I’ve returned from my visit to Mom’s house in West Virginia. As usual, the trip was filled with family drama and air travel trauma. I’m mostly recovered from both.
The occasion: a dinner party celebrating Baby Sister’s marriage and introduce her new baby to the extended family. Since all of us sisters were there, we took the obligatory group photo — sans makeup and wearing these lovely matching t-shirts gifted to us by Second-Born. Back row, Third-Born and Second-Born. Front row, Baby Sister and me. The other photo is of me and my new nephew taken the same morning. (Laugh while you can, folks. This may be the only photo in existence of me holding an infant.)
As for travel trauma, let’s just say that if you’ve heard air travel is bad these days… it’s worse. I had the most maddening example of excruciatingly bad service on the return flight out of Charleston, WV. The Delta flight arrived 30 minutes late, then the ground crew held us hostage in the boarding area until they coerced six ticketed passengers to forfeit their seats. When we finally boarded, they asked for two more volunteers to forfeit their seats because we were still 300 pounds overweight. Then they asked two more volunteers seated in the front of the plane to move to the back of the plane to redistribute the remaining weight.
When we arrived in Atlanta nearly an hour past-due, we were held on the tarmac for 15 minutes because they were “short-staffed” on the ground crew. When they finally released us, my mad dash from C36 to E4 was hampered by a non-functioning tram and a broken escalator. Gads! I made the flight, but only barely and only by risking permanent injury. If you’re planning air travel anytime soon, be afraid. Be very afraid.
klingonguy
June 21, 2006 at 11:59amIf you’re planning air travel anytime soon, be afraid. Be very afraid.
Shhhh, don’t jinx me. and I have tickets for L.A.ConIV.
allisonstein
June 21, 2006 at 1:48pmPack light. Leave early. Carry survival rations. Good luck.
nkcmike
June 21, 2006 at 4:39pmIt seemed, without fail, everytime I flew into Atlanta that A) we parked at the very last gate in an outside concourse, and B) our connection was at the opposite very end of a differentconcourse. Yuck.
allisonstein
June 25, 2006 at 5:51pmYep. It’s still pretty the same. Only now there are FIVE concourses.
kalimeg
June 21, 2006 at 5:35pmYou don’t wonder why dragonet and I are driving to LA, do you? Neither of us is exactly overjoyed with the state of commercial aviation in the US. Last time I flew I got searched at every stop so they could prove they were not profiling. I am the token fat old white lady.
allisonstein
June 25, 2006 at 5:47pmBetween the airline’s cost-cutting measures and the government’s attempts to keep us secure, there is no joy there anymore.
ehs347
June 22, 2006 at 1:07pmI feel your pain
Oh girlfriend, if you only knew how much time I’ve spent in that blasted Charleston airport. For two years, I travelled almost every week from Dulles to Charleston to work on a special project with the natural gas pipeline I used to work for. United isn’t any better out of Charleston – or Dulles, for that matter. Independence was the only bright ray of air travel light in that hole, and my joke is that when I stopped flying them every week, they went belly up.
The family is beautiful even sans makeup. I’m happy to report there are still no pictures of me in existence holding an infant. Or toddler. Or maybe any child.
I’m glad you survived the trip.
allisonstein
June 25, 2006 at 5:51pmRe: I feel your pain
Hey, Cuz! You know, the weirdest thing I saw while waiting for that flight was the birds taking wing — and flying DOWNward to disappear below the tarmac. Until I saw that, I forgot the airport was on the flattened top of the mountain.
It’s good to see your picture. Isn’t it time you posted something to your journal? Hint. Hint.