2:35pm Charleston, SC

The other day I had a flight where the flight attendant was pretty funny. She was going through the safety spiel that anyone who flies often knows by heart. But when she got to the part about the seat belts she said, “And for anyone who hasn’t been in a car since 1957 this next part will seem like magic.” And from there proceeded to explain how to use a seat belt. It is sad that this sort of thing needs to be explained to people. Seat belts are nothing new, you are expected to have them on BEFORE the flight attendant explains how the work. So what is the point. I’m not sure. One of life’s mysteries. If anyone is a flight attendant or knows one and would like to find out the answer to this puzzle please let me know.

So I was in Clarendon County South Carolina, a nice enough place. The folks at the hospital were very friendly. Everyone and I mean everyone said good morning to us as we walked around. I had an early start and had time for breakfast so I got off the highway and went to a Cracker Barrel to have breakfast. Now I know that there are some politics around this eating establishment but I didn’t bring this up to get into that. You want to talk politics check out Fox news or CNN. I’m talking about food. I these fantastic strawberry pancakes and eggs, bacon and homefried potatoes. I have to say that Cracker Barrel had the best bacon in the world, the absolute best. Why? It is thick and cooked to perfection. It is flat and stands up when it is picked up. It does not fall limply down and it is not covered with big chunks of fat. It is the perfect slice of bacon. They sell their bacon at the store that you can bring home. It is $9.99 for 2lbs. Seems a bit much but man is it worth having.

Last night I went to the downtown market area of Charleston. We had dinner at the Charleston Crab House and sat out on the patio. And we could look down on some brick buildings that had lots of tables set up inside. It is a market and I guessed that they have a market day or farmers market often. What I did not realize but was informed of later was that I was looking at the old slave markets. Yes, market street and the whole area was were the slaves were sold when they came off the boats. I totally felt like a Yankee and out of my element when I heard that one. I had a similar, but not as strong feeling when I was in Charlotte, North Carolina. As we were walking down the street Peter saw a plaque on the ground that commemorated the exact spot where Jefferson Davis was when he learned that Lincoln was shot. Seems a weird thing to commemorate. But there it was.

5:15pm In the Air to Chicago

Today’s photo is that of the plane that I am now on. It is a brand new plane that had to have some mechanical work done on it before it could leave the airport. And it was supposed to take off at 12:42pm. I was not scheduled for that flight but rather for the 5:32pm flight from Charleston to Chicago. However, the 12:42pm flight was going to be practically empty when it finally took off that passengers from the 5:32 flight were asked if they had not checked any bags then they could take this earlier flight. Granted it was 15 minutes early but it is so nice being on a plane where I can actually take out my laptop and do some typing, crop my photo a day and relax without being crammed next to some guy who has no flying manners. What are flying manners? It is a term I just coined that means that you stay in your own assigned space on the plane, you don’t read a newspaper (totally out and unfolded and spilling into my space, folded up neatly into the size of a long paperback is fine), you don’t slam your seat back that 3/4 of an inch to recline and thus slam me in the gut with my laptop. These are just some flying manners that some folks have not been able to grasp and maybe never will. I just noticed that my new ticket for this flight has my correct last name but not the correct first name and does not have my frequent flyer number on it. They changed my ticket at the gate so I hope that I can get the missing credit somehow. It is hard enough to get status on these airlines when I’m being shunted around to many different ones that I want to make sure I get the credit for each and every flight I take.

Anyway I am reading Deep South by Nevada Barr, fittingly enough I travelled to the south on this trip, not the deep south but the south none the less. The story takes place in Mississippi in the Natchez Trace parkway. I am really enjoying Nevada Barr’s writing and her heroine Anna Pigeon. She is really growing on me. I wasn’t thrilled at the first couple of books but I am a completist so I made the mental investment to stick with the series and see where it goes. I am glad that I did. I love the National Park aspect of these books and the interesting mysteries that are happening. I also love that I don’t know who the killer is till the end of the book. I can usually figure it out with other books but I never know where Barr is going to take me. If you want a good series to get into try these books by Nevada Barr. I only have about 3 or 4 left to go and I’ll be totally caught up, then it is either on to the Kathy Reichs series that Allison got me or to the Clive Cussler series about Kurt Austin. Time will tell. I’m headed to Oregon next week so I’m sure I can finish another Nevada Barr book on my next trip. I should have brought a second book with me on this trip. Oh well I will find something for Friday’s flights.

8:15pm Somewhere over the Midwest.

I’m now on my flight from Chicago to Oklahoma City. I just finished Deep South and am really regretting the decision to take only one book with me. I contemplated picking up the book that is tied loosely to the TV show Lost called the Bad Twin or something like that. It is pretty interesting that this show has spawned so many outlets for other media. Today began the on-line game that ties in with Lost but has a separate storyline.

While in Chicago I had some time to kill and was having dinner of a poor excuse for an Uno’s pizza. I say over by the Lt. Cmdr. Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare, namesake of the World’s Busiest Airport display that is over by the E and F concourses. It has a F4F-3 Wildcat, today’s bonus Photo-A-Day, set up to look like it has landed on an aircraft carrier. The base is filled with history about Butch O’Hare. This guy was a real flying ace and the first “Top Gun”. I’m surprised that there isn’t a movie about him and more isn’t know in our mainstream consciousness. I have passed that display many times and have wanted to take a picture of the plane and read the information but I was always rushing from one terminal to the next to catch flights. I’m glad I stopped today and read about it. I’m interested to research and find out more about O’Hare. He really sounded like an amazing guy.

So it looks like I won’t be getting this up before midnight East coast, but luckily I’ll be in Oklahoma so I am getting this posted before midnight here. I’m so glad my demo isn’t until 3:00pm tomorrow. The 2 1/2 hour drive there and 2 1/2 hour drive back isn’t exactly something I am looking forward to however. And apparently there are tornadoes happening down here. Don’t worry I won’t be doing any amature storm chasing.

11:25pm – Oklahoma City

I am finally at the hotel. And I have to tell you I felt like mini royalty getting in here. Both TV’s were turned on to MSNBC, I had a fruit plate with a special chocolate disk, a card by the bed, a bottle of water and two packs of Lorna Doone’s and a newsweek on my bed. It made me think about the concert we saw last Friday night. Antje Duvekot said that on Dick Cheney’s rider (A list of things that a performer or in this case a politician of high power requests to be in their room when they arrive, things like yellow M&M’s and whatnot, I guess that before Dick goes into a room the TV must be set to Fox News). Well I am toasted and ready for bed, but I’ve got to get the Photo-A-Day posted. Night All.