That's the number of coughs coming from seat 1A on AA flight 3291 from DFW to LIT this afternoon. I was in 2A - right behind this person.
That's right - I counted them. I don't need a psychiatrist or psychologist to tell me I have OCD. I know I do - even though it's minor. At least I think it's minor. No reason to worry about a little counting. I wasn't doing it aloud and it barely interrupted my reading. And that reminds me I should probably clarify that the minimum number was 67 and it was likely higher than that because during a particularly good part of my book I realized I might have tuned out the counting/coughing. But 67 is close because the worst part of it for her seemed to be during the first half of the flight and I wasn't into my reading zone.
Now I wasn't angry at her for that. It's a little hard to fight back a cough and she did cover her mouth. I will note the cough was very productive and yet again on a flight I found myself wishing for a mask.
I did, however, get a little upset at whoever was passing gas. I mean seriously - hold that in! I turned on the little air spout and aimed it directly at my face in an effort to breathe. I noticed it when I went to sit up a little straighter and leaned forward in the process so I tend to think it was the cougher in 1A. That being the case perhaps the coughs prevented her from holding it in? Perhaps. But still.
My earlier flight today was from AUS to DFW and I was seated in 4B in first class. Unfortunately, my neighbor in 4A was a jerk. Not to me. He wouldn't do that to someone face-to-face. No - he needs to act like a jerk to others on the phone. Little man. He also needed to go over his busy and important schedule over the phone so all of first class could hear that he was going on some world wide business trip (England, Italy, India, etc.). Fact is, he said very little to me which was nice. He immediately set the tone with me when he pretended my seat and his seat were both his seats. He did this by placing his crap in my seat after he sat down. And he decided the overhead space was all his and put 2 bags and a big coat up there leaving me about 20% of the space. All so he could have unobstructed leg room and not place a bag under the seat in front of him. And to top it off he was only about 5'10"! Yep, complete jerk who should probably be flying private anyway since he's so important. I honestly tried not to slow him down when he declared he only had 28 minutes to make his connecting and it was at a different terminal at DFW. I honestly didn't waste a minute or so dragging my bags out from under the seat and getting my coat on. Nope. I hurried - just for him. Promise. Ha!
I also find it interesting that what you intend to do on a flight pivots completely on the person in front of you. You see, they have the option of reclining their seat and if they decide to do that - BAM! - you have no space. Well, you have no space unless you are some scrawny chick or girly man. I can't comfortably use a laptop with the seat in front of me reclined completely. Hell, I can't use the tray table very well when that happens. I end up reading (and resting my book on the back of that reclined seat which occasionally bothers the reclined person but I figure if you put your head 12 inches from my face you are in my personal space) or sleeping. If I sleep I at least turn around to see if the person behind me has a laptop. If so, I don't recline or recline just slightly.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Caution! Zombies Ahead!
Hackers have learned how easy it is change the messages on those road signs. Well of course it is.And I find it hilarious.
I'm in Austin this week - where that photo was taken. Several road signs in the area have been hacked this week and NO it wasn't me. They're blaming on some UT students and one news report claimed the work to be that of some IT genius. Give me a break!!
Do a Google search and you'll find a few websites showing just how easy it is.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Air Travel Resumes....
Today marked the first day of 2009 for me to get on a plane. I've driven to a couple of more local sites so far this year but today I got to resume my air travel experiences.
Ahhh... the fun began going through security. I absolutely loath the whole TSA screening program but that's for another blog.
My flight to DFW from LIT was on a CRJ-700 and I was in the exit row (13). The plane was full and the noise level rose. The guy a couple of rows behind me was doing some major hacking. A very unproductive, loud, and aggressive cough. Hack. Hack. Deep, solid hacks. I could see the germs spreading and I wished I had a mask.
Also somewhere back there were a few kids. They were rambunkious to start but calmed down before long and for that I was thankful. The guy beside me took the armrest - that's normal. He gestured for me to use the front end of the armrest and he would use the backside. Gee - thanks. I'll lean forward so I can use the front half of the armrest. That'll work so well. Before long he was asleep and I knocked out the first two suduku puzzles in the American Way magazine. That's a good way for me to take my mind off the annoying people around me.
