO idea how AMAZING that was compared to the unidentifiable crap that was served at the Jefferson County jail. Yes, I'm breaking in the middle of this blog about my trip to mention this, because it's something I want to share. No, I'm not stuck in the past. Yes, it's important for me to remember and share this. No, it's not a negative thing for me to remember this. It simply reminds me that I have work to do and makes me grateful that I survived that place. Some people did not. No joke.


So anyway, back to happy land, here is the picture of the thing that reminds me of a bright spot in a very difficult time.

Good eats!

You should definitely try a sandwich there sometime, although I'm sure it will not taste as good to you as it did to me five years ago! ;-)


Next, I found myself navigating through the human traffic at the airport, which almost seemed as difficult to navigate as I remember the rush hour traffic on the Atlanta freeways being years ago. It didn't help any that I got stuck behind a "wide load" that I could not penetrate, no matter how hard I tried...

Can't go through the middle!

Can't go around, either!

Finally, after missing the sign for my gate and having to backtrack, I got on the train and made it to the section where I finally made it to my gate. It's a good thing I had an hour and a half layover, because it took that long just to navigate!

I decided to go to the ladies' room and freshen up a bit, where I was delighted to meet Elvis, an adorable (and so tiny!) Pomeranian puppy. His owner was gracious enough to let me take his photo and gave me permission to post it online:

What a cutie!

So tiny!

Once I got back to my gate, I spied a cute little boy who was apparently making sure he was qualified as a carry-on. I call him the "Carry-On Kid": (I wouldn't upload these photos without permission if his face was identifiable.)

Yep! He fits!

Chillin'!

If you look closely, you can see a tiny toy plane lying on the floor. When the "Carry-On Kid" and his family boarded the plane, he left it behind. I picked it up and carried it on when it was my turn to board the plane, hoping to spot him and return it to him. As it turned out, I was seated directly in front of him, so that was easy. His dad told me that he had lost several of these toy planes in their travels that day, so was happy to have at least one of them returned.


The flight was pleasant. I was in the back of the plane (which turns out to be the safest place to be in the event of a crash, and also where most of the passengers with small children ended up). One might expect it to be a very noisy flight with all of the babies and toddlers surrounding me, but they all were very quiet and slept for most of the flight, so I consider myself a lucky gal! ;-)


One thing that made the flights easier for me was that I always carry "Ear Planes" ear plugs, which help prevent pressure from building up in the ear canal at higher elevations. Years ago, on a flight to Washington, D.C., I had a VERY painful experience with that, so I decided to always keep a pair of these in my purse and have not had a problem since.


I also have a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones, which I noticed many other people on the plane carry as well. Flight attendants always make sure they're turned off upon takeoff, but once you turn them on afterwards it really cancels out the noise of the plane. The combination of wearing Ear Planes ear plugs and the headphones is even more effective... just another example of how little things can make a huge difference!


Next: Arrival