Friday, April 01, 2005
Friday in Australia, but Thursday morning on the way to Minneapolis…. My goodness I must remember that it takes just ages to get through LA airport. I arrived almost two hours early.. first I had to use the E ticket station for the first time…. OK, it is really just common sense, but the older man next to me was getting his knickers in a twist….which caused a little confusion….
That part completed you have to take your luggage to the security area… I have two 50lb bags, a bag full of computer and camera gear and of course the quilt…. No luggage carts in sight. So I got to do the luggage two step through the airport…. Shift one….stop …shift the next….line up and wait….
Luggage deposited, and excess stuff returned to the bag after it was weighed…… eek, I go to line up again… now this line looks like the lines waiting for rides at Disneyland… row after row of winding people. In the background are the dulcet tones of one of the attendants urging those who were cutting it fine to follow her for express assistance. Now it’s just interesting people watching… There was one gal my age with shorts so short that you could see her bonds bloomers underneath…not a good look folks..
Another gal of middling age in the full bloom of love with her friend… he’s just had a haircut and has a white line encircling his neck… she also had shorts on…. fake tan, newly whitened teeth and of course flicked blonde hair…. Or there is the gal in her full hiking gear. You know she’s off to the wilds of the mountains cos she has a hiking stick stuck in her backpack like a flag and the boots are new as is the designer outdoors clothing… The couple that look alike, maybe they are brother and sister…!!! gee I bet their kids are clones…
Finally I get through security just in time to walk on the plane… OK, I have to wait for seat allocation and finally I get to get on the plane… another line up… 30 minutes to get into my seat…and there is no room for the luggage. So I sit with my computer stuff half way down the plane and my feet resting on the 1776 quilt….
Just behind me is a grand ma with her baby, a little furry dog who sits contentedly on her knee until we are about to take off… poor little thing gets stuffed in a bag… and we take off into the blue with it scratching and crying in its confinement.
I’m in the middle seat for the next 3 hours… I’ve purchased my $3 box of tricks… Oreo cookies, crackers and other surprises… No meals like Qantas…. We’re spoiled folks….I have the ipod in my ears and I can contort my arms enough to type this observation.
