Erin posted this missive last week:
Aug. 11th, 2006 12:43 pm Flying the not-so-friendly skies
O.K., whether or not the threat was legitimate yesterday, it raises good questions. Obviously there are many ways that people can manipulate substances onboard an aircraft. And personally, I enjoy waiting in line about as much as I enjoyed that dentist appointment the other day. So here's the Ed Schultz plan, which I totally support, along with a few of my own modifications:
How about no carry ons except for wallets and books? I know it sucks waiting for luggage, but it also sucks going through gate security. You can wait a little bit longer for your clothes and toiletries in order to make America safer.
Don't let any substances onboard, unless it's medically necessary. There can be a "long line" for people who need to have medicine checked. But the rest of us, seriously, do we really need lotion and makeup? Are we that vain? The one thing is airlines will have to serve more water. I think that change is marginal enough that we can all adjust. And I can even take my Xanax or Klonopin before I get in line.
I'm inclined to just say fuck all electronics too. I have trouble imagining a flight without a laptop, or cell phone to call when I land. However, since I'm going to have to check my luggage anyway now, I guess there is no rush to make that phone call. And I would check the laptop too in order make America safer. I don't have an Ipod, but I imagine we could live without those onboard too. Come on now.
The only things we REALLY need onboard, aside from medically necessary items, are books and newspapers. We all know how shitty the movies are on planes, and how otherwise lame the entertainment selection is. And books, to my knowledge, cannot be made into bombs.
So go through the damn security check with your book, and wallet in your pocket - and that's it! This will actually make our lives easier, and mitigate the potentially devastating effects this fiasco could have on the airline industry.
I'm bi-coastal, I can't afford not to fly. But I don't see why I should have to wait for 5 hours, and see my prices increase tenfold, when it would be far more efficient to just cut out carry on items altogether. America, we can make these small sacrifices to save the airlines and most importantly, save ourselves.
In the meantime, we need to worry about cargo security. How diligently do they examine the bags we check? I say get rid of the carry on lines, and use those resources to make sure nothing volatile is on the check on luggage. That's my 2 cents.
I'm open to debate, discussion, etc.
P.S. I also love Ed Schultz's "Naked Travel" idea.
Since I just did a crapload of traveling right after the thwarted terrorist attack in the UK, I have a few things to say about the heightened security at the airport.
For the record, last week I traveled from Newark to Belfast (in the UK, folks), Belfast to Prague, Prague to Belfast, and Belfast back to Newark. That will give you some idea of the security measures I endured.
While I travel light (for a 10-day vacation, I traveled with nothing but a 24” gym bag) so I can carry-on whatever I’ve packed, I really despise all those people who can’t live through a flight without all five pieces of their oversize luggage in the overhead bins. (These are usually the same people who can’t wait the two minutes it takes the plane to taxi to the gate after landing to turn on their cell phone and tell whoever will listen that they landed). Yet despite this, I strongly disagree with the “one book, wallet, and prescription medication” idea.
For example, I will tell you the story of the bodrhan. The bodrhan is a traditional Irish drum. On our last full day in Belfast, Anthony’s mom requested that we pick one up for her. Now, if your mom is sick with cancer and requests something as simple as that, what would you do? That’s right, we woke up at the buttcrack of dawn to drive into town and track down a music store. We paid about $100-$150 for this 18” bodrhan and got the padded carrying case to go with it. We were told that the 18” drum was more sonorous than the 16” so we couldn’t possibly gift an inferior product, could we?
Sunday arrived and we all jammed our souvenirs into our bags as best we could and went to the airport. My mom carried the bodrhan into the airport and got selected for a random security check before reaching the ticketing counter. The security officers there told her that she would be able to carry the instrument on the plane.
We checked in for our flight and all our bags disappeared up the conveyor belt. Since we arrived at the airport a little later than we should have (I believe we were the last ticketed passengers to check-in), we went immediately to the terminal and joined the security queue. The officers outside the security queue told us we would be able to bring the bodrhan on the plane. Then the security officers in the middle of the security queue told us we would be able to bring the bodrhan on the plane.
