I got my jury summons a few weeks ago. And as dutifully as ever I called in on the special jury selection hotline, fully expecting to be dismissed from jury duty.
It didn't happen. (What?)
So I dutifully came to the Superior Court of the Bubble this morning, fully expecting to have them say, "thanks, but no, thanks."
Again, didn't happen.
All that to say this: I was chosen to perform my civic duty and I now have the happy privilege to serve as a member of a jury for the next few weeks.
I fully intend to become the Ringleader. Or Mouthpiece. Or whatever it is you call the Person Who Gets to Represent the Dozen of Us.
I should technically be waking up in my own bed right now (sleeping-in would be more accurate, but that's not important right now). Instead I am groggy from a difficult night and anxious for the next 2 hours to fly by. (No pun intended.)
Yesterday I woke up in my penthouse room at the Ritz-Carlton with a panoramic view of Miami Beach.
After a quick, but extremely satisfying breakfast of pastelito and a cafecito,
I headed out to the beach, to a waiting chaise, where I was able to stretch out and soak in the sun. Of course, I went in the water and just floated and pondered how lovely and charmed my life was.
My blog-partner and friend, Carrie brought me lunch, we had a fabulous brainstorming session and then she graciously agreed to give me a ride to the airport.
Remember that I had been in a conference for the entire weekend. I had no idea what was happening out in the real world, let alone in Miami. (No, I don't think the world revolves around me, I was just busy with conference stuff. Don't judge me.)
So I arrived a little early at MIA (that's Miami International Airport for those of you who are not wannabe-jet-setters like me), I managed to get through security with relative ease, and I stocked up on provisions for my flight. ;-)
I was completely content with my iPad and internet access and I was happy to be alone and soaking up the airport ambiance. (I'm convinced that MIA is the best airport for people watching.)
That's when the craziness began.
Announcement after announcement of delayed flights and changed gates. I started wondering who was in charge. "Que desorganizados!" How could you run an airport like this? More announcements. More gate changes. More delays.
Then came the most dreaded announcement. My flight was going to be delayed. Not only that, but it looked like because of this, I was going to miss my connecting flight in Dallas, which meant that I was going to miss my flight home!
Nooooo!
Deep breaths. The situation was out of my control. Best to relax and not stress about it. No need to create more drama. It was best to just Embrace the Pain. (<--okay, so maybe I got a little dramatic.)
Even after we boarded our already delayed flight, with the assurance that "You might make your connections," we were still on the tarmac two hours later. *sigh*
They started the movie before we even took off. And while it was entertaining and I was grateful, it was not a good sign.
So finally we flew. And we arrived in Dallas late. And there was a guy waiting to give the 83 of us who had missed our connections, vouchers for the flights we missed and the promise of a shuttle bus to take us to a hotel for the night. Embrace the pain.
And so it was that when I thought I would be just getting home to my own comfortable bed and my own sweet family (that I was missing terribly) I was checking into my room at The Psycho Motel in Dallas. (No, not the real name of the place, of course. Just my vivid and exhausted imagination making an Alfred Hitchcock reference, but that's not important right now.)
It was really more of a lair than a room.
And I began to wonder (not for the last time): what had happened to my idyllic semi-vacation?
This is the view from my Psycho Room:
Seriously, what happened?
Well, the POTUS was in Miami. And he stopped at El Mago de las Fritas to indulge in some Cuban food. (Here's the article.)
Photo credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
This decision to stop for a frita by the POTUS began the chain of events that led to flight cancellations, gate changes and numerous passenger delays and had a very specific and personal impact on me and my life.
And while I have to commend him for his good taste - a genuine Cuban frita is to die for - I could not excuse the fact that his personal "antojo" (translation: "craving") so adversely impacted so many people.
I was privileged to have had the opportunity to be in Miami in May for Cuba Nostalgia.
While there, I got to see and hang out with most of my favorite intransigent bloggers (=D) and to experience the food and music that define me as a Cuban.
I love living in So Cal, but every now and then, Miami sings her siren song to me. (It usually comes with a killer bongo beat, but that's not important right now.)
Opening tomorrow, July 8 through July 11 at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, there's a show I'd love to see. The show is called..... (wait for it....) Babalú. (I know. Shut up.)
Starring Lucie
Arnaz, with guests Raul Esparza, and Valarie Pettiford, and dancers
Jeanette Delgado and Richard Amaro and very special guest (be still my foolish heart) Desi
Arnaz, Jr. (Yes, that's right MY Desi. *sigh*)
So, if you're in Miami this weekend, please go see this show. Do it for me.