As the plane landed and taxied for 15 minutes (that's DFW for you - land on the east side and taxi 10 miles to the west side - happens every single time!) I could see all the NEWBIE travelers getting their bags out from under the seat in front of them and poising themselves to leap into the aisle just as soon as the plane stopped and the ding-dong tones indicating the fasten-seatbelt light went out. This just drives me crazy. Perfectly fine for the first few rows but not everyone. Don't they understand they will be standing cramped and hunched over just waiting and waiting for the line to move. The lady in front of me (row 12) did the same and then proceeded to back into my aisle space as she let the guy next to her out also. Clearly she doesn't know the rules.
To avoid the idiots I usually sit up front. This time I forgot when booking and picked the exit row. No more. TIme to go change next weeks flight to ALE.
The DFW to AUS (Austin, TX) flight was better from a comfort perspective. This was a MD-80 with 16 first class seats. I upgraded to one of those and had all the room I needed. We had some annoying issue with the intercom system requiring the captain to ding-dong the system about 500 times while we sat literally next in line for take-off. That took about 20 minutes but I had pulled out Stephen King's latest collection of short stories, Just After Sunset, so I was ok with the delay.
Took me about 8 hours to get to Austin considering getting to LIT an hour early, having a 3 hour connecting at DFW, and then a delay getting out of DFW. Time to iron some clothes for tomorrow....
Ahhh... the fun began going through security. I absolutely loath the whole TSA screening program but that's for another blog.
My flight to DFW from LIT was on a CRJ-700 and I was in the exit row (13). The plane was full and the noise level rose. The guy a couple of rows behind me was doing some major hacking. A very unproductive, loud, and aggressive cough. Hack. Hack. Deep, solid hacks. I could see the germs spreading and I wished I had a mask.
Also somewhere back there were a few kids. They were rambunkious to start but calmed down before long and for that I was thankful. The guy beside me took the armrest - that's normal. He gestured for me to use the front end of the armrest and he would use the backside. Gee - thanks. I'll lean forward so I can use the front half of the armrest. That'll work so well. Before long he was asleep and I knocked out the first two suduku puzzles in the American Way magazine. That's a good way for me to take my mind off the annoying people around me.
As the plane landed and taxied for 15 minutes (that's DFW for you - land on the east side and taxi 10 miles to the west side - happens every single time!) I could see all the NEWBIE travelers getting their bags out from under the seat in front of them and poising themselves to leap into the aisle just as soon as the plane stopped and the ding-dong tones indicating the fasten-seatbelt light went out. This just drives me crazy. Perfectly fine for the first few rows but not everyone. Don't they understand they will be standing cramped and hunched over just waiting and waiting for the line to move. The lady in front of me (row 12) did the same and then proceeded to back into my aisle space as she let the guy next to her out also. Clearly she doesn't know the rules.
To avoid the idiots I usually sit up front. This time I forgot when booking and picked the exit row. No more. TIme to go change next weeks flight to ALE.
The DFW to AUS (Austin, TX) flight was better from a comfort perspective. This was a MD-80 with 16 first class seats. I upgraded to one of those and had all the room I needed. We had some annoying issue with the intercom system requiring the captain to ding-dong the system about 500 times while we sat literally next in line for take-off. That took about 20 minutes but I had pulled out Stephen King's latest collection of short stories, Just After Sunset, so I was ok with the delay.
Took me about 8 hours to get to Austin considering getting to LIT an hour early, having a 3 hour connecting at DFW, and then a delay getting out of DFW. Time to iron some clothes for tomorrow....
Shoes Required?
I was sitting in one of those uncomfortable chairs at Gate 3 in the Little Rock National Airport terminal listening for the 3rd time (at least!) to one of those announcements declaring the "final" departure call.