In fact, Anthony got as far as dropping the bodrhan off at the x-ray conveyor belt and was told by the security officers there that he could take it on the plane.
BUT. Yes, there is a “but” to this story. But the security supervisor honed in on the drum and immediately turned into a flaming witch. She said no. Anthony said he had already made it through security. She didn’t care. She dragged one of those wooden “if your bag fits in this container, you may carry it on the plane” boxes over to the x-ray machine and made Anthony attempt to shove the bodrhan in there. The box is 17 ½” at its widest point. Clearly, the drum wouldn’t fit. It could slide down into the space about halfway, but no further.
The supervisor actually dragged Anthony out of line and back to the ticketing desks. She wanted him to check the drum into oversize luggage. Mind you, all our bags had already been checked so there was nothing we could do to pad the drum further.
The oversize baggage agents almost wouldn’t let Anthony check the bag because he didn’t have a separate tag for the bodrhan (you know, the sticker they wrap around your luggage handle that has all your flight information on it). Anthony asked supervisor lady if she could extend some professional courtesy towards him because he’s in the foreign service. She asked him if he was trying to bribe her. Anthony played the good little diplomat and didn’t strangle the ever-lovin’ life out of her.
Really, it was a beautiful moment.
Eventually Anthony was able to check the bodrhan. And he had to go all the way back through security because the supervisor with a stick lodged in her colon wouldn’t express him back through the security queue.
Meanwhile, I’m at the gate and everyone has already boarded the plane. I’m looking back through the terminal for a glimpse of Anthony and the airline staff is announcing the final boarding call. The ghetto fabulous in me is about to take over and unleash its fury on the airline staff collecting tickets. In fact, I’m just starting my rant about what a piece of dung their airport staff is when Anthony flies around the corner into the terminal at a breakneck speed. He had magically made it through security and sprinted all the way through the airport while they were announcing the final boarding call. It was a (pardon the language here, folks) FUCKING MIRACLE.
Needless to say, we deplaned in Newark to a broken bodrhan. Despite all the “fragile” and “handle with care” stickers the airline staff stuck all over the bag, the luggage handlers chose to throw heavy baggage on it anyway. The really fabulous ending to this story is that the airline staff told us it was our fault for not packing the drum more carefully. We should have, and I quote, “known that the luggage handlers would throw baggage on the drum.” (I won’t even entertain you with the details of me throwing a hissy fit right there in the Newark airport, at the baggage claim desk behind baggage claim area 6.)
All this to say that there was no sane reason we should have been denied carrying on the bodrhan. Honestly, there is no way the airlines and security staff can ever 100% guarantee your safety on the plane. Today it’s hair gels and chapstick, but tomorrow it’s going to lead to a full body cavity search for explosives that are hidden the way drug mules hide cocaine and transport it over the border with Mexico. (As an aside, do you know that it is possible to make a shank out of a motherboard, disguise it as a false CD ROM drive of a laptop computer, and the computer will still turn on and function at the security desk? And laptops are still allowed on planes.) All we are doing is masking the real issue here and harassing good, well-meaning travelers.
Instead we should be focusing on other modes of security that aren’t as focused on harassing customers and mustering up fear. It takes all of five minutes to run a basic background check on an individual and determine their criminal past. The airlines currently have a system in place that differentiates passengers associated with a particular airline’s frequent flyer program and those who are not, thereby enabling the security officers to conduct random security checks on those who haven’t signed up with that program. Just modify that system to differentiate a passenger with a criminal record and then the security officers can perform heightened security measures on them.
I am sure this is not the only alternate solution, and I know that it isn’t fool-proof, but NO ONE SOLUTION IS FOOL-PROOF. Thinking that restricting carry-ons to just a book and a wallet will save us all is ridiculous. As a former police officer (kind of), I know that you can disguise many a weapon as a book, or even a cast, and potentially even something as innocuous as a wallet. There is no limit to the creativity of the criminal mind.