Let me be perfectly clear: Yes, we are unapologetic Conservatives.
I won't belabor the point by explaining (yet again!) that my family had to flee our homeland because of the communist takeover. America, founded on Christian principles, is the best place to live on the planet. And along with passing our Christian faith to our kids, we also want to pass on our Conservative values.
So here's Lucy, once again to finish the narrative of her trip, sharing about who she met, what she did, and what she learned. Thanks again to the staff of YAF for all your hard work and for everything you do to pass on the values of freedom to the next generation.
Ramesh Ponnuru, senior editor of National Review and a columnist for Time, gave his speech about diversity, tolerance, empathy, compassion, morality, and the distorted understanding of these terms.
After a quick break, we heard from Tim Goeglein. He analyzed the relationship between culture and politics, ideologies compared to lifestyles, and the importance of family values and morals, especially where politics are concerned. He also encouraged us to follow our vocation. A few deep breaths later, Bay Buchanan took to the podium and, to put it plainly, blew us all away. She was passionate, enthusiastic, and mildly... extreme. She talked about abortion, equal rights, and touched upon the subject of "political correctness." Quite interesting. Indeed, she woke me up (I mean this as truly as it can be meant; I have no shame in admitting that I had been nodding off for the past hour. No offense to the previous speakers.)
- Lunch. It happened. -
Back to the conference...
Kirby Wibur gave us an enlightening message about the presence of faith and the Christian religion in US history, supported by the references that the Founding Fathers included in the Declaration of Independence. He discussed the connection between faith and freedom, the separation of church and state, and virtue going hand in hand with liberty. We received a pocket-sized Constitution. (SCORE!)
After he stepped down, Kate Obenshain commandeered the microphone and explained the three basic things we should remember when discussing politics (or any topic) with our peers: Graciousness, Integrity, and Courage. She encouraged us to be humble and to believe in something bigger than ourselves. Extremely motivational and quite amusing.
And then... 'lo and behold... Jason Mattera walked in the room. The attention of the entire room was now completely fixated on the Editor of Human Events. The focus of his speech included the comparison between the two political parties, the global warming scare, and some delicate (ahem) criticisms of our current President. He talked about the presidential campaign and how effective the media is when it comes to politics.
He signed my book.
There was some time to gather our thoughts and relax before we went downstairs, well-dressed and smelling nice, for the next dinner banquet. After we had eaten, we heard from Steve Moore. I'll tell you right now: economics has never made so much sense. Income tax, revenue, budget, monetary policy, you name it, he explained it in the simplest of terms.
The night was late, I took my laptop downstairs to the lounge to upload photos and chat with you.
Thursday is over.
- - -
Friday, June 25th:
Dr. Burt Folsom Jr. (from Hillsdale College no less. Go figure.) gave us the history lesson of the month. Now, for someone who barely passed US History, I was actually... interested. So odd. Anyhoo, he discussed John D. Rockefeller and the oil industry, along with Cornelius Vanderbilt and Robert Cunningham (and all the steamship nonsense they were involved in at the time). I have his signature in my book. This pleases me.
Brief break, some questions were asked, and we were introduced to Dave Bossie, president of Citizens United and Citizens United Productions. He defined the conservative movement, discussed getting back to core beliefs and talked about how the media has become a very biased outlet for inaccurate information.
Next up was Michelle Easton, founder of the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute. She took her time to discuss role models and encourage the young independent women in the conference to become leaders in their community. Very inspiring and very humble.
After this speaker, we were privileged to enjoy a "girls only" luncheon with Mrs. Easton and a few of her interns, during which we were able to discuss and ask questions about our principles and values as young women.
The lunch was eaten. We trudged back into the conference room (willingly, but still. you get the picture.) and sat down. Donal Blaney took a few minutes to introduce the next guest, Mark Clarke, the Outreach Director for the Young Briton's Foundation. As soon as that man opened his mouth, there was an audible gasp from the young ladies in the room.
Oh. My. Word... he has a British Accent.
I have no shame in admitting that all of us girls were absolutely captivated for the rest of the session. I mean... come on. Don't judge. We were still listening.
Clarke's speech was abundant with amusing anecdotes about the "ridiculous" system of government and healthcare he had in his country, as well as some solemn observations about how frightful the government could really be. He compared the two political parties and posed a question: "When is the state ever the best answer?" He also talked about institutionalized religion and "tolerance."
