In the air and on the ground

One last thing. So my airport/plane experience Friday was ridiculous in so many ways.

First, security was 'tight' because it was September 11th. I say this will just the tiniest amount of annoyance, since I don't quite believe that 'we're' so much safer because airport security actually follows every single regulation to the 't' for one full day and fussily say that 'you can't do that, it's regulation' when passengers do something they're able to do the 364 other days of the year. Really though? Wow, I feel a lot safer.

I suppose there is a reason why articles cannot go on laptops through security. It's not like one can see through shoes to inspect a laptop in anyway as it goes through the xray machine. But hey, the make airport security approved laptop bags. TSA approved laptop bags for the low price of $249 I bet. Bringing on a structured, rolling garment bag as a carry on isn't approved by the TSA so cannot be brought aboard on September 11th, even though it's be okayed the previous 10 times and is smaller in dimensions than what is posted online, AA. And Miss Ticket Taker, even if you have a stressful day because flights in NY have been canceled or delayed, no need to be snippy with my, because I'll cut you down if need be (and that goes for you Mr. Taxi Driver. Don't try to rip me off. You will lose).

But hey, I love flying, even if there are no more honey roasted peanuts. I got a full can of seltzer water on the flight and had a two hour conversation witha neuro-surgeon who works a block away from my Chicago home (The W) at North Western and whose Australian wife (we talked about Australian, standards of living, and traveling, so yes, that qualifier is relevant) is something something at Memorial Sloan-Kettering (where my brother's gf works. We'll she's on the corporate side in a non corporate-y job. Yay for her). Our conversation spanned from annoying airline personnel to reward programs to politics to health reform to wars to my family history to traveling to commuting to everything under the sun.

Oh and if one of you needs to have elective surgery, opt for a robot...that is, if you ever need a hysterectomy (which I just googled and girls, you don't want one if it can be avoided), just pay the extra dough and have them use the robot arm. It will hurt less and allow you to heal faster. That was my medical fun fact for that day. All the while my friend, Brenna, glimpsed back from time to time, amazed that I was still talking to the stranger doctor man besides me, thanking all things yoga that she wasn't sitting next to her (actually, I put that yoga bit in just for you Brenna if you ever read this. Yes, I sure did).

The tail end of my trip was magical in that 'did that really happen or did I fall down a rabbit hole' moment. Brenna's and my baggage was some of the first to pop out on the baggage claim conveyor belt, and the huge line for taxis were avoided because our other colleague Yuqiao had arrived on a flight 15 minutes earlier and was fifth in line. While sorting out a ride back to our respective homes, I hear an 'oh my gosh' and who could it be but one of the guys who interviewed the same day as me in Chicago that nippy April day. He had just come back from his training in India and Texas.

Randomly, ridiculously amazing. Flying is.