So let’s begin to think outside of the box here and stop harassing the many to save us from the few. The airport shouldn’t feel like you’ve entered a totalitarian regime.
More importantly, when I buy a souvenir at a dying woman’s request, I don’t want to be told that it is 1/2” too large to be admitted on the plane.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Vacation so perilous
"My dearest Darwin:
I could not make it to your wedding next weekend because some close-minded, half-assed criminals from your country thought it would be a lark to try to bomb airplanes flying from the UK to the US.
And I wanted so much to see you..."
This may be the note I have to send to my dear boy if my plane can't launch from Newark tomorrow evening.
In case you've been hiding under a rock, Scotland Yard just arrested a bunch of people in association with a plot to bomb some planes. Now the TSA has issued a code red alert and a huge number of flights in the UK were canceled. It appears that we will be cavity-searched before stepping on the plane as well.
IF we step on a plane. There are now some incredibly insane security steps for flying, even domestically. Continental informed me that I may not even be able to take a purse onto my flight, and that hair gel is by all means outlawed.
On the one hand, I know that this is all for our own benefit, for protection of "the people" as the powers that be might say, but at the same time I feel like turning the TSA into security Nazis just isn't the answer. Clearly, the terrorists are achieving their goals - getting the word out through massive amounts of press and mongering fear. That's right, these people are fear-mongerers. But is cowering in the corner and clamping down on the American people really our government's best answer?
This is clearly insane and I will just as clearly never understand the terrorist mind. Sometimes I wonder how achievable a working diplomatic relationship is, when the people with whom you are trying to converse are clearly so dogmatic as to become utterly immovable on any issue unless their goals are being met 100%. This is very much like dealing with an unruly two-year-old. I think it's time to put the Middle East in a very big time-out. Let's cut the umbilical cord here, folks. No more aid and assistance, we'll drop all our oil contracts, and Americans will just have to tighten their belts, carpool, and research viable fuel alternatives and/or public transportation initiatives. (Seriously, there can be no other reason for our presence in the Middle East. There is a humanitarian crisis in every country in Africa, and our presence is barely felt there - why? Because politically and economically, we have nothing to gain from them.) Let's just pull out and leave them to their own devices. They claim they want to be left alone, so let's do just that. Let's see how well they survive without Big Brother (that would be us in this case) watching over them and trying to keep everyone civil and safe.
Anyway, you can read more about how a bunch of crazies are trying to ruin my vacation. Or you can just skim the article I posted (from the BBC News website) below:
Police probe flights terror plot
Homes and businesses across England are being searched and 21 people questioned after a terror plot to blow up planes from the UK to US was disrupted.
Police are convinced they have the key players in custody, but a much wider investigation is only just beginning.
Peter Clarke, the head of Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch, said the network involved was large and global.
And US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the plot was "in some respects suggestive of al-Qaeda".
Security chiefs, who had had the group under surveillance for some time, said they were close to putting their plan - which police said would have caused "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" - into action.
Sources in the UK have confirmed that they believe an attack may have been imminent - possibly in the next few days.
"They had accumulated and assembled the capabilities that they needed and they were in the final stages of planning for execution," Mr Chertoff said.
They planned to detonate liquid explosives on up to 10 planes.
They would have smuggled it on board hidden in drinks, electronic devices and other "common objects".
At UK airports on Thursday - with the country on its highest terror alert of "critical" - bottles of water were taken from passengers and mothers asked to taste their babies' milk before it could be taken onto flights.
Mr Clarke said the surveillance involved in disrupting the plot had been "unprecedented" and had involved police forces in the UK and internationally.
It had only become apparent in the "last two weeks" that the target of the flights was the US, said Mr Chertoff.
Sources told the BBC the "principal characters" suspected of being involved in the plot were British-born. There are also understood to be linked to Pakistan.