This time it was for a Continental flight to Newark and since I'm headed to DFW I paid little attention but I know I had been hearing it for the last 10 minutes or so. Besides, the guy running down the terminal as silent as a Ninja had my rapt attention. Clearly, he was no true Ninja because, after all, I could see him. No, this guy was silent because he was wearing only socks on his feet. Being no dummy I immediately realized this guy was running to catch his Newark flight. You know, it WAS three calls into its "final call" so that must make it really, really close to taking off, right?
If you're familiar with the LIT airport you know it's one straight terminal with security on one end and gates along the sides and at the other end. The Newark flight was at the far end opposite security.
So there I was thinking "here's another example of a passenger who's either always late for everything he does or someone with some really bad luck (car problem, overslept, etc)". I was hedging toward him being the guy who's always late - always running with no shoes to catch a plane. He was was dressed in business casual attire with a rather large backpack on his back. I'd also assumed this guy must have tucked his shoes into backpack because as he's running his hands are empty.
He'd disappeared from view for no more than 5 seconds when another familiar overhead page came across, "Attention in the concourse. Would the passenger that just left their XYZ at the security checkpoint please return to claim it?" This time XYZ was shoes. The guy seated next to me and I exchanged glances right before we both started laughing. That's right - the hurried Newark-bound traveler had run through security and left his shoes.
Over the next few minutes I began to realize that he wasn't going to sprint back to security and retrieve those shoes. Meanwhile, security continued the overhead page. He either completely forgot about the shoes until he was on the plane - and I have a hard time believing that - or he decided the trip outweighed the need to be shod when landing in Newark.
My mind has a tendency to wander and wonder and so I began wondering if Continental (or any airline for that matter) has an official policy on the absence of shoes. If so, is it the shoes or the bare feet that would cause such a policy to be issued? I mean, I wonder if socks alone are ok but bare feet are not? I know I've seen people wearing flip-flops so bare top feet are permissible. I've watched people clip toenails in coach before (blech!) and that's just gross.
All in all I wonder the outcome of the guy who provided me with some humor and some thought this morning.
This time it was for a Continental flight to Newark and since I'm headed to DFW I paid little attention but I know I had been hearing it for the last 10 minutes or so. Besides, the guy running down the terminal as silent as a Ninja had my rapt attention. Clearly, he was no true Ninja because, after all, I could see him. No, this guy was silent because he was wearing only socks on his feet. Being no dummy I immediately realized this guy was running to catch his Newark flight. You know, it WAS three calls into its "final call" so that must make it really, really close to taking off, right?
If you're familiar with the LIT airport you know it's one straight terminal with security on one end and gates along the sides and at the other end. The Newark flight was at the far end opposite security.
So there I was thinking "here's another example of a passenger who's either always late for everything he does or someone with some really bad luck (car problem, overslept, etc)". I was hedging toward him being the guy who's always late - always running with no shoes to catch a plane. He was was dressed in business casual attire with a rather large backpack on his back. I'd also assumed this guy must have tucked his shoes into backpack because as he's running his hands are empty.
He'd disappeared from view for no more than 5 seconds when another familiar overhead page came across, "Attention in the concourse. Would the passenger that just left their XYZ at the security checkpoint please return to claim it?" This time XYZ was shoes. The guy seated next to me and I exchanged glances right before we both started laughing. That's right - the hurried Newark-bound traveler had run through security and left his shoes.
Over the next few minutes I began to realize that he wasn't going to sprint back to security and retrieve those shoes. Meanwhile, security continued the overhead page. He either completely forgot about the shoes until he was on the plane - and I have a hard time believing that - or he decided the trip outweighed the need to be shod when landing in Newark.
My mind has a tendency to wander and wonder and so I began wondering if Continental (or any airline for that matter) has an official policy on the absence of shoes. If so, is it the shoes or the bare feet that would cause such a policy to be issued? I mean, I wonder if socks alone are ok but bare feet are not? I know I've seen people wearing flip-flops so bare top feet are permissible. I've watched people clip toenails in coach before (blech!) and that's just gross.
All in all I wonder the outcome of the guy who provided me with some humor and some thought this morning.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Hero Should Live....
