Back n the Saddle

What day is it? I’m currently on a flight out of Portland. Yes, that’s right, and confusing. Wasn’t I just in Uganda like 2 days ago? Yes, that’s right…. And still confusing.
Let me break it down a little more logically. Kampala, to Dubai to NYC to Portland, overnight, run around town all delirious for a day, pack for Mary Kay Seminar in Dallas, back on a plane by 12:50am. So technically it’s Saturday. That answers my question.

I barely made it onto this flight, however. Jen was so kind to drive me to the airport after an IPA at Ron Tom’s. Bad beer, rad friend. (“Hop Envy,” fail.)

I got to my gate on time, only to discover that I am completely retarded. I no longer had my ID and boarding pass, of which I had been holding in my hand out of the security point and somehow had since disappeared.  I searched my bags, getting slowly more and more anxious. It was gone. I figured finally I had set it on the counter while using the restroom before the flight. I ran back to the bathroom, and searched frantically in each stall. It didn’t help that I wasn’t entirely in my right mind thanks to the Ron Tom’s trip beforehand and general complete exhaustion and deliria.

I ran all the way back to the check-in gate, got a new boarding pass printed, then realized that I had my OLCC card on me still (state-issued) and plenty of credit cards, one with my picture on it (thanks, Costco!) Then back through security, pleading with TSA, then literally running, one shoe on-foot, one in-hand, to the gate. One of the agents actually came to check on me at security and got me to the gate. I am sitting on the plane as I write this. My computer clock says 4:36am, but I think that’s East Coast time, and it’s three hours earlier. A baby is crying frantically. I don’t ever want to travel with a little baby, unless it’s an angelic sleeping baby. It would be so stressful!

I feel surprising new bouts of joy throughout the day. I’ve been like this ever since deciding to come home and even more so now that I’m back on planes and trying to take steps to better assemble my life. 

I actually got a (non-standing) ovation getting onto the plane. It wasn’t because the other people on the flight loved me, rather the opposite, they were clapping for my holding them up and being the last to board.  I played it off like it was genuine applause, and through my shoe into the row with my bags for effect.

If I were an attention-whore, it would have been a great entrance. I’m just glad I made the flight. Two minutes after sitting there and getting settled, a flight stewardess walked over and handed me my ID and boarding pass. I told her openly, “I love you.” (She told me I didn’t have to.)

It would have been nice if someone had actually walked it to the gate so I could have boarded the plane like a normal person, however!