Dr. Burt Folsom Jr. returned to speak to us about "Big Government Solutions" and gave us yet another history lesson, this time about Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, FDR, Andrew W. Mellon, and Andrew Jackson. His talk covered income tax, consumerism, the redistribution of wealth, federal spending, unemployment rates over history, and so on.
*deep breath*
Soon, the Vice President of Young America's Foundation, Patrick X. Coyle, gave a speech about conservatism on college and high school campuses, and what we could do to create an active presence in our academic community. I scribbled down some shocking points in my notebook.
By this time, we're all getting slightly restless. We began listening at 9am, with some small breaks, and it was now almost 4 o'clock. Patience and focus were waning. But we only had one more speaker left. And they kept us well caffeinated. So that's good.
Last, but definitely not least, was Rebecca Hagelin. Her speech focused on the relationships we develop in our lifetimes, our need for a role model, how we could develop and strengthen our core values, the challenges we would face throughout our lifetimes, and the importance of self-education.
She talked to us about becoming strong-hearted individuals while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This was, I think, one of the most inspiring speeches. I bought her book, which she dedicated to me and my mother. (You're welcome, Mom.)
(I just realized how much I love parenthetical statements.)
I met up with my roomies and we headed back to the room to change into casual clothes. Skirts and blouses are fine, but for 8 hours? Level of Comfort: relatively low and dropping quickly. I felt human again in my jeans.
Thus began our twilight tour of Washington DC. World War II memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.
Everything's prettier when the sky is pink and there's a nice breeze. On the way up there, the gang in the back discussed the flaws in our system of government, argued among themselves about ethics, and defended the values and views of... you pick.
High School students. Politics. What's wrong with this picture?
Oh, fun times! We sang the National Anthem outside of the Lincoln Memorial. First time: Security guard came around and yelled at us to stop singing.
A student walked up to him and calmly explained that we were well within our 1st Amendment rights to sing a patriotic song in front of the memorial.
The security guard left. We sang it again:
Others joined in and then applauded when we had finished.
If you have been following along, you know that my Lucy has been in Washington, D.C. for the Young America's Foundation conference and that I have not been able to focus on much else.
She is finally home safe, but she enjoyed sending me emails so much (and having them posted on the blog) that she continued writing to me as if she were still 3,000 miles away instead of just upstairs in her room. =D
Here, see for yourself:
----------------------------------
Written at 12:22 (Monday, June 28th)
Wednesday, June 23rd Little Goose to Mothership (and the blogosphere):
Oh hi. It's been awhile. I'll try to summarize the next 4 days as promptly as I can. So, so much happened. I hope I can remember it all. As you might have guessed, I was too busy to write to you every night (a horrible conundrum, to be sure.) I have been using pictures to replace my words, so at least I can still recall what I saw, who I met, and what I learned.
*opens up iPhoto to review*
Let's see, let's see... Ah yes! Gettysburg! The students who arrived a day early were treated to a special tour of the battlefield. Go figure. Long, beautiful, scenic bus ride to Pennsylvania.
I saw cows, mom. Real cows.
As soon as we stepped off the bus, the humidity slapped us in the face. Repeatedly. Kirby Wilbur was our tour guide. Awesome guy. And he knows his history like nobody's business. Much walking, much listening, much learning, many pictures... back on the bus we go.
We stopped at McDonald's for lunch. It was a comfort to know that even 3,000 miles away from home, one can always find some really fantastic and familiar fries.
Arrived back at the conference center, hot and sweaty. I went back to my room to change for the dinner banquet and-- oh, hello roomies!
Genevieve, from Minnesota. Rachel, from Massachusetts. And Haley, from Kentucky. My close friends (literally) for the next three days. A quick change into something nice (yes, I wore a dress and yes, I wore my hair down.) and we were headed downstairs to the dinner banquet. Formal introductions were announced and we ate.
I realized that Gettysburg makes me hungrier than usual. Put that in the log.
Congressman Jim Jordan, from Ohio, spoke to us about "Defending Freedom in Congress." I forgot to take notes (I know, I know. Shush.) but he was extremely charismatic and I enjoyed listening to him.
That was just the beginning of how much listening I would be doing over the next couple of days.
My Lucy is 3,000 miles away in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She's at a Young America's Foundation conference for high school students and is busy making new friends and learning about the conservative principles that have made this country great.
