En Route

Right now I am in a cloud. I am using my laptop on a plane, which I've never done before. I am fearing that my typing noises are bugging people, I should stop worrying so much about other people. I'm one of the travelers that would never dare to put my seat back, even an inch. I'm in a people sandwich. My ears just popped. It's a jittery flight, gentle bumps that make tummies giggle. Good parents drive fast over certain roads so their kids get silly bellies.

Still in a cloud. They sell snacks now. Peanut M&M's for two dollars. They only take credit cards, no cash. “Hi, I'll buy some chips, here's my visa”...silly. My window's media player is singing me relaxing music. Jack Johnson's what I listen to when I want a hand in chilling out. I need it now so that I don't start asking everyone, “Isn't this awesome? We are in clouds! They are sparkly! It's SNOWING right now from them. They are dropping snow, maybe we could see the snow being MADE up here!”

I always forget that clouds are glittery when you're in them. I can't believe it's been almost two years since I've been on a plane. I would fly every week if I could. Taking off is thrilling and turbulence is better than a roller coaster. I know bad things can happen but it doesn't worry me. I have pretty amazing luck. Besides, if I'm gonna die in a plane at least I'll be happy. I'm pretty sure I have lots of years left though. Ok, it IS getting creepy to write about this while I am actually in a plane...so new topic.

Peanuts, soft cookie or pretzels? I brought four Kashi go lean bars because they taste better than candy bars and have lots of fiber. My favorite kind is the chocolate peanut butter and I cleaned Shop Rite out of them. I bought the chocolate almond toffee, too, but just one because it's not that great. They used to have a cookies and cream version but I haven't seen it in years. The fold down trays that are in planes are so small, my laptop is half on/half off and I hope it stays put. I've gotta give credit to the rubber nubbins on the bottom. They are really gripping the plastic tray.

I tried to take a picture as I was entering the plane but the line moved too fast for me to get away with it. God forbid I hold up the seating to take a picture, haha. That would get me mugged at least. I looked all over the delta website this morning to see if the plane would have wi-fi and I got an unusual answer, it said I have a 66% chance. Ha. It isn't especially important to me so I didn't sign up for the service in advance, you have to pay for it. So back to boarding...I was almost on the plane and to the right of the main door is a sticker pronouncing 'Wi-Fi Onboard,' isn't that funny? I wouldn't think to put a sticker on the plane but it's very effective. I bet the flight attendants are relieved if even one person is notified by the sign.

34,000 feet - over Allentown, PA

These pretzels are adorable! They're teeny, just a little bigger than my thumbnail. We are landing in Atlanta, GA first to pick up and drop off passengers before heading over to San Antonio. I don't have to get off the plane but I wish I was. Atlanta is one of the most beautiful airports I've seen. There are huge palm trees and a whole bunch of other tropical plantings there, not to mention a little shuttle to get from one terminal to the other. I forget the proper name for those vehicles/trains...the ones that use magnetic tracks.


I feel sort of obnoxious, being in my people sandwich using technology to make click, click noises, they might be able to hear my music, too and I'm wearing hot pink and have green hair and I'm crunching on pretzels and they are done with their snacks already. Even the pretzel bag is loud. I bet they got quiet things. These people are reading, wearing conservative sweaters and one has tan corduroy pants. They are super nice and let me put my huge backpack under the seat, using up some of their space, too. All the overhead space was used by the time I got on a plane and I would have had to check mine. Nice people rock. I am so impressed by people who can do cross word puzzles. My right-side neighbor is working on one. I'm lucky if I can get one or two clues, my brain just doesn't work that way I guess. I used to buy search-a-word books instead. I had a bible edition once that I got at the dollar store. It was hilarious and sometimes challenging because of all the strange names in the bible. They didn't always register as words in my brain so it was hard picking them out. My Grandpa and Mom are fantastically good at word puzzles. It must have skipped me.


I've never used the bathroom in an airplane. I've seen too many movies and sitcoms to even go near one. You know they don't clean them after every flight and I imagine that with all the people who are anxious about flying they can get gnarly pretty fast. Gnarts should be a word. It makes me laugh to say it because it rhymes with farts and the 'gn' is a silly combo.


My traveling books are The Great Gatsby, which I read every few years and something borrowed, The Complete Rimbaud (translated into English). One of my favorite parts of poetry collections/translations are the introductions by the editor/translator, if there is one. I like knowing where the translator is coming from, why he is doing this particular body of work, how he identifies with it, etc. Poetry must be so difficult to translate in the first place that knowing about the person changing the original seems important to me. I've never compared translations of anything but I normally research what comes recommended. One of my favorite things to do is read Spanish poetry. I have enough of a handle on the language to get a good sense of the poem, my French is not there yet. I do try sometimes, though.

The flight ended up splendidly with an extra happy note. I got to leave the plane when we landed. I figured they'd make us wait on board like they always do. So now I am at a French Bakery sitting at a table eating a bagel and drinking a vanilla latte. Mmmmm! I would have gotten the croissant but I didn't see it at first. The music is completely entertaining. It's 80's weekend on this radio station and every song has been stellar. I walked into I Feel For You by Shaka Khan (I can never remember if it's one 'k' or not)...Goody, Goody Two Shoes is on now, it may have a different name but I'm not sure of it. It's just a great song. Many other songs have been on, equally good, but the hook on this song is so captivating that I can't remember them. Oh, Manic Monday was on, too. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me is on now!! LOVE Boy George, maybe on the way to Texas I'll watch The Wedding Singer, It's one of the few movies I have stored on my laptop. This song is performed in the movie several times and it's awesome. The Atlanta airport is one of the few airports with a smoking lounge, such a novelty. I remember being a little girl flying to Disney World and my mom smoking on the plane. The only thing that seems to be difficult here is the Wi-Fi. It won't connect me to the internet, but I only have an hour anyway. I'm not that technologically spoiled :)

Twenty minutes to go with my layover. I left my big bag on the plane because they offered and I didn't feel like lugging it around with me. My trip so far has been amazing and I haven't even landed in Texas yet. Yay. Van Halen now on the radio...maybe my cue to leave. Wait, it's not Van Halen, I think it's Boston. OOOooooohhh All Night, Aaaaaalll Night.....any way you want it that's the way you need it anyway you want it. Anybody?

The only gum I have left is the gross, back-up gum. It's mint mojito and it tastes like lime and mint and maybe in a drink that tastes good, but in a gum it's kinda nasty. I ate my last piece of 'Rain' gum on the plane to avoid the ear pain. Gum never works for me but I try. I hear the secrets that you keep, when you're talking in your sleep....is on now. Love it. Gotta go, though. Oh, I have a radio in my phone, I should see if it works in the air on the plane. How funny would that be? You know I'll report back :)

I've abandoned the radio phone idea. I have a movie on now and it's hard to hear because my ears are clogged and plane engines are loud. Bright Star is on in the background but I switched over here to write because we hit turbulence. On the ground before I thought of how I love the sounds of traveling. When the plane was taxiing on the tarmac the multi-colored lights reminded me of christmas. Then when we were taking off the lights revealed their pattern. Atlanta is beautiful at night from the sky.