The suspects were rounded up in raids in London, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Birmingham. All are being held in London.
Searches continue at several addresses and people were evacuated from some homes in High Wycombe in Thursday.
Meanwhile, chaos continues at UK airports with Heathrow the worse affected.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled and many more delayed.
Passengers who do make it onto flights, are not allowed to take any hand luggage with them.
Stephen Nelson, chief executive of airport operator BAA, said it was the first time that airports had "faced a security mandate of this scale and severity".
And Heathrow chief executive Tony Douglas said there would "inevitably" be delays at the airport on Friday and passengers should arrive prepared.
Home Secretary John Reid said the government was "confident" the ring leaders were in custody but it was not complacent.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, on holiday in the Caribbean, paid tribute to the police and the security services.
US President George W Bush said the alleged plot was a "stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom."
I could not make it to your wedding next weekend because some close-minded, half-assed criminals from your country thought it would be a lark to try to bomb airplanes flying from the UK to the US.
And I wanted so much to see you..."
This may be the note I have to send to my dear boy if my plane can't launch from Newark tomorrow evening.
In case you've been hiding under a rock, Scotland Yard just arrested a bunch of people in association with a plot to bomb some planes. Now the TSA has issued a code red alert and a huge number of flights in the UK were canceled. It appears that we will be cavity-searched before stepping on the plane as well.
IF we step on a plane. There are now some incredibly insane security steps for flying, even domestically. Continental informed me that I may not even be able to take a purse onto my flight, and that hair gel is by all means outlawed.
On the one hand, I know that this is all for our own benefit, for protection of "the people" as the powers that be might say, but at the same time I feel like turning the TSA into security Nazis just isn't the answer. Clearly, the terrorists are achieving their goals - getting the word out through massive amounts of press and mongering fear. That's right, these people are fear-mongerers. But is cowering in the corner and clamping down on the American people really our government's best answer?
This is clearly insane and I will just as clearly never understand the terrorist mind. Sometimes I wonder how achievable a working diplomatic relationship is, when the people with whom you are trying to converse are clearly so dogmatic as to become utterly immovable on any issue unless their goals are being met 100%. This is very much like dealing with an unruly two-year-old. I think it's time to put the Middle East in a very big time-out. Let's cut the umbilical cord here, folks. No more aid and assistance, we'll drop all our oil contracts, and Americans will just have to tighten their belts, carpool, and research viable fuel alternatives and/or public transportation initiatives. (Seriously, there can be no other reason for our presence in the Middle East. There is a humanitarian crisis in every country in Africa, and our presence is barely felt there - why? Because politically and economically, we have nothing to gain from them.) Let's just pull out and leave them to their own devices. They claim they want to be left alone, so let's do just that. Let's see how well they survive without Big Brother (that would be us in this case) watching over them and trying to keep everyone civil and safe.
Anyway, you can read more about how a bunch of crazies are trying to ruin my vacation. Or you can just skim the article I posted (from the BBC News website) below:
Police probe flights terror plot
Homes and businesses across England are being searched and 21 people questioned after a terror plot to blow up planes from the UK to US was disrupted.
Police are convinced they have the key players in custody, but a much wider investigation is only just beginning.
Peter Clarke, the head of Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch, said the network involved was large and global.
And US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the plot was "in some respects suggestive of al-Qaeda".
Security chiefs, who had had the group under surveillance for some time, said they were close to putting their plan - which police said would have caused "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" - into action.
Sources in the UK have confirmed that they believe an attack may have been imminent - possibly in the next few days.
"They had accumulated and assembled the capabilities that they needed and they were in the final stages of planning for execution," Mr Chertoff said.
They planned to detonate liquid explosives on up to 10 planes.
They would have smuggled it on board hidden in drinks, electronic devices and other "common objects".
At UK airports on Thursday - with the country on its highest terror alert of "critical" - bottles of water were taken from passengers and mothers asked to taste their babies' milk before it could be taken onto flights.