I'm delighted she's getting this opportunity, but as her mother, well....I'm pretty much focused on "Lucy is 3,000 miles away..."
So I'm posting her emails and photos and sharing her trip here on my blog, because 1) hey...it's my blog and 2) it's difficult for me to focus on much else while she's gone and 3) she's quite the entertaining writer.
Here's part 3....where she arrives in Washington D.C. and starts meeting people....
11:06pm (ending Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010)
Little Goose to Mothership:
Everything became quite hectic as soon as I got off the phone with you. I sat down and waited around for Evan (the guy I was supposed to meet). I took a few pictures and tried to get online to finally send you those e-mails (was interrupted by a poor girl who needed to find out some flight information, but we couldn't get connected. Seriously. Airport wifi fail.)
Then I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize:
Me: Hello?
Voice: Hi, is this Lucy?
Me: Yes?
Voice: Hi, I'm with the Young America's Foundation.
Me: Oh hello! I'm sitting where I'm supposed to, looking around for you guys...
Voice: Yeah, we just got here and I'm walking towards that area right now...
Me: Uh okay, should I get up? Where am I going?
Voice: No, no, no, you'll see me in a minute. I'm wearing a blue blazer, I'm carrying a little cardboard sign... you should see me pretty soon. What are you wearing?
Me: Uh, brown sweater, jeans rolled up... sitting down. Should I stand up?
Voice: Still walking, looking, loo-- OH I SEE YOU!
Phones were put away and I met Kiana Dunn, an intern at the Young America's foundation. She had, seriously, just graduated high school. She offered to take my suitcase and grabbed hold of it, which your camera, unfortunately, was currently balanced upon...
*gasp*
The battery flew out when it landed. Don't worry, don't worry, all is good. She was appalled and she apologized profusely, but I told her not to worry about it. Camera still works fine.
Went outside, looked for the van. Evan had to drive around in a circle yet again cause they wouldn't let him park. Sad story. Pleasant conversation was made: why she was involved, what I'd be expecting, how awesome the whole event would be, etc.
Couple of phone calls later, we walk all the way down to baggage claim #12 (we were standing at #1) to find Katlin, the other girl who had arranged for pickup that day. Her flight had been delayed and her baggage was late.
Amid all this, Kiana gets a call from Evan, telling her to look outside.
- - DOWNPOUR - -
Swear to ya. California clouds don't do rain like that. I'm not sure if you understand. Couldn't see the other side of the road.
But by the time we found the girl's suitcase, the rain had pretty much stopped. Apparently, it does that a lot here. Joy.
Found the van, loaded up luggage, hopped in, met a very surly Evan (he had been driving to and from Maryland ALL DAY), and proceeded to listen to Kiana's stories and opinions about people, politics, and current issues of today (Funny stuff).
Realized we were all hungry. But all potential food stops were closed. So was the cafeteria. Kiana said she'd order us a pizza after we got checked in. So, Katlin (who is lovely, polite, funny, etc.) and I found our room keys and got settled. Right now, at this moment, I have the room to myself. So I can take a shower and relax without any bother. PHEW.
I'm unloading my stuff and I hear Katlin greet someone she knows outside in the hall. As per her request, I exit the room and meet David, whom she had recognized from last year's conference.
And then we met Carolyn. And then Alyssa. And then Rachel. And then Maddie.
None of us knew each other. We bonded over some banana bread Carolyn had brought. Spent the next half hour just chatting, getting introduced, when Giovanni called (not really sure who this was, but he said we had pizza.) Sprinted downstairs to the lounge (pictures of this will come tomorrow) and devoured four slices.
Spikkin' of which, I'm awful thirsty now, so I'm gonna find some water...
Meh, I'll just finish this. You won't get this message until tomorrow, though. Shame.
After we finished our pizza, we talked about colleges and school and found out where everyone was from. Colorado, Arizona, New Jersey, Missouri, etc.
Heard mention that curfew for the lounge was at 11. By this time, it was already 10:30. I got up, said I needed to upload some pictures and e-mail my mother. David escorted me back to the room. This place is huge (again. pictures to come) and we ended up getting lost anyway.
However, we found a piano in the lobby of one of the buildings.
So I played. And some of the students who were walking by started singing along.
Ah. Yes. Photos. Lounge.
Uploaded photos from today, checked Facebook, friended (<---verb?) all the people I had just met, and that's when the lights turned off, so I hiked back to my room and sat to write you this.
