Nervously Eyeing Midway

In my former lives as a consultant and a long-distance telecommuter, I relied on this website from the FAA to tell me if I was going to make it home or not. Now I don't have to look at it as often, but for some reason whenever I do, my departure or arrival city always seems to be orange. Today O'Hare is struggling but Midway seems to be chugging along, not an uncommon occurrence. Hooray for flights to Midway... I hope.

Breaking the Silence

Since I last posted about my last day working from home, we've been up to a lot. Just not a lot of writing:

• Visiting our new nephew Brennan in Baton Rouge. He was 3 weeks old at the time and sweet as can be. Pictures soon to follow (issues in uploading pics, see item below about home computing).
  
• Wrapping up my last week on-site at my former employer in Chicago. I stayed with Elizabunny and had a great dinner with Dad and Linda on Friday night.
  
• Eating lots of meat. Especially rotisserie chicken.
  
• Wondering what the future architecture of our home computing environment will be, given the relinquishment of my laptop to my former employer. The IBM Thinkpad is on the fritz and Ryan's desktop is inconveniently situated at present.
  
• Lots of sinus rinsing. Elizabunny was sick with a particularly nasty cold when I crashed on her living room floor. I have somehow escaped it ... so far.
  
• Marveling at the ultrasound of the baby girl we are expecting in March!
  
• Starting my new job here in Atlanta.
  
• Being grateful for my sister-in-law and her stash of maternity clothes that saved me during my first week at said new job.
  
• Finally changing the light bulbs over the front door (they burn out SO quickly) so that the trick-or-treaters will be able to see the skeleton/ghost hanging on our front door and know we're handing out the goods.
  
• Consuming an entire gallon of Garrett's popcorn cheese and caramel mix (which surprisingly is the same ridiculous price on line that it is in O'Hare).
  
• Realizing it's probably going to be less painful to vote on Tuesday than to stand in line at the ONE early voting center available in Dekalb county.
  
• Thinking about volunteering at the Obama office in Decatur on Monday evening.
  

Baggage

As we all know, airlines recently started charging to check bags.

Interestingly, I flew home last night and just as on the trip out, I was reprimanded about the number of carry-ons I was trying to smuggle through security. I admit that I normally have three carry-ons rather than the permitted "one carry-on and one personal item": my suitcase, my backpack with laptop in tow, and my purse. Until this trip, I have never been bothered by anybody about this; TSA, counter agents, flight attendants, they all let me pass in peace. I can easily fit the backpack and purse under the seat in front of me, so I have felt little guilt about cheating the rules a bit.

Now that they stand to make a profit from their vigilance, they are monitoring the security line more closely for bag counts. To be fair, both women who accosted me on this trip did suggest I place my purse inside my backpack, which I did. However, the motive seems clear to me....

Why?

I used to travel every single week to my client sites when I was a consultant. My last gig took me from Chicago to San Francisco, Monday through Thursday. There wasn't much to complain about those trips except for the sheer length of the flights and the the bad food (American Airlines served meals, then, and I ordered the vegetarian meal which was most frequently sandwich garnish in a whole wheat pita pocket, with nary a bite of protein nestled within). My flights were rarely delayed, however, and though I left home early and got back late, I normally arrived on time.

Now that I fly from Atlanta to Chicago ONCE A MONTH for my job, however, I am delayed nearly every time I fly. The last three trips were delayed, in fact. And so is the flight I was supposed to have boarded 20 minutes ago. We may embark in 40 minutes. There goes coffee with dad after he picks me up at the airport.

Delayed

I love sitting on the runway/at the gate on a Sunday evening for a flight that's delayed two hours. It's much better than being at home with my husband and pets.