Observations.......

Of a not so frequent flyer. I left today for Tampa. Mind you....a two hour flight beats 17 hours in a car any day so when I need to travel an airline is my choice of transportation. I am, however, grateful that my job does not entail traveling for a living. The hastles encountered every time I reach the airport are innumerable. First of all....$25 to check a bag??? I thought $20 was too much and now it has gone up again. Okay so don't argue just pay and go...and be glad the man did not weigh the bag I did pack because I know it was well over the 50 pound limit.

Then there is the humiliating trip through security. I have an artificial knee. It sets off the alarm...every time. Call the female pat down crew. Now stand with your arms out and feet on the foot marks...in the middle of the airport while they run the magic wand over your whole entire body. I have brads on my jeans and a zipper, underwires in my bra, and of course the titanium knee. "Excuse me, Maam, but I will have to run my hands across these areas." She must have also had to grab the center of my underwire bra to be sure that the wires were indeed holding up what they were supposed to be because after giving the whole thing a good shake she decided it was safe. Then I have to roll over the waistband of my jeans...I don't know what she was expecting to see but I do know what all of the other passengers coming through the gate saw and it was not pretty!

Free at last and off to the gate where I watched the baggage handlers pitch my well packed 60 pound suitcase from the cart to the cargo area of the plane. I have visions of my shampoo and conditioner exploding all over the neatly packed clothing. With the force they threw it my stuff could actually have landed in the bag next to it. I do not know the best way to pack...maybe the solution is just take nothing and shop when you get there!!!

So all that out of the way, my welcoming committee was just that...welcoming ...so I just sorted out the scrambled mess in my suitcase and was glad there were smiling faces to meet me at the gate because that is why I came!!