Leavin' On a Jetplane...

Hello, all. Sorry to the four of you who regularly check in here for the lack of posting, but things have been a little kah-rayzy around here.

I went to Chicago on Monday the 29th for a work related conference and returned on Thursday November 1st. Missed the family terribly but had a great time. I walked all over downtown, probably logging in about 3-4 miles during my trip. I shopped along Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue, ate at a Chicago establishment restaurant, sipped Starbucks while watching the masses hurry to their evening trains. I love Chicago, but would hate living there. I found out from a lady who lives downtown that I could pick up a one bedroom, one bath, 1600 sq foot condo for only $350-400,000. What a steal. I am writing my check as we speak.....

I flew back home on Thursday thinking that I had until Sunday before I had to leave for Anaheim for another conference. Guess what? Um, no. I had to leave on Saturday. Apparently I marked my calendar wrong all those months ago, and my trip was to begin on the third, not fourth of November. That sucked. I was home for less than 48 hours before getting back on another plane....bleh.

My flight from Boise to Salt Lake was to leave at 6:45am. So good girl that I was, I got up at 4:30am, got ready, and was at the airport by 6am. Because in Boise? You can allow 30 minutes to get your ticket, check your bag, and get through security. Even then, you'll have enough time to grab a coffee. Boise Airport, she is not too busy. Anyhoo, I get to the counter and am checking my bag when the attendant tells me, "Okay, your flight leaves at 9am from gate.." Now, I am pretty tired at this point, but was awake enough to do a "Huh, what? Nine?" She then explained that they cancelled the 6:45 flight and put me on the nine. When I asked why I wasn't notified, she said, "Sorry, you should have been, but really, it's your responsibility to double check your flights online the day before." And no, before you ask, I didn't jump over the desk and pummel her. I figured Homeland Security and the TSA wouldn't like me very much if I did. But she did manage to put me on an 8am flight instead, and on a connector to Orange County. I got here, only about an hour later than originally planned.

And lo, Missie was exhausted. Because could I sleep on the plane? Nerp. Did I have a very large man next to me on the very tiny plane? Yep.

But in case you were wondering about the safety of air travel, let me assure you. At O'Hare Airport TSA's checkpoint, they searched my bag very thoroughly. Which I didn't mind. I have nothing to hide. But apparently, I was a danger to all around me because of my lip gloss and my sample size Mary Kay handlotion. Because they weren't in a zip lock bag. I could have kept them if they were in a ziplock bag, but because they were instead in my SEE THROUGH MAKEUP BAG, I couldn't have them back. Now, these are the exact same items that I have carried in the exact same bag through Boise, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orange County, and JFK airports successfully without setting off any TSA alarms. I am all for carefully checking baggage. I am an experienced traveller. I know what I can carry onboard and what I can't. But apparently, there was some problem with my lipgloss and lotion being in my carryon without the protective benefit of the ziplock bag. Dang. I didn't realize ziplock made their bags so strong that it could actually affect the safety of an airplane. And here I was carrying those items around all willynilly on all those other flights, endangering myself and other passengers with my carelessness. I apologize to all those who may have been exposed to my items without the benefit of the plastic bags that are so necessary to our national security. The attendant was very helpful when she said, "Now I can ship these items home for you, but it will be about $19.00" Yeah, lady. I want to pay nineteen bucks to ship home my $6 lip gloss and my freebie lotion. Do people actually take them up on that?

So, I know, enough whine whine whine. I miss my family terribly and want to be in my own bed cuddling next to my husband. And good grief, it's not like I have been deployed to Iraq, so I just need to shut the heck up. But still....I miss my kidlets and my hub.

Alison has handled the separations remarkably well, which I don't know if I should be happy for or upset by. When she woke up yesterday, she looked for me. Roger said, "Mommy's at work," so the rest of the day, she would say, "Mommy wohke, Mommy wohke." Then when I spoke with her last night, she says, "Mommy home? Mommy home?" People...my heart broke. She has been very happy and good for my husband, but still. She needs me there. I should be there. I keep telling myself that I am not harming her or Zachary by being away for just a bit, and they won't grow up to knock over 7-11s, but sheesh. This is hard.

Then next Sunday, Roger and I leave for about four days. We are traveling to a city far far away to check it out and see if we are going to move our family there. My mom is coming to stay with the kids, so they will be fine. But again....not with me. The way these last three weeks have worked out really sucks. But it will be the first time since 1999 that Roger and I have been away from our kids for more than one night, in a separate town, alone...together....just us. What ever will we do with ourselves? ;)

Okay, enough rambling for now. I am just lonely and homesick and sitting here in the lobby of my hotel at their "business station" (ie, one small computer and toy printer behind a privacy screen) listening to piped in Yanni music and ready to pull my hair out.

Thank you, de Internets, for letting me whine and vent and have free therapy.

So how are you all doing on your weight removal? Anyone want to share? Anyone have any good travel stories? Anyone get away with contraband lipgloss on a plane and live to tell about it? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?