Mr Clarke said the surveillance involved in disrupting the plot had been "unprecedented" and had involved police forces in the UK and internationally.
It had only become apparent in the "last two weeks" that the target of the flights was the US, said Mr Chertoff.
Sources told the BBC the "principal characters" suspected of being involved in the plot were British-born. There are also understood to be linked to Pakistan.
The suspects were rounded up in raids in London, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Birmingham. All are being held in London.
Searches continue at several addresses and people were evacuated from some homes in High Wycombe in Thursday.
Meanwhile, chaos continues at UK airports with Heathrow the worse affected.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled and many more delayed.
Passengers who do make it onto flights, are not allowed to take any hand luggage with them.
Stephen Nelson, chief executive of airport operator BAA, said it was the first time that airports had "faced a security mandate of this scale and severity".
And Heathrow chief executive Tony Douglas said there would "inevitably" be delays at the airport on Friday and passengers should arrive prepared.
Home Secretary John Reid said the government was "confident" the ring leaders were in custody but it was not complacent.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, on holiday in the Caribbean, paid tribute to the police and the security services.
US President George W Bush said the alleged plot was a "stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom."
You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do.
You scored as Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones is an archaeologist/adventurer with an unquenchable love for danger and excitement. He travels the globe in search of historical relics. He loves travel, excitement, and a good archaeological discovery. He hates Nazis and snakes, perhaps to the same degree. He always brings along his trusty whip and fedora. He's tough, cool, and dedicated. He relies on both brains and brawn to get him out of trouble and into it.Indiana Jones 58%
Lara Croft 54%
Batman, the Dark Knight 50%
Maximus 50%
James Bond, Agent 007 46%
The Amazing Spider-Man 46%
William Wallace 46%
Captain Jack Sparrow 42%
The Terminator 42%
El Zorro 33%
Neo, the One 25%
Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com
Too excited about my trip to be productive
Stolen from one Ms. Erin Kelly Murphy...
1. Name: Ryan, but I'll answer to just about everything.
2. Age/Birthday: You needn't know my birthday - I'll accept gifts at any time.
3. Single or Taken: Totally taken. I mean, my god, we have a dog.
4. Favorite Movie: I'm with Rob here - there are movies I love enough to watch over and over and over and over... Dead Poets Society, Office Space, Clerks, Full Metal Jacket, Pride and Prejudice, Gattaca, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Muppet Christmas Carol...
5. Favorite Song: My goodness, only one? Not humanly possible.
6. Favorite Band/Rapper/Artist: I absolutely love painful, tragic, passionate lyrics in the singer-songwriter tradition, so I listen a lot to people like Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Beth Hart Band, Live, Johnny Cash, Billie Holiday, Beth Orton, Frank Sinatra, Bonnie Prince Billy, Jude, Cat Stevens, Martin Sexton, yadda, yadda, yadda. But I also really like heavier rock, such as Korn or Godsmack. And to keep yapping on about nothing, I also like happier tunes, such as those created by Social Distortion, Bouncing Souls, Buena Vista Social Club, Bob Marley, The Refreshments, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly... And really, I will stop there before I really start boring you to tears...
7. Favorite Book/Comic Book: Probably To Kill a Mockingbird. But I read so many damn books, it's sincerely hard to remember them all.
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings: 0. No seriously, 0. No pierced ears, no tats, nada.
9. Favorite TV Show: America's Next Top Model (how many different times can I say, "I love those skinny bitches?"), Rockstar, The Simpsons, World BBC News. Except for that last bit, I watch tv for the pure vegetation of it.
10. Favorite Video Game/Board Game: Scrabble. But nobody will play with me. :(
11. Do we know each other outside of Livejournal? Woman, has it really been 9 years? Good god.
12. Would you give me a kidney? You know I love you, but no. (I had one surgically removed in 2001 so I can't really survive without the second.)
13. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: Not really odd or interesting, but it seems to fascinate the coworkers... I know how to operate an Uzi.
