In order to save some moo-la, I got my flight to Oklahoma City from Columbus, OH.
A simple 1.5 hour drive. However, the flight was at 10:30am. I had a meeting in Columbus at 9am. There was no way to be physically present for both so I opted to conference in on the meeting.
Of course, as always, I stayed up way too late in mock preparation for the day’s travels. I spent way too much time online, too much time putting the house in order for no reason, getting laundry done and cleaning out the fridge. With a couple hours of sleep under my belt, I got up very unwillingly and threw the stuff from the dryer into a bag. I’m never a good gauge at how much to pack. I hate the fact that jeans, which should be able to last a whole weekend, always get way too loose for me. I also need to reinvest in a belt that fits proper.
Yada x 3. I drive up silently. Luckily my radio started working again after letting the thunderstorms and open sunroom soak it… for some reason though, it was morning, the weather was relatively pleasant and I just drove and pondered.
I get off the long term parking shuttle and initiate the conference call. Putting the phone on mute, I listen to folks talk incessantly about an intranet project. One with way too many folks sitting at a table with opinions, thinking they know what is best. There is no best.
I go to the ticket counter and get checked in. I take my bag to the security group and drop it off. Can’t they do this invisibly? Do I need to be there? Can’t the conveyor just take it behind the wall and there they can do whatever they like to my shit. Reorganize it, play with my underwear, squirt the (likely to be unused) lube all over each other…
Anyways, when it comes time to go through my security, I take off my shoes, unload the laptop, remove the suspenders and place them all in appropriate plastic bins. Leaving the phone on, I unmute for a second and say, "Be right back folks" and place the thing into the bin with my suspenders back on mute.
I don’t beep, get the thumbs up and resume my listening when the phone rolls back from x-ray.
Blah x 3. They have changed the whole premise of the project I find, throughout this call. I am very glad I am not there. I am very glad to be going to a new city, and to a rodeo.