The other night, a friend of ours told me that after taking Phoebe and I to the airport last month, he listened to Phoebe's songs all the way home and got them stuck in his head all week. My response?
"Welcome to my life!"
So what did I wake up to this morning in this broken record of a brain of mine? The chorus of the song goes like this:
Aint it great to be crazy? Boom-boom. Ain't it great to be crazy? Giddy and foolish, the whole day through. Boom-boom. Ain't it great to be...CRAZY!
Now, what do you know....my new theme song!
Yep. I'm a little nutty. Why try to hide it?
March 21, 2009
March 15, 2009
Travelling
I haven't had the energy to blog much, but I have wanted to share some thoughts on travelling, specifically airport security. This last trip to Orange County was planned suddenly and for the first time, I took a flight with Phoebe...alone! I tried to pack light (I always say I am going to pack lighter "next time"). I only checked one large suitcase and I carried on a small one. Piece of cake....right?
Well, I didn't want to worry about Phoebe staying close to me at the airport and I needed the stroller to cart stuff around, so for the first time in many moons, Phoebe was in a carrier on my back. It is supportive and quite comfy, and little Miss Phoebe weighs 30lbs...not too bad. But she is 37 1/2 inches tall and that is more than half of me. I decided to bring the car seat on the plane to help contain the toddler. So how did I do it? With 30lbs on my back, I pushed at least another 30 in front with the carry-on in the stroller and the car seat strapped to the top.
Now, that wouldn't have been such a big deal if when going through our airport security, we didn't have to both remove our shoes and jackets and take the laptop out of the carry-on, and fold up the stroller, run my purse and shoes and carry-on and stroller and car seat through the x-ray machine, and then walk through, redress ourselves, open up the stroller and pack up the mule once more.
Did I just refer to myself as a mule? And dare I mention that a security guard came running after me because I forgot my laptop during all of this (don't tell Xee)? Or that one of those giant fans in security blew the boarding pass right out of my hand, and I had to request another one at the gate?
This mule was a bit sore for a day or so upon arrival in CA. Coming home to Hawaii was a little easier since Daddy had joined us and we all flew home together. However, our experience with security was well, interesting. We took off the shoes, took out the laptops, folded up the stroller, yada, yada, yada. And then, the Nazi airport security guard barks, "One of you needs to come through. All of your stuff is piling up and holding up the line."
Okay, let me just say that they had just made the announcement not to walk through the thingy (whatever it's called) until you have placed all items through the x-ray machine. And now we are holding you all up? I glanced behind me at a very nice couple... the only two people in line behind us and I am thinking they don't seem too bothered!
This lady, though good at her job, needed to take a deep breath. Now, I am happy to comply with the rules. I get it. It is for our safety. But when that lady then tells me I cannot walk through with my kid, and I need to send my two-and-a-half-year-old through by herself, I had to wonder if she wasn't taking herself just a bit too seriously.
I have always held Phoebe's hand or carried her on through. And when the machine beeped as I walked through, and I had to go through a second time, of course Phoebe followed me. And the lady is barking again, "Ma'am, call your daughter...." Thank you. I know how to be a mommy. This is what I DO. Can we all just take another deep breath? Please, just don't pull out the wand!
This is a long story but it is not over yet. Once I made it through and am putting my shoes back on, another security person says that he needs to check my bag. Random search. No big deal. Not so random. I had put my new bottle of Agave Nectar in this bag and forgot to put it in the check-in baggage. Liquid. "Can I just open it and take a swig so you know it's not toxic?", I ask. "No Ma'am." Would everyone please stop calling me Ma'am?
So my only option is to "surrender" it and it will be thrown away. I decided to try to get it on the plane. Maybe my other bags hadn't gone through yet. Wrong. I went back to the check-in desk. An employee said that she could get it on the plane if I put it in a box. No one could find one. I suggested a plastic bag. No. I would have to pay for another piece of luggage.
One of the ladies kept inquiring about the sweet little sticky stuff..."So, what do you use it for?" I said, "Here, it's yours. Enjoy. Just don't throw it away." I hate to waste. And I wasn't about to pay $15 to check a $10 item. I truly hope she is enjoying it! Thankfully it is available here in Hawaii too...just a little more expensive.
Needless to say, I had to go through security check point again. Shoes come off, purse and carry-on go through. I walk through. Beep. Back up and try again. Beep. "Ma'am, I think it's your earrings. You need to take them off and put them in a tray." Okay fine. I put them in a tray, but they don't weigh enough to go through. I had to stack five trays for my dangley earrings to sit in. Okay, I'm in. I am sweating, but I am in. Half an hour later I was buckled up and preparing for take-off.