14. If you could change anything about your current life, would you? If I could change it, don't you think I would?
15. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you? This doesn't even make any sense. You already did fill this out...
1. Name: Ryan, but I'll answer to just about everything.
2. Age/Birthday: You needn't know my birthday - I'll accept gifts at any time.
3. Single or Taken: Totally taken. I mean, my god, we have a dog.
4. Favorite Movie: I'm with Rob here - there are movies I love enough to watch over and over and over and over... Dead Poets Society, Office Space, Clerks, Full Metal Jacket, Pride and Prejudice, Gattaca, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Muppet Christmas Carol...
5. Favorite Song: My goodness, only one? Not humanly possible.
6. Favorite Band/Rapper/Artist: I absolutely love painful, tragic, passionate lyrics in the singer-songwriter tradition, so I listen a lot to people like Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Beth Hart Band, Live, Johnny Cash, Billie Holiday, Beth Orton, Frank Sinatra, Bonnie Prince Billy, Jude, Cat Stevens, Martin Sexton, yadda, yadda, yadda. But I also really like heavier rock, such as Korn or Godsmack. And to keep yapping on about nothing, I also like happier tunes, such as those created by Social Distortion, Bouncing Souls, Buena Vista Social Club, Bob Marley, The Refreshments, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly... And really, I will stop there before I really start boring you to tears...
7. Favorite Book/Comic Book: Probably To Kill a Mockingbird. But I read so many damn books, it's sincerely hard to remember them all.
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings: 0. No seriously, 0. No pierced ears, no tats, nada.
9. Favorite TV Show: America's Next Top Model (how many different times can I say, "I love those skinny bitches?"), Rockstar, The Simpsons, World BBC News. Except for that last bit, I watch tv for the pure vegetation of it.
10. Favorite Video Game/Board Game: Scrabble. But nobody will play with me. :(
11. Do we know each other outside of Livejournal? Woman, has it really been 9 years? Good god.
12. Would you give me a kidney? You know I love you, but no. (I had one surgically removed in 2001 so I can't really survive without the second.)
13. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: Not really odd or interesting, but it seems to fascinate the coworkers... I know how to operate an Uzi.
14. If you could change anything about your current life, would you? If I could change it, don't you think I would?
15. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you? This doesn't even make any sense. You already did fill this out...
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Why Grace will soon hate me
I have been working my butt off and not getting any sleep for the last week or so now, all in preparation to go on vacation next week. Grace and Pookie will be left in the capable hands of my dear friends Morgan and Nathalie (who now are officially warned that I will not hesitate to seek revenge a thousand-fold if anything happens to my babies) for the duration.
I already know that Pookie will be fine, so long as he gets his two squares a day, with minimal fuss from the human (a.k.a. servant) dishing it out. It is our dear little Grace that worries me.
The last time we left her alone, other than for the usual work day, her ears whipped back, her eyes grew to the size of softballs, and these all-over body trembles commenced. It was, by far, the saddest display I have ever witnessed. My dog is seriously pathetic.
And the entire time we were out, Anthony kept saying, "We need to get back to our little girl. I feel SO bad."
What are we going to do now that we will be away for 10 whole days? Anthony will go into spasms from all the guilt. And I will constantly be worrying - is she getting fed? Is she being crated too much? Was there some emergency nobody told me about? Did the landlord lock Morgan and/or Nathalie out?
By the time we get back, Grace will probably hate us. These are the thoughts that go through our heads as we prepare for vacation. If only it were easier to travel with ALL of our loved ones. Someone should sincerely look into opening an airline that caters to animal lovers, where owners and their pets can travel together in the seated area of the plane.
But anyway, Grace will be livid, and The Kid (Pookie) will continue in his apathy. In the meantime, Anthony and I will be delighting in the wonders of N. Ireland and the Czech Republic. More importantly, however, we will be there with Da' Momma to celebrate Darwin's wedding! It is almost more excitement than I can stand.
