Back at it and thoughts on airports

Feels like forever since I last posted.  I have resumed my Marathon training, or that is to say, I started over at week 1 again.  But, this week I have done three three milers, with just the long run to go on Sunday.  If I can, I'll push for 7 miles, which is the recommended distance for the week 2 long run.  If successful, then I will move on to week 3.  If I only get 6, then I will have to continue with week 2.  I am cautiously optimistic because today's run went really well, 3 miles at just under 8:30 pace.  This was a huge turnaround from the run the day before, where I had struggled to go under a 10 minute pace.  Part of that may have had to do with the fact that I was sore from an impromptu truck pull the day before ..... but that is a post for another day. 

This week, winter has really come to DC.  So much so, that Bella only went to school one day this week!  Perhaps it feels particularly cold because the week before we were out in San Diego where it was in the 80s.  The only low parts of the trip were the flights.  On both flights I was put in the middle at the very back of the plane and every single seat was taken.  It seems now that the last highlight of flying coach is snagging a coveted spot in the overhead bins.  I think part of it has to do with the laissez faire attitude flight attendants seem to have adopted.  People bring these huge carry-on bags and no-one seems to bat an eye!  Sure, there are those metal bins placed around the airport that tell you to check your bag for size compliance, but I have never seen anyone use one!   Since most airlines allow you to check bags for free if flying with the military, I didn't even bother but I did witness some pretty funny stuff. 

First, you get the people that are able to get their bag in the overhead, but many rows back from where they are sitting.  So they have to swim against the stream at boarding to try to get back to their seat.  Usually, people let them through, though begrudgingly.  What is more fun to watch though is at arrival, there is always one person who thinks that they will be able to travel against the mass of people in the aisle to get to their bag.  I have yet to see that one work.  Trying to cut the line of people departing an aircraft is one of the hardest lines to cut. The other exercise in futility is when the flight attendants ask those not making a connection to remain seated so that those making a connection can leave the aircraft first.  Bullshit!  I place myself in the category of always making a connection.  Also, even though it seems like an eternity, it doesn't take that long to actually clear the aircraft.  I doubt the success of most people making a connection hinges on gaining a couple of minutes from deplaning first.

The worst part about the middle seat is the war of the armrests.  The problem is, that you cannot divide 4 armrests evenly by three people.  The one nearest the aisle and the one nearest the window are clearly spoken for.  However, I think people feel that if they have one armrest, they should naturally get the other, to balance out.  F that.  I am getting at least one armrest, and if I have to sit in the middle, I feel like I should get the other as a consolation prize!  My strategy is to wait until someone leaves the armrest clear for even a second, perhaps to turn the page of a book or get something out of their bag.  Then I pounce!  I plant my arm there and I will try to hold that territory as long as possible.  On my flight out, I was sandwiched between two pretty large people, luckily they decided to hibernate on the plane, so the armrests were mine! 

The flight back had even more hijinx.  First, I passed a guy in the security line who looked like he had come right off a pirate ship. He had the giant 3 pointed hat, the pirate shirt, everything.  The best part was that it looked like he was travelling with his wife and she was dressed as plain as could be!  Perhaps he had some sort of pirate engagement immediately after his plane arrived and there was simply no time to change.  I wish I could have talked to him a bit more. 

The next funny part was that the plane was predictably extremely full and they made the announcement that those who were boarding last would likely have to check their carry-on bags.  They try to upsell this by explaining that it is 100% complimentary!  That takes some balls.  Here they are initially telling people that you are allotted a carry on bag, but when they cannot fulfill their side of the bargain they try to explain that the concession is that they won't charge you for their screwup!  So they keep repeating the message, encouraging, then urging people to check their bags.  Finally, the inevitable happens and they report that indeed all the overhead bins are full and remaining passengers must check their bags (but still absolutely free!)  A few people groaned, but this one middle aged old lady who looked like she might be a 7th grade English teacher dropped a pretty loud Mother F&*%ER to no-one in particular.  I guess she really didn't want to check her bag. 

In the continuing tradition of older white people raging against nothing in particular, my seatmate on the return flight was an older white guy.  Probably in his 60s.  On most long haul United flights the planes are equipped with direct TV, for a cost.  JetBlue pioneered this, as far as I know, and even offered it for free.  But with United, only unwanted bag checks are free. I noticed that the old guy's screen wasn't working, and he was not happy about it.  The entire time we were on the ground and for the first ten minutes of the flight, he was trying to fix it.  It started off calmly enough, he tried pressing the various buttons.  Eventually both the pace and the intensity increased to almost a frantic level.  Finally, he too decided to drop a pretty loud F-bomb.  And amazingly, the screen started working at that exact moment!  The great part was, he never looked at the screen again.  He had no intention of actually paying for the service, I guess he just wanted the option.  It would be a bit like going ballistic about not receiving a dessert menu when you had no intention of actually ordering any dessert.

My wife and the girls were not flying with me, but there flight was at almost the exact same time.  Consequently, we were both flying through the same weather.  The descent was pretty rough, there were extremely high winds and the turbulence was pretty good with some big jolts here and there.  I was worried that the girls may have been afraid.  Turns out it was just the opposite, they were having the time of their lives laughing their heads off and wanting more! 

Perhaps the icing on the cake was our taxi driver home though.  Maybe I was a bit short tempered from the long flight and the early start but this guy seemed to have no business driving a cab.  We all pile in and I tell him our destination, which is pretty close to the airport, probably about 7-8 miles away.  He then asks me which way I want to go.  I tell him that I really don't care.  At least to my knowledge, no one route is better than another. So I tell him to take the highway.  Now, apparently, he is under the impression that I am his co-pilot and will give him step by step directions.  I did not realize it until we are getting dangerously close to blowing our exit.  I tell him, but it is too late.  Anyway, I let it go, getting off at the next exit is not that much slower.  Then I realize that we are about to miss another turn, and this time I don't think it is too late.  But he does.  So we have to make a U-turn.  I then explain to him that GPS is pretty standard technology, particularly in the taxi business.  He retorts that he thought I would give him step by step directions since I told him I wanted to take the highway.  The problem is, he never gave any impression that he was waiting for my input until it was too late.  Also, he seemed to blame me, rather than simply apologize.    This was probably the first time I didn't give any tip for a taxi ride.

All in all, a hell of a trip!