I took a little breather after the Alzheimer’s post. That
one was brewing in my head for a while, and I really wanted to do it justice.
After it was posted, I sort of felt like I did back in the day after pulling my usual all-nighters
before finals. I just needed a little breather.
(Side note: For anyone thinking that if I’d had better study
habits, I wouldn’t have had to pull all-nighters……..possibly true…....not the
point.)
Anyway, I’m back! And for those of you who have said
wonderful things to me about this blog and asked for more posts, I have to tell
you that you have no idea what that has done for me. This was a big leap for
me, and although I decided to write whether people were reading it or not, it
is amazing to me that people are actually reading it…..and some are even liking
it! You have to know I am truly humbled and completely grateful.
As seems to be my pattern, after dealing with something a
bit heavy, I’ve decided to go back to the lighter side. Recently while
traveling, a number of random and potentially annoying things happened, but because
I do enjoy a good laugh, I chose to be amused instead. If I’ve learned anything
over the years, being amused is much easier.
So, I give you (I feel there should be a fanfare for this title):
Random Things That Amused Me Recently
v While in the security line at the Bloomington,
Illinois airport, the woman in front of me had all sizes of liquids (hair
product) in her carry-on. After a lengthy give-and-take with the TSA agent as
the agent explained that those large containers of liquid are not allowed in
her carry-on, while we…. all… waited…., the woman then asked if it would be ok
if she put them in her purse. I was actually quite impressed by the TSA agent
who then patiently explained to her why that was, umm, really the same thing.
v On my last few flights, I was fortunate to get
the new precheck status, although I have no idea why. The precheck rules allow
you to leave your shoes, belt and light jacket on, and you don’t have to take
out your laptop (I googled this to make sure.)……..unless you’re Andee in Bloomington. I think it might
actually say that somewhere. I wouldn’t have minded, except they did the “whose
bag is this?” announcement (hello, I’m the bagless person right in front of you),
and then they rescanned my stuff like I was a moron, and I try so hard not to
be the person who holds everyone up. But in Bloomington, and right after hair
product lady, I was that person. I hate being that person.
v I finally did get through security, and let’s
fast forward to Florida. While driving, I paid the toll going south on I-75,
and got three quarters in change. When I was going back north, I tried to pay
with a quarter I received on the way south, and I was told they couldn’t accept
my quarter because it was Canadian, and their machines don’t take Canadian
coins. I didn’t want to explain that the southbound machines…..well, you know….
so I held up another line as I searched for acceptable American coins, because
we haven’t been neighbors long enough to figure out the coin issue, and well, you
know how I hate to hold up lines. I was that person again!
v As I sat on the beach in Florida waiting for the
sunset, a woman was swimming and suddenly started screaming, “Shark!” as she
hurriedly swam/ran to the beach. Of course, it was only a dolphin. That wasn’t annoying.
It just really made me laugh.
v I dozed off on my flight from Tampa back to Chicago.
When I woke up, I glanced out the window at the white clouds below us. Then I
looked again and realized I was not looking at clouds. I was looking at
snow……completely covering the earth. A little funny, but still mostly annoying.
v And, somewhat related, although not much except
that it involved travel, this is an update on the emergency landing episode
that never ends:
I told my
insurance company five times – yes, five times – to not pay any bills related
to the emergency landing because American Airlines had accepted liability and sent
me a check. FIVE times – once by phone, twice by e-mail and twice completing
their injury report online upon their request. So I got the check and called
the Houston hospital to pay my bill, and I’ll bet you know where this is going.
Sure enough, my insurance company (five times) had paid the bill. I’ve had
several dealings with insurance companies where I had to get them to cover
things, but I’ve never had such difficulty getting an insurance company to not cover something.
Random Observations:
People in Illinois do not think it’s funny when you tell
them the temperature of where you are in Florida. They also are surprisingly
unsympathetic when you are sad that the fog was too dense that evening, and you
did not get to see the sunset. Who knew?
Back soon!