I already know that Pookie will be fine, so long as he gets his two squares a day, with minimal fuss from the human (a.k.a. servant) dishing it out. It is our dear little Grace that worries me.
The last time we left her alone, other than for the usual work day, her ears whipped back, her eyes grew to the size of softballs, and these all-over body trembles commenced. It was, by far, the saddest display I have ever witnessed. My dog is seriously pathetic.
And the entire time we were out, Anthony kept saying, "We need to get back to our little girl. I feel SO bad."
What are we going to do now that we will be away for 10 whole days? Anthony will go into spasms from all the guilt. And I will constantly be worrying - is she getting fed? Is she being crated too much? Was there some emergency nobody told me about? Did the landlord lock Morgan and/or Nathalie out?
By the time we get back, Grace will probably hate us. These are the thoughts that go through our heads as we prepare for vacation. If only it were easier to travel with ALL of our loved ones. Someone should sincerely look into opening an airline that caters to animal lovers, where owners and their pets can travel together in the seated area of the plane.
But anyway, Grace will be livid, and The Kid (Pookie) will continue in his apathy. In the meantime, Anthony and I will be delighting in the wonders of N. Ireland and the Czech Republic. More importantly, however, we will be there with Da' Momma to celebrate Darwin's wedding! It is almost more excitement than I can stand.
Monday, July 31, 2006
S is for "slacking," it's good enough for me
I spent the weekend in Huntsville. And by that I mean that I spent half of it in Tennessee and half of it in Alabama.
Martha, Mel, Michelle and I were attempting a college roommate reunion, inspired by our five-year college reunion this past May. We managed a 75% turnout, despite the massive thunderstorms in the northeast that were causing some majorly icky airline delays. Michelle just wussed out and wouldn't pay the million dollars for a flight from the west coast.
In any case, my weekend was full of food and conversation - the perfect kind of vacation for me! The only thing it was missing was sleep. But we were really able to reconnect and remind ourselves why we're friends in the first place. It was absolutely fabulous.
And now that I'm back, I'm still trying to pretend I have enough energy to get through the week. I've been training myself on some new metrics software program at work all day, but I don't think it's sinking in all too well. Try, try again...
In the meantime, I pulled this off of Erin's website, which I believe I already did another version of, but that may have only been on my MySpace account (before I deleted it):
A is for - Age: 26. 27 in November.
B is for - Bust Size: Small.
C is for - Career in future: International Humanitarian Aid Worker / Foreign Service Officer
D is for - Dad's name: David
E is for - Essential item to bring to a party: A camera, for bribe-worthy photos!
F is for - Favorite song at the moment: The A-Team theme song
G is for - Guys you've kissed: Um, I went to college and Mardi Gras - there is no way I remember all that information!
H is for - Hometown: Clinton, MA.
I is for - Instruments you play: Not a gosh-darn one.
J is for - Job title: Process Analyst. Sounds spiffy, don't it?
K is for - Kids: Eh.
L is for - Living arrangement: I get the last two inches of the bed, Grace gets the rest. Oh, and occasionally Anthony stops by.
M is for - Mom's name: MaryLee. (If she sees this, she will kill me.)
N is for - Number of people you've slept with: Why is this important to post on the internet again?
O is for - Overnight hospital stays: Only one - after having a kidney removed. And the nurses were EVIL.
P is for - Phobia[s]: None.
Q is for - Quote: "Damn the man! Save the Empire!" Marc, from Empire Records.
R is for - Relationship that lasted the longest: Vince, 3 1/2 years (I think).
S is for - Sexual position: Uhhhh...
T is for - Time you wake up: 5:30AM. The cat won't allow me to sleep in.
U is for - Unique trait: I sing and dance when eating something particularly tasty - and I don't even notice I'm doing it. It's a trait that runs in the family.
V is for - Vegetable you love: Spinach.
W is for - Worst habit: Talking over people.