You will be getting a follow up e-mail with pictures. Or I'll just post these "letters" to my blog with the corresponding pics.
Lucy is in Washington D.C. for the week (see earlier post). This entry describes the 2nd leg of her flight from Houston to D.C.
DISCLAIMER: I am completely aware that the following post may only be of interest to me (as her mom) but I am really enjoying the description of her adventures and wanted to share.
NOTE: For better understanding of what you're about to read, know that we call her Lucy Goose.
(Did I mention this girl wants to be a writer?) Enjoy.
3:10pm
Little Goose to Mothership:
I'm gonna take a gander (HA) at the time in the real world and assume that it's a little bit past noon? Too bad there's no--
Aha! Little clock widget... It's about 1:10 in Los Angeles. Cool.
We landed safely and a bit early (like 1:43 instead of 2:05?) and Sleepy Woman #1 (the one on my right) welcomed me to Houston and wished me luck on my connection to my next flight.
After waiting a good ten minutes for everyone to move forward, I got up, grabbed my laptop bag and coat and looked up at the baggage areas above us. I had put my suitcase in the one above the seats several rows back, for lack of space. What to do... what to do...
Luckily, sometimes people are nice. The gentleman sitting behind me grabbed it for me. Thanks, Stranger.
Got off the plane, realized that I was in Texas (Hot. Humid. Kinda nice.) and scampered over to the big Arrival/Departure screen to check to see if my gate stayed the same. Sure enough: Gate C33...
*looks around*
Oh. It's RIGHT NEXT TO ME.
Sweet.
Sat down, promptly got up again, went to bathroom, came back and settled into a seat with my laptop.
Note to self: airport Wi-Fi sorta kinda sucks. I got online and chatted with Amy for a few seconds. Then it stopped working. Tried getting on Gmail, Twitter, and my blog to see if any of my posts had gone up...
I dunno if I'll be able to send you these until we reach the conference center . *sigh* Oh well. This gives me something to do for awhile. Besides trying to take some photobooth photos.
Two girls sitting to my right. (I get the aisle seat. This pleases me.) I feel my IQ dropping just by listening to them. Uh oh... I feel a snippet coming on!
- - -
"So, like, I knew this girl in, like, way back when in high school? So, like, one day, when I was, like, 'Hey, what's goin' on,' ya know? She was like, 'oh hi' like, I barely know you, kinda? *laughter* But, no, seriously, there was this one time when, like, I had bought this pickle? Ya know? Like, as a snack? Cause I mean, like sure! *laughter* But yeah, I was so excited for my snack, you know? So I brought it home and then, when I got back, it was gone! So I was like... who could've eaten it? There are only two people here... and I didn't eat it. *laughter* But yeah. Totally weird."
...
That's a keeper. (Then I stopped listening.)
Great Glory and Splendor! Food cart is coming my way right now. AHHH. So pleased. It smells pleasant. Not really sure what's we're getting...
Oh look. The cutest little turkey sandwich ever. With chips. Yay!
*nom nom nom*
*moves chips out of the way* Chocolate?
I am now well-fed, not too tired, entertained, and looking forward to the rest of the day. There are TV screens everywhere, but one must swipe a credit card to get a movie. Never mind. I have movies to watch. So there.
Old Man With Foodcart (in a suh-thun accent:) "Watch those elbows... watch those elbows... move it or lose it, hun. Watch it... watch it..."
Hehe. On a separate note, I have tons of charge on my battery still, so I should start my movie pretty soon. Or I could read for a bit... or take pictures of my little setup...
*gets out camera, snaps pictures, puts camera away*
I'll try uploading tonight. And sending you a couple. Or blogging about each one. I dunno. Whatever I FEEL like. Goshdarnit!
Right. Still miss you, although I'm having a relatively pleasant time.
Little Goose, goin' radio silent. *salutes*
*****************************************
[Marta here: The waiting continues, until she finally lands. *mom & dad sigh a collective sigh of relief*]
6:22pm
Little Goose to Mothership:
And so I wait. The flight was fine. Got a little turbulent--
*is found by Kiana, YAF Intern*
*finds other girl in airport*
*gets into van with Evan, another YAF person*
*travels to Maryland, to conference center*
*checks in*
*makes a dozen new friends*
*eats pizza*
*is uploading photos in the student lounge*
Love you!
"My daughter. Been studying abroad. Been flying for
eleven hours. I'm
not wild about her being in the air. You got kids, Juan. You
understand. It's better when they're on the ground."
