Spitball Army

Th  9.20.07

Of course, there is always something that can go wrong, and my driver’s license expired on 9.1, so I was flagged as “SSSS” or “special screening.”  It basically meant nothing more than being sent through a separate line and being paid extra special attention.  That was OK by me.  The handlers were all very nice and I honestly can’t see what all of the fuss is about – people complaining that they’re constantly being delayed due to security at airports, and what an inconvenience it is.  Small price to pay for a sense – nothing more – of security.  Maybe they ought to leave for the airport 30 minutes earlier next time.

Anyway, I’m on my way to Boston now.  Somewhat mixed feelings after the phone call from Mom last night [illness alert].  Can’t say that there is anything I could do if I didn’t go on this trip, but I’ve got a feeling of guilt nonetheless.

I haven’t been on an airplane since 2000 [yep, seven years without setting foot on an airplane], when I flew a few times to California when Dad was sick.  It’s a very different procedure now.  Seems that the airlines have left most of the work to computers, as I got my parking deck ticket from an automated machine, and checked-in on a touch-screen computer, received my boarding passes from a computer.  All that the person at the counter did was wrap a sticker/tag on the handle of my suitcase.  It was very easy, but certainly not personal.

There were seven separate animals being checked in for my flight: six dogs and a porcupine.  I asked the freight guy who was standing there about all the animals – he said it was the first porcupine that he’d ever shipped!!  What a claim.  [To see a real flying porcupine circa WW2, check out this video.]