X is for - X-rays you've had: Mouth, chest, intestinal/kidney area...I'm an X-ray MACHINE.
Y is for - Yummy food you make: Meatloaf, lamb chops, steak... you name it, I can probably find a recipe for it.
Z is for - Zodiac sign: Scorpio.
Martha, Mel, Michelle and I were attempting a college roommate reunion, inspired by our five-year college reunion this past May. We managed a 75% turnout, despite the massive thunderstorms in the northeast that were causing some majorly icky airline delays. Michelle just wussed out and wouldn't pay the million dollars for a flight from the west coast.
In any case, my weekend was full of food and conversation - the perfect kind of vacation for me! The only thing it was missing was sleep. But we were really able to reconnect and remind ourselves why we're friends in the first place. It was absolutely fabulous.
And now that I'm back, I'm still trying to pretend I have enough energy to get through the week. I've been training myself on some new metrics software program at work all day, but I don't think it's sinking in all too well. Try, try again...
In the meantime, I pulled this off of Erin's website, which I believe I already did another version of, but that may have only been on my MySpace account (before I deleted it):
A is for - Age: 26. 27 in November.
B is for - Bust Size: Small.
C is for - Career in future: International Humanitarian Aid Worker / Foreign Service Officer
D is for - Dad's name: David
E is for - Essential item to bring to a party: A camera, for bribe-worthy photos!
F is for - Favorite song at the moment: The A-Team theme song
G is for - Guys you've kissed: Um, I went to college and Mardi Gras - there is no way I remember all that information!
H is for - Hometown: Clinton, MA.
I is for - Instruments you play: Not a gosh-darn one.
J is for - Job title: Process Analyst. Sounds spiffy, don't it?
K is for - Kids: Eh.
L is for - Living arrangement: I get the last two inches of the bed, Grace gets the rest. Oh, and occasionally Anthony stops by.
M is for - Mom's name: MaryLee. (If she sees this, she will kill me.)
N is for - Number of people you've slept with: Why is this important to post on the internet again?
O is for - Overnight hospital stays: Only one - after having a kidney removed. And the nurses were EVIL.
P is for - Phobia[s]: None.
Q is for - Quote: "Damn the man! Save the Empire!" Marc, from Empire Records.
R is for - Relationship that lasted the longest: Vince, 3 1/2 years (I think).
S is for - Sexual position: Uhhhh...
T is for - Time you wake up: 5:30AM. The cat won't allow me to sleep in.
U is for - Unique trait: I sing and dance when eating something particularly tasty - and I don't even notice I'm doing it. It's a trait that runs in the family.
V is for - Vegetable you love: Spinach.
W is for - Worst habit: Talking over people.
X is for - X-rays you've had: Mouth, chest, intestinal/kidney area...I'm an X-ray MACHINE.
Y is for - Yummy food you make: Meatloaf, lamb chops, steak... you name it, I can probably find a recipe for it.
Z is for - Zodiac sign: Scorpio.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Like the ultimate slacker Kevin Smith will never be
I could write more often. I could babble about how the world has gone mad - or at least the Middle East - or how I spend every day after work just walking my dog and doing laundry. But, what it really comes down to is the fact that I'm lazy. I am not as motivated as some of these over-achievers (who I firmly believe are all on crack or speed or whatever their salary affords them) so I don't get everything into each 24-hour day. These days, I like to sit on my tush, curl up with my puppy, and just veg the heck out.
So I haven't really done anything since watching The Delta Force. I've gone to work every Monday through Friday. I've walked the dog about 50 times. I even spent a few hours with Eric watching Super Troopers. (Please, don't follow my lead on this one.) But there is no earth-shattering news on the home front.
And that's all I have to say about that.
So I haven't really done anything since watching The Delta Force. I've gone to work every Monday through Friday. I've walked the dog about 50 times. I even spent a few hours with Eric watching Super Troopers. (Please, don't follow my lead on this one.) But there is no earth-shattering news on the home front.
And that's all I have to say about that.
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