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Edited on Thu Dec-30-10 08:21 PM by MineralMan
Well, my wife and I flew back to California for a typical family Christmas, complete with my 86-year-old parents, my siblings, their children, and their children's children. Even a couple of ex-spouses in the family were in the mix. These family gatherings are always a hoot and a half, and a way to re-center myself. Lots of stuff going on, but that's personal stuff. We even managed a side trip to see some old friends from the town where I lived for 35 years. All good times. We flew out on Christmas Day (saves money) and flew back today to Saint Paul, MN, where we've set up housekeeping for the past 6.5 year.
This year, I let my white hair and beard grow out for four months, instead of getting a haircut to please my mom, who scolded me gently about my scruffy appearance. On Christmas Day, traveling in a red flannel shirt, suspenders, and a nice red Santa hat with a white pom-pom, I was the object of much attention from the 2-5 year old set at the airport. Most were on their way to visit grandparents or great-grandparents, flying on that day to save money, just as my wife and I were doing. I handed out lots of "Ho-ho-hos," big smiles, and let a dozen or so dazzled youngsters pull on my beard. It's all good.
Everyone was in a pretty darned good mood at the airports. We flew from MSP to Denver, and then to Santa Barbara this year - again to save some money. Everyone, including the TSA workers, was cheerful, pleasant, and seemed dedicated to making the journey a simple one. Nobody was making anti-TSA comments, and all the security screenings were uneventful for everyone I saw. Still serious and thorough, but friendly on all sides. In reality, it was nothing different than I see anytime I travel. A smile from the traveler generally gets a smile back from the TSA folks, and so it was again this trip, and at every airport and every leg of the journey. A few of the security screeners were wearing their own Santa hats. One woman, who was at the ID and boarding pass checking station, asked me if I had brought her the BMW SUV she had asked for. I asked her if she had been exceptionally good, since it was a big request. She answered that she had, so I said I'd check the records and see, then get back to her on my return trip.
Grumpiness and ill-tempers were not on view anytime on this trip, either on Christmas Day or today. Everything went smoothly and without drama. Again, this is my experience on every day I fly. Sometimes I wonder if those who are relating amd repeating the few "horror" stories we keep seeing have actually even flown in the past few years. I do wonder.
Anyhow, Christmas was great, even though I probably gained five pounds, based on a certain tightness in my belt line. My new Kindle is anticipating a bunch of downloads from the Gutenberg project. My wife is pleased with her gifts, and I have a few dozen hugs from my family to keep me warm for 2011. I hope everyone had a great Holiday week!
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