I watched Gran Torino this afternoon with Liz. She was reluctant with this as our movie selection. You see, it's not all that often we get to go to a movie together so naturally she wants to choose the best movie out at the time. And therein lies the rub: her idea of the best choice doesn't always align with my choice. In fact, it seldom does but considering the last two flicks we saw together were Twilight and The Day The Earth Stood Still, the choice clearly was mine to make. Or at least I thought so. She still insisted we review the list of flicks and discuss the options. Grrrrrr.
The theater was packed despite this being the second weekend and an afternoon time-slot but the average age had to be around 45 so it was tolerable. What I mean by that is that there weren't children and teenagers everywhere constantly making noise with their cells or needing to go potty and announcing it repeatedly for 10 minutes right behind me in my ear. You know what I mean, I hope. If you don't, I'm probably talking about you!
So how was the movie? In 2 words, very good. The only acting I thought was weak came from the Hmong kid actor, Thao. Otherwise, it's a solid movie from a veteran actor and director. There were tons of racial slurs that drew laughter from the audience almost constantly throughout the movie. Oddly enough it seemed acceptable - perhaps because it was coming from an old man where it didn't seem too out of place. I know in my life experience it seems the probability of racial comments increases with age of the person. In the movie, these slurs weren't limited to one or two races - they were spread around to all races and Nationalities. More or less making sure the love was spread amongst everyone and not isolating a few.
I must admit as the ending was laying out I wasn't happy with it. But once it was done I changed my mind and agreed with it. I guess I didn't like it initially because I grew up watching movies where the hero lived. Those were movies with Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood, the original Billy-Joe-Bad-Ass's to me. You know - some major injustice (assault, murder) is conducted on an innocent by a bad guy and retaliation (assault, murder) occurs by the good guy with the good guy living on to fight another day. So for me that's the way those movies need to play out.
The theater was packed despite this being the second weekend and an afternoon time-slot but the average age had to be around 45 so it was tolerable. What I mean by that is that there weren't children and teenagers everywhere constantly making noise with their cells or needing to go potty and announcing it repeatedly for 10 minutes right behind me in my ear. You know what I mean, I hope. If you don't, I'm probably talking about you!
So how was the movie? In 2 words, very good. The only acting I thought was weak came from the Hmong kid actor, Thao. Otherwise, it's a solid movie from a veteran actor and director. There were tons of racial slurs that drew laughter from the audience almost constantly throughout the movie. Oddly enough it seemed acceptable - perhaps because it was coming from an old man where it didn't seem too out of place. I know in my life experience it seems the probability of racial comments increases with age of the person. In the movie, these slurs weren't limited to one or two races - they were spread around to all races and Nationalities. More or less making sure the love was spread amongst everyone and not isolating a few.
I must admit as the ending was laying out I wasn't happy with it. But once it was done I changed my mind and agreed with it. I guess I didn't like it initially because I grew up watching movies where the hero lived. Those were movies with Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood, the original Billy-Joe-Bad-Ass's to me. You know - some major injustice (assault, murder) is conducted on an innocent by a bad guy and retaliation (assault, murder) occurs by the good guy with the good guy living on to fight another day. So for me that's the way those movies need to play out.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Why a blog?
I've debated writing a blog of some such for years now. I like the idea but don't want to commit to some regular ritual of posting. You know - finding material and finding the time and then feeling that it's just one more thing to keep up with in life... But I like to shake my head and complain about sooooo many things around me that I'm sure also annoy my fellow man that it would be stingy of me to keep it to myself. I should really share it with you all.
So with that said, I'm going to try my hand at jotting down some thoughts when the mood strikes me. With my current job, I travel almost weekly and this results in many situations where I shake my head with disdain. I'll make a mental note to come on here and share the stupidity with you. If I can, I'll snap some pics along the way.
Mr. Freeze
So with that said, I'm going to try my hand at jotting down some thoughts when the mood strikes me. With my current job, I travel almost weekly and this results in many situations where I shake my head with disdain. I'll make a mental note to come on here and share the stupidity with you. If I can, I'll snap some pics along the way.
Mr. Freeze
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