Silly as this is, it is just part of our every day life now. I mean, people fly all the time, and there are horrifying stories of people being asked to drink baby formula or missing their flight due to one thing or another. It is just the way it is. I got an attachment in an email recently from a friend and it is so funny. Here is a picture of a toy featured on Amazon. For a good laugh, view the page here. The customer reviews are dripping with satire.
Well, I didn't want to worry about Phoebe staying close to me at the airport and I needed the stroller to cart stuff around, so for the first time in many moons, Phoebe was in a carrier on my back. It is supportive and quite comfy, and little Miss Phoebe weighs 30lbs...not too bad. But she is 37 1/2 inches tall and that is more than half of me. I decided to bring the car seat on the plane to help contain the toddler. So how did I do it? With 30lbs on my back, I pushed at least another 30 in front with the carry-on in the stroller and the car seat strapped to the top.
Now, that wouldn't have been such a big deal if when going through our airport security, we didn't have to both remove our shoes and jackets and take the laptop out of the carry-on, and fold up the stroller, run my purse and shoes and carry-on and stroller and car seat through the x-ray machine, and then walk through, redress ourselves, open up the stroller and pack up the mule once more.
Did I just refer to myself as a mule? And dare I mention that a security guard came running after me because I forgot my laptop during all of this (don't tell Xee)? Or that one of those giant fans in security blew the boarding pass right out of my hand, and I had to request another one at the gate?
This mule was a bit sore for a day or so upon arrival in CA. Coming home to Hawaii was a little easier since Daddy had joined us and we all flew home together. However, our experience with security was well, interesting. We took off the shoes, took out the laptops, folded up the stroller, yada, yada, yada. And then, the Nazi airport security guard barks, "One of you needs to come through. All of your stuff is piling up and holding up the line."
Okay, let me just say that they had just made the announcement not to walk through the thingy (whatever it's called) until you have placed all items through the x-ray machine. And now we are holding you all up? I glanced behind me at a very nice couple... the only two people in line behind us and I am thinking they don't seem too bothered!
This lady, though good at her job, needed to take a deep breath. Now, I am happy to comply with the rules. I get it. It is for our safety. But when that lady then tells me I cannot walk through with my kid, and I need to send my two-and-a-half-year-old through by herself, I had to wonder if she wasn't taking herself just a bit too seriously.
I have always held Phoebe's hand or carried her on through. And when the machine beeped as I walked through, and I had to go through a second time, of course Phoebe followed me. And the lady is barking again, "Ma'am, call your daughter...." Thank you. I know how to be a mommy. This is what I DO. Can we all just take another deep breath? Please, just don't pull out the wand!
This is a long story but it is not over yet. Once I made it through and am putting my shoes back on, another security person says that he needs to check my bag. Random search. No big deal. Not so random. I had put my new bottle of Agave Nectar in this bag and forgot to put it in the check-in baggage. Liquid. "Can I just open it and take a swig so you know it's not toxic?", I ask. "No Ma'am." Would everyone please stop calling me Ma'am?
So my only option is to "surrender" it and it will be thrown away. I decided to try to get it on the plane. Maybe my other bags hadn't gone through yet. Wrong. I went back to the check-in desk. An employee said that she could get it on the plane if I put it in a box. No one could find one. I suggested a plastic bag. No. I would have to pay for another piece of luggage.
One of the ladies kept inquiring about the sweet little sticky stuff..."So, what do you use it for?" I said, "Here, it's yours. Enjoy. Just don't throw it away." I hate to waste. And I wasn't about to pay $15 to check a $10 item. I truly hope she is enjoying it! Thankfully it is available here in Hawaii too...just a little more expensive.
Needless to say, I had to go through security check point again. Shoes come off, purse and carry-on go through. I walk through. Beep. Back up and try again. Beep. "Ma'am, I think it's your earrings. You need to take them off and put them in a tray." Okay fine. I put them in a tray, but they don't weigh enough to go through. I had to stack five trays for my dangley earrings to sit in. Okay, I'm in. I am sweating, but I am in. Half an hour later I was buckled up and preparing for take-off.
Silly as this is, it is just part of our every day life now. I mean, people fly all the time, and there are horrifying stories of people being asked to drink baby formula or missing their flight due to one thing or another. It is just the way it is. I got an attachment in an email recently from a friend and it is so funny. Here is a picture of a toy featured on Amazon. For a good laugh, view the page here. The customer reviews are dripping with satire.
March 4, 2009
Home
Okay, I'm back. I mean, I'm home. I don't feel "back". I feel...exhausted, fried, blank. I feel relieved. I feel sad. I kind of...no, not kind of, totally want to run away! That's it. That is all for now. I will be back soon. I know I will....
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