Lake Lanier Weekend:
It’s Friday afternoon and I can barely handle it. The clock is ticking slowly; 5:30 couldn’t come soon enough. I haven’t left the district in three months and all I want to do is hop a plane and go somewhere. My Aunt and Uncle live on Lake Lanier in Georgia and I’m going to visit them this weekend.
Its 5:30 and I race out of the office and head to the metro. On the metro I can’t help but smile the entire ride. A few stops before Reagan National Airport an older woman gets on. The gentleman next to me immediately gets up and motions for the woman to take his seat. With a smile she thanks him and then sits down next to me. I smile to myself thinking, “Wow, there are some really nice people in this world.” After about a minute or two I start to smell something unusual. “What is that smell?” I think to myself. Pretty soon I understood, I think the woman next to me just went to the bathroom. Great.
The door opens for the airport and I run off to breathe some fresh air. I make my way casually to security and within minutes I’m at my gate. I grab a bite to eat and bust out my book to read a bit before they start boarding the plane. I must have gotten really into my book because I didn’t even notice that a storm had rolled in. Soon gates were being changed and flights were being delayed. I found a seat at the new gate for my departure and I choose wrong. There was a guy sitting next to me being that ‘guy.’ The one who keeps trying to talk to you, really loud I may add, while you’re trying to mind your own business. I’m listening to my iPod and reading my book and he keeps taping on my shoulder to talk to me. All I wanted to do was yell “LEAVE ME ALONE!” but instead I’m like “Yup...okay...yup...okay.” Ugh. My flight was only delayed an hour so it’s wasn’t horrible.
Twenty minutes prior to arrival a flight attendant comes over towards my seat to speak with a family sitting across from me. I overheard him explaining to this family, who spoke little English, that due