flying Forrest Gump style

The Hubby used to travel a lot with his old job. Even though it's nice having him home now, I'm gonna miss all those frequent flyer miles we could use on vacations.

We used up our last free miles for this trip. And there was just enough left over to bump us up to first class....but only on the way there.

I've never flown first class before and I'm sure it probably isn't what it used to be but it was definitely nice to have the big seats, pillows and blankets, "first class" bathroom up front [sure I didn't have to share it with all the other passengers but there's nothing special about it....you can trust my professional bathroom connoisseur opinion].

The best part was getting on the plane first and not having to fight to stow your carry on.

To me, that is the worst part about flying, especially since they started charging to check luggage.

I wish they would start enforcing their rules about carry-on's. You know, one carry on that you can store over head and one you can stow under the seat in front of you. There are so many people who bring two HUGE pieces on the plane, shove them in the overhead compartment at the front of the plane as they head to their seats in the back. Then the people getting on later have no where to put their stuff and end up having to check it anyways.

They need to have the overhead compartments labeled with the seat numbers. You get to put your ONE carry on in that space only. Then have a stewardess at the back of the plane when you board who is watching these people who try and shove coats another piece of luggage up there and say "No I'm sorry, you'll have to check that if it doesn't fit under your seat." They can sit there with it on their lap until everyone else boards and then go to the front and check it.

I know it would take extra time, but it seems like it takes forever the old way with the stewardesses trying to move luggage around in the overheads and shove things in there anyways. We still had a line of poor souls who were the last on the plane and only had one carry on and had to check it.


The last time I flew, I was alone after helping Nae drive out to Colorado for her summer internship. I flew Northwest Airlines. They have this "choose your own seat" boohaha. It was awful. They still assign you a "zone" and a "number". You get called to board by zones then when you get in line they ask you to get in numerical order. I felt like I was in kindergarten again. Of course, I was in the last zone and the last number so I was the last one on the plane.


Our flight wasn't full, which in a "choose your own seat" arrangement is considered a nightmare. Trust me.


I looked down the center isle and there were open seats scattered through out the plane, but with at least one person sitting in each row. I looked into the face of the person sitting next to the first open seat. He was a big man who kinda reminded me of the boy who would throw rocks at me at the bus stop when I was a kid [yeah Kim, you know who I'm talking about :)]. He kinda glared at me and spread his big muscly arms out to demonstrate how my personal space would be violated if I chose to sit next to him.


The next guy who I looked at with an open seat quickly looked away and suddenly developed this phelmy nasty cough that he obviously couldn't possibly cover with his hand if I chose to sit next to him.


There was a woman who was knitting who decided that her yarn needed it's own seat as I passed by.

A teen who threw her legs over the next seat.

Some people didn't do anything but glare at me and give me the "I'll kill you if you take this seat" message.


Even though no one actually said "Seat's taken" I still felt like Forrest Gump on the school bus that first day of school.

And there was no "Jenny" volunteering up a seat.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/forrest%20gump%20images/uploader2010/snapshot20091030063117.jpg

I finally asked the stewardess to find me a seat "or otherwise someone is gonna hurt me".

I'm wondering if the people at Northwest Airlines who decided this "choose your own seat" was a great idea have actually tried it themselves....

back to school

It's getting close to be that time again....only 14 more days!

Or at least it is here in Illinois. My kids are hating everyone back in Michigan who don't have to go back until after Labor day. According to them they got "jipped" this year on summer vacation because of the move. Got out late in Michigan because of the later start and now have to go back early (whaaa,whaaa,whaaa).

But I'm getting pretty excited.

I remember when the kids were younger I looked forward to the kids going back to school because I couldn't wait to get a break from all the constant chaos in the house. Now because of the move and the fact that we don't know too many people around here, they are driving me crazy with their laziness! It's a "treat" if they get up before noon. Yeah, I could wake them up, but then I would just have to listen to them whine like crotchety old men. No thanks....the older I get, the more I enjoy peace and quiet.

We have gone out and found some fun things to do around here this summer. And we had friends visit so that's been nice. But I think if I had to do it again (and I probably will) I would have moved the kids during the school year. I thought it seemed cruel to pull them out at the half way mark but at least they would have been submerged in the new community right away. Instead of this three months of missing friends and spending too much time thinking.

I do think the kids have become closer in their relationships with each other, so that's nice to see. They sit together and talk and play games, which didn't happen much before. Mac has been doing a lot of reading which, as a book lover myself, makes me happy to see. The other day she came up with this contraption.....

She lays under it to read and then doesn't have to use up her energy holding the book....yes, book reading can be very exhausting!!!

Tony has his accomplishments too... He has master his back flip on the trampoline....I'm sure that will come in handy somewhere in life.

And Bud is on a big adventure right now.

Bud and two of his friends are driving this little non safe looking car across country to Vancouver Island BC to drop a friend off at college.

They camped in the Bad Lands the other night and didn't get eaten by anything so far....so I'm good.

The next two weeks are filled with visitors....

We've got this guy coming...

This is Uncle Mark. His visit will be the highlight of the kids summer because there is no one cooler than Uncle Mark! Tony wants to be "just like Mark" when he grows up....thanks Mark....that means he will never get married and will ruin my plans for at least 3 grand kids from each of my kids. Oh and btw Mark, I stole this picture of you while I was facebook stalking you...don't you feel special? (or creeped out a little?).

And Nae will be home tomorrow for a little while before she heads back to college. I'm sure these next 2 weeks will fly by.