My Lucy (Lucy Goose to you) is in Washington D.C. this week for a conference sponsored by Young America's Foundation. We're excited she was able to participate and I believe it will be a wonderful experience for her.
What I was NOT prepared for was my own reaction as the realization hit me that she was going to be traveling ALONE. I mean....alone alone.
So I helped her choose conservative outfits for the events and banquets (which, let me tell you, was no easy task in 2010. Apparently clothes for young ladies make it appear that they are grooming to become hookers these days, but that's not important right now) and helped her pack her bag.
I reminded her a dozen times to take chargers and toothbrush and....well, you know the drill.
"Call me! Text me when you get a layover! Make good choices!" And then she was on her own.
She's sending me updates which are amusing enough to share, so I'm doing so for your blogging entertainment. (And because it will be difficult for me to focus on much of anything else while she's gone.)
Eric dropped her at the airport which is where her narrative begins.
11:02am
Little Goose to Mothership:
Left the house at approximately 7:17am. Security Line: 7:44am. No hassle there. Dad asked one of the airplane-security-faces if he could stand in line with me, even though he wasn't traveling.
He then struck up a conversation with one of the women in line. Because she was holding a pillow:
"That's smart. *laugh* You know, George Bush always takes his pillow with him when he flies. So does my wife."
*meanwhile, Lucy pretends to busy self with cell phone*
Texted the paternal unit and assured him that I had made it through alive (they accepted an old student ID, so no worries there). Then proceeded to sit around for a good, oh, 10 minutes by my gate and took a few pictures. Boarded without any trouble whatsoever. (St. Christopher. Yup.)
[Marta here: I gave her a St. Christopher medal last year and explained that he was the patron saint of travelers. From Wikipedia: "He holds patronage of things related to travel and travelers: against lightning;
against pestilence; archers;
bachelors;
boatmen; bookbinders; epilepsy;
floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; for a holy death; mariners; market
carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers[8];
toothache;
and transportation workers. - I'm not taking any chances, okay?]
Back to Miss Lucy...
I found my seat, put my suitcase on the overhead rack and my coat and laptop bag are resting on my feet.
Yes, I remembered my toothbrush. Yes, I remembered my phone charger. Yes, I remembered my makeup. Yes, I remembered my perfume.
I'm currently sitting in between two older women. The one on my right (who has taken control of the window) likes to chat. Her mother lives in Houston, but she grew up in Huntington, so she was visiting for a few days and she has a niece who wants to go to Santa Cruz to study psychology, but she doesn't think the girl's mother will let her (insert light chuckling here).
I put in my headphones soon after this conversation.
About... oh, 5 minutes ago, "How To Train Your Dragon" finished playing. I watched it... but my headphones refused to cooperate with the system. I enjoyed it, as one can only enjoy a movie when you can't hear it.
Just looked up at the little screen. Not a clue what's playing right now.
Oh hey! We got complimentary drinks and breakfast... sorta. Cornflakes. I passed. No worries, I ate before I left and I have snack stuff with me. Considering buying a light lunch when we stop in Houston.
Let's see... anything else... hmm... I could take about the clouds, I guess... *looks out window* Yup. Clouds. They're there.
I texted Bryant when I was waiting for the security check and told him I would try to stay out of trouble (yes, I identified myself.)
Ooh, what a horrible conundrum. Woman to my left is sleeping... but I just drank a whole Coke. What to do, what to do... I think we're going to land soon. Actually, I don't have a clue about our time situation at the moment. The captain doesn't like to talk to us (mildly unsettling).
Haven't taken any pictures of myself with the real camera. Just some basic travel shots. My gate, walking down the accordion thing, the view from my seat, my Coke, the window... A few photobooth ones. I'll send 'em to you. And blog tonight.
Two babies (I think the term "little people" is far more appropriate) have taken turns screaming.
OH MY. TOY STORY CLOUDS. I'd take a photobooth picture... If she would just fall back asleep again.
I suppose I could finish this up and read a bit... or nudge my way to the "lavatory."
Ad--
He's talking to us! "Nice weather. We're going down. Put on your seatbelts. Now."
I should pack up my laptop now. I'll send this during the layover.
Love you, miss you, mean it, Little Goose, over and out.
[Stay tuned for the next installment of 'Miss Lucy Goes to Washington' later today. Meanwhile Mama Marta breathes a sigh of relief and takes another tranquilizer. Shut up. I know. ;-) ]
