I have known about the our upcoming holiday now for a little more than a month and still, it is nearing midnight the night before we are leaving and the packing is not done. Started. But not done. We need clothes enough for nine days. All three of us. And my husband is sure we can get everything in two little carry-on suitcases, a back-pack and one large sized suitcase to check at the counter. Did I mention that he and I will be taking a short belated honeymoon jaunt sans child during the trip and need our hiking gear? Yeah, low hopes on the packing being done until about 30 minutes before we head out for the airport. The darn TSA rules don’t help make the packing easier either or make me feel safe for that matter. They only serve to remind me what a joyless experience flying is in the post 9/11 era. I feel like I am being herded on to a boxcar by the time I have finished the gauntlet that is know as screening. On the Canadian side it is better than it is coming back through the U.S. version. They are basically identical but I feel a little less like meat going than coming. It’s ridiculous to worry and work myself up because I am an American citizen within weeks of obtaining my Canadian residency and the system is not out to get me. It’s just set up to make everyone feel uneasy and slightly tainted. That’s how you catch the bad guys, right? Still, I prefer to drive anymore. I like the comfy cozy feeling of control it provides even if it adds days to a trip. Contrast the comfort of our Chevy Avalanche with child engrossed in a DVD or video game in the back seat. All her toys and a snack within arms reach. My husband and I upfront with legs stretched out, wide leather seats with heater control and the iPod plugged in and playing our favorite tunes. Grande skinny chai’s in the cup-holders. Space and comfort. Masters of our Domains. How does a trip by air hope to compare with that? The three of us crammed into a space smaller than the Avalanche’s front seat. Rob and I with are knees pressed into the backs of the seats ahead. Tiny seat pans that thank god I am able to say I have inches to spare on either side because this would be a much different essay if I couldn’t. Forbidden to use electronic devices – sometimes for the duration – but when allowed, always conscious of the neighbors who literally breath down your neck. No snacks. No chai’s. Not unless you want to go through the hassle of hunting the stuff down in the terminal and schlepping it aboard with the carry-on (which you will be lucky to find a place to stow since every other person on board will have the two carry-on’s and will likely take the berth over your seat before you even have a chance to board. And I haven’t mentioned yet the special looks of loathing that are reserved for those of us who travel with children because everyone all assumes that you are a hell-spawn breeder the minute they realize that your child will be sitting too near them. Four extra days of travel in peace and comfyness or getting there quickly and uncomfortably. It’s getting harder and harder to go with the latter. Maybe that is why I am not packed yet?
My husband has become a blogger. It was inevitable. I am his evil twin after all. Still it’s a bit like watching Anakin Skywalker trodding that fine line between the light and dark side of the force. Blogging is an addictive thing when you think you have something to say. Even if you don’t have anything of import to say, it can be a mighty tempting way to exercise your opinion and speaking as an opinionated person, there is nothing more dangerous than giving us a platform or a highhorse from which to speak and/or tumble off onto our beans. Still I think you should do me the favor of checking out his blog. He is my beta reader (when I am patient enough to wait for him to get home to read my pieces and if you are counting my spelling errors – you know that isn’t always often) and a very good writer. He is a big back story person though – so be forewarned. And enjoy.
I removed a blog from the rolls at the request of an anonymous poster who didn’t get the whole “journey thing” that bloggers in her opinion fall back on to explain away their sometimes too distorted by self-perception posts about the events and people in their lives. The commenter arrived here via my post about Dooce, a blogger who makes her living “exploiting” her life and the people in it. Or at least I think that is how my unknown commenter saw it. From his/her comment, I got the feeling that he/she had an up close and personal introduction to reality blogs via a relative. And not a pleasant one. For this reason, my own extended family has not been introduced to my blog. Although I don’t think they would find it objectionable, I am pretty sure there are things about me that they would rather remain in blissful ignorance about and that would suit me as well. However, my husband reads my blog. My friends – from real life – have all been introduced to it. My stepdaughters know about it and at least one of them has read it on occasion.
The objectionable blog was Mommy Needs Coffee. I found it on the roll of another blogger from my widow rolls, I think. I didn’t do much more than scan the front-page and she seemed to be just a mommy blogger. The commenter objected to a t-shirt the blogger was wearing that stated if you wronged her, she would blog about the transgression and the transgressor. I think that was probably meant tongue in cheek, but since I have experienced some personal attacks via other web venues, I can see where the commenter might find that upsetting. Especially if he or she had a bad experience at the hands of a family member. I told this person I would remove the link and I did. Afterwards, I went back a read a bit of the blog. I didn’t find it objectionable or mean-spirited. It was written for comedic affect certainly but that was about the extent of it. Oh, and yes it was a blog gone big time. I have linked it here in this post in case anyone wants to check it out but I won’t add it back to the roll. However, I won’t be taking any more blogs from the roll nor will I answer posts about any blogs I have posted or might link in the future. If someone finds any of my links not to their taste, they shouldn’t bookmark that site and if they choose to unlink me – that’s okay too. As a former English teacher, I don’t think much of censoring for any reason. It smacks of holier-than-thou high handedness and it never leads anywhere good. As the saying goes “If you close your eyes, the sun don’t quit shining for anyone but you.”
