67....

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.