Brain spillage

Today was a good day. Overall anyway.

Actually, for a good portion Joel and I fought. A lot.

We’re alike in many ways but sometimes the ways that we are different irritate the crap out of both of us. I guess that’s called marriage, huh?

The thing is, I am not always ready on time. I’m very rarely late to things but that’s because I have getting-ready-at-the-last-second-because-how-did-it-get-to-be-that-time-already-ohmygaaah-I’m-going-to-be-late down to an art form. And then I’m not late. But I cut it very close.

Joel, on the other hand, would just as soon be somewhere an hour early. For no reason whatsoever. I mean, why would you get somewhere an hour early when you could have spent that hour sleeping? Why?!

As you can imagine this causes quite a few fights. Because he’s all huffy and tense that I’m not ready on time an hour and a half early. Then I get annoyed at the sighs and the “casual” mentions of the time and the standing at the door with coat and shoes on while I’m still in the bathroom drying my hair.

::sigh::

It’s the way we were raised. His family was always painfully early to things. Mine was always embarrassingly late. Neither is the ideal obviously. But we’re both pretty stuck in our ways. Me because I enjoy sleep way more than is probably healthy and Joel because he likes to eliminate even the possibility of the possibility of stress.

So, I was ready about 45 minutes after we agreed on. We weren’t in any danger of missing our appointment but it caused some tense words. For a decent amount of time.

Then? We both took deep breaths, apologized for being ridiculous (because we both so were) told each other how much we loved each other and moved on.

I believe the best quality we both posses is the ability to forgive quickly and easily. I’m positive we wouldn’t be together still otherwise. We’re both too dramatic for it to work out any other way.

Thankfully, by the time we parked downtown we had kissed and made up and were back to being ridiculously in love again. We grabbed some Intelligentsia (which, not even going to lie, those baristas make waaaay better coffee than me. I have a lot of practicing to do) and were still 30 minutes early for our appointment.

(Not going to say I told you so. Not. going. to. say. it.)

Oh right, the appointment. We turned in our applications for our Indian visas. Which makes this whole trip start to seem very real. I’m not going to get truly excited until we actually have the visas issued though. And plane tickets purchased. Although a very exciting offer was made that if it works out would mean we won’t have to mess with flying standby. Which would be AHmazing. We’ll see. I’ll definitely keep you all updated.

At the application office there was a lady who tried to apply but wasn’t able to because she didn’t have a birth certificate. Her and another women we were waiting in line with us and were talking about how excited they were about the trip. The look on her face when the lady told her her naturalization papers weren’t acceptable was heartbreaking. She was born out of the country. She had no way to get any kind of other paperwork. What she had the Indian consulate would not accept. It’s unclear if there’s any way around the issue. Her friend applied for her own visa while she just sat in a chair wide eyed and sad. I wanted to hug her. I hope she finds a way to fix the problem. I hope this doesn’t mean she can never travel to India. I guess I’ll never know.

So, my nervous excitement was dampened just a little by that poor woman’s problem. Just a little though.

Because oh my goodness I just applied for an Indian visa.

Since we were already downtown we decided to use our Living Social deal that we got to see Avatar at Navy Pier’s IMAX theater. The movie was fine (we’d both already seen it) but the best part was just being downtown. It was so unbelievably gorgeous today. Just perfect weather and bright blue skies and…. ah I love Chicago. As soon as we get a decent camera I plan on spending a day downtown trying to capture my city’s essence. It won’t be possible of course but I’m going to try as hard as I can.

Chicago is just amazing.

I wish we could have spent the whole day downtown wandering around and enjoying the perfect day but since I have to wake up at 4am we headed back home after the movie. Why don’t I live downtown again? Oh right. Stupid money. Bah.

Aaaand, that was my day. I’d say the title was pretty accurate. This post was just my thoughts pouring out of my head filterless. And now that my brain has emptied itself onto this page I’m feeling very sleepy.

Which is perfect because now that I work so early in the mornings I have the bed time of a three year old.

I Heart Mario Kart

So this video is kind of old but I just found it and I looove it! Enjoy.

P.s. If anyone has Mario Kart for Wii I’d love to play you online. Message me your friend ID and I’ll kick your butt at a race or two. *wink*

Next time you think you’ve had a crazy flight

visit this website.

Flights from Hell

You can either contribute or feel a little better about your experience. As a flight attendant I definitely enjoyed it.

Shouldn’t I at least have done something crazy to feel like this?

It doesn’t happen very often. In fact, it’s only the second time I remember getting this feeling. This morning my alarm went off and, after I hit snooze, I laid back down in bed, took a look around my dark hotel room… and had no idea where I was. Strangely, I could remember what time I had to catch the van downstairs (7:45am) but my exact location in the United States eluded my sleepy brain. My first thought was Oklahoma City but I knew that wasn’t right. I rolled over and looked at the night stand. Ah! Wyndham, downtown Phoenix, there we go. Time to shower.

The entire time I couldn’t remember what city I was in was no more than several seconds, but it got me thinking. When I first started flying, going from one end of the country to the next was novel. I was in Boston one night and LA the next. I couldn’t believe how strange and amazing that was. Growing up I feel like I traveled a good amount but it was always a treat, especially when air travel was involved. Now, less than a year and a half later, I jump on airplanes like they’re buses. I travel from Chicago to DC for the day the way Northwest Indiana Hoosiers go downtown Chicago. The world is at my fingertips and it’s strangely normal to me. I feel like I’ve barely taken advantage of it. I’ve left my travels up to fate and the needs of the “lovely” crew desk. Maybe my memory lapse is my brain’s way of telling me to wake up and really appreciate the gift my job is, despite the fact that it can be less than ideal. Or maybe it’s simply the first sign of dementia… *shrug*

In barbie boot camp (ie. flight attendant training) they said that it would happen but I thought it was silly. I mean, aside from a night of drunken irresponsibility how could you wake up not knowing where you were? I went a fairly long time before it first happened to me. One by one, classmates of mine would say it happened to them and I would secretly think myself somehow mentally superior or better organized or something. Then one day it was me. Funnily enough I don’t remember what city I was in the first time I woke up and had no idea where I was. I guess that’s pretty much perfect.