I Don't Miss Airports

For over a decade I was a business traveler.  I loved traveling across the nation and to other countries to get work done.  Some days I miss it.  I miss the intellectual stimulation and challenge that comes with having an adult-type job, interacting with adult-type people.  What I don't miss, is the adult-type stress levels and the adult-type workload.  Also on my list of things I don't miss... airports.

Stick me in any airport in the world and I can settle right in and prepare to wait.  Wait and wait and wait if necessary to get on that flight home after a challenging week of work.  I was an expert at all the ins and outs of checking in, getting upgrades, knowing when to board the plane and all the best spots to eat and go in the major airports.  I could check out and return a rental car without even thinking about it.

But it's just life cycles to nowhere.  Minutes, hours and days spent waiting in line and waiting for something to happen.  And doing all of that completely surrounded by strangers.  My two best friends were always with me, my ear plugs of solitude.  No one will bother you if they see bright pink earplugs in your ears because even though you can hear them, it's a message that you're spending time alone.

Planes, I miss.  I love a good plane ride.  I love falling to sleep before the plane takes off because when the engines turn on it acts as a soporific and I can't manage to stay awake until we're in the air.  But sorry airports, I don't miss you.  However, I do look forward to vising you from time to time, like on vacations.

The Big Boy Update:  Booster Seat and Krrrsch.  He sat in his first booster seat the other day.  He doesn't try to escape when there's food in front of  him (usually) so we gave it a try.  Success.  On the language front, he knows my father's name (Gramps) but as he can't say the "g" sound, so he makes this, "krrrsch" noise and points at his stomach.  This is a little thing my father has done to him since he was old enough to stand.  It sounds like a little buzzer going off in the corner of your mouth.  My son can make the same noise and point either to his stomach, or to Gramps and make it.   He's getting closer to pronouncing "g" though, I think.  At lunch today he started saying, "Nana Nana!"  we looked around and there was a lady sitting at a table with the back of her head towards him.  She had a hair cut and color just like his Nana.  Then he said—we think—"ampa." which is his other grandfather, "Grandpa" minus the G. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  She has been looking forward to nap time lately.  And by that I mean that she's taking earlier and longer naps than she was just a month ago because she's so mobile.  She can wear herself out more quickly than ever before. 

Fitness Update:  Early morning run with my neighbor and we talked about alternate exercising to get more in shape for the half marathon.  I've ordered a heart-rate monitor, which should help with my pace because it takes the focus away from distance and places it more on maintaining a specific heart rate for a period of time.  She suggested weight lifting for alternate days.  We found out neither of us have a set of weights to lift.  They're building our neighborhood clubhouse and pool as I write this, so next year we'll have a weight room.  This year, it may be exercising with rubber bands and soup cans.