On the way!!!

My favorite people and yours truly-Ariel, Aileen, Jesse, Anthea, yours truly with Caleb(Ariel and Jesse's 3 week old) at the airport.

 Ready or not, here I go. After weeks of planning, some haphazard and spasmodic, my last bag was packed and we set off for the airport. In just the span of time it took to say that, that is. I closed the laptop, or as I have been told, notebook case, and we walked out the door. Earlier my brother-in-law gave me a nasty start when he texted me at 2am on the 11th wondering where I was, as he is to pick me up at the airport. I frantically began to think back on when I had reconfirmed my flight, as you can only do it less than 24 hours from takeoff, and realised that I was okay. I hadn't missed the plane. Although I tried to even though we were there an hour and a half the scheduled departure. About twenty  minutes before scheduled departure I started the 10 minute process to get through security. Shoes, laptop, hat, coat, etc. After going through security, I strolled down the concourse, thinking to myself that there weren't many people going my way. And, when I got to the gate , there was no one there, but the plane was. The gate attendant, looking up, noticed me ambling his way, and said"Mr. Brock"? My first clue that maybe I should have hurried a bit. I said, "I didn't hear a boarding call." "We don't do that any more", he said. At least, not throughout the general airport.  Stepping onto the plane after my somewhat hastened perambulation down the gangway, I peered in at a full cabin of folks who I hope thought I was a standby. To my comfort, my seatmate said she didn't know that boarding calls are passe', because she has a fear of being late and proceeds smartly to the gate upon her arrival at the airport.

  Well we took off, a beautifully smooth takeoff it was, followed by a midair roller coaster through the weather that had brought the rain to Shreveport. The pilot even said it was nasty.

Now I am in Atlanta,with a 5 hour layover, but merrily typing away on the laptop(notebook) that we bought for this trip. I am also now a fully paid up member of Boingo, at least for a month, which allows me to dispense my musings to whomever wants to read this. Ain't technology wonderful!!

  In the couple of hours I have been here at Gate E14, not mine but it was secluded when I got here, I have heard the same CNN reports at least 5 times, another justification for having a notebook with wifi!! The plane is now boarding, non-stop to Paris. I have just finished charging a complete stranger's Ipod through the USB port on my notebook. It did occur to me that he has probably now got everyone of my email and account passwords!! It also occurred to me that if I hadn't been typing, I would  have probably been talking to him. When I heard them call the flight for Paris, I asked him if he lived in Paris. No, after having been to Los Angeles, he was on his way home to Tel Aviv, via Atlanta and Paris. He asked me where I was from, and he had a bit of a blank expression when I told him Louisiana. I was sorry to remember ,only after he left, the little pocket atlas in one of the 8 pockets in my new coat. Anthea told me I should familiarise myself with all the pockets and their contents!! I can't find my webcam, it is packed somewhere, otherwise I would have sent a picture of the area where I am. Maybe it is in one of my pockets.

  Back to CNN. Actually to the news in general. or specifically what today is in history. In the U.S, it is Veteran's Day, whilst in the UK it is Remembrance Day. It is the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War. It is also Les, my cousin's, birthday. Part of the spasmodic planning was a deliberate departure on this date, in order to in some way acknowledge the sacrifices of those we are to be remembering.