The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful

I flew to Pittsburgh this past weekend for one of my best friend's weddings (more on that later) and had a few interesting travel experience that I thought were worth sharing.

1) At the Philadelphia airport I was in line for security and in my 7am daze was glancing at everyone around me. My gaze landed on one of the uniformed security personnel, mostly because he was young and handsome, which is a departure from the ornery middle aged women you often see checking IDs and boarding passes in Philly. We briefly made eye contact and then I went back to staring straight ahead. Next thing I knew, he was right in my face, glaring saying "You eyeballing me?" My eyes bugged out and I choked out a "what?" and he said again, "You eyeballing me?!" My mouth hung open and I just stared- and then he laughed good naturedly like it was a great joke and walked away. I was pretty awake after that.

2) Dustin "Screech" Diamond was in front of me in line going through security in Pittsburgh. He was not flying first class and he did not look good.

3) I had a shuttle service pick me up from the hotel to take me back to the airport and was told they would arrive at 3:10. I was climbing into the van at 3:11 (there was a bank across the street with a digital sign, so I know that was definitely the time) and there were already a couple of people in there. I sat next to an old woman with long, stringy grey/blonde hair wearing what looked like a black and yellow plaid caftan with a vest over it. We didn't interact at all through the beginning of the trip and I put my headphones on and listened to my iPod.

When we pulled up to the next hotel and the driver got out to let the new passengers in. The woman looked toward me and said something I couldn't hear except for "20 minutes."

I took out one earbud, "Excuse me?" I said, not sure if she was talking to me or just talking to talk.

"Looks like we won't have to wait here for 20 minutes like we did for you," she spat out.

There was a time in my life when I would have flushed red and stammered out an apology and felt uncomfortable for the rest of the ride. I don't know when the change in me occurred but this time, in this situation, I looked her in the eye and said quietly and calmly that I had been told I was being picked up at 3:10 and that is when I was there and that I was sorry if she had to wait but it was neither my fault nor my problem.

Then I turned away from her and replaced my earbud. She responded by putting on her own headphones and we stayed on our opposite ends of the bench seat for the rest of the trip. I spent the remainder of the ride thinking up come backs for the venom I was sure she was going to spit at me when she exited the van but alas, none came.

I was almost disappointed because I really wanted to say one of the things I'd thought of. I pictured her getting out of the car, turning around and saying something along the lines of "go to hell," or "I hope your plane crashes." To which I'd reply "Send me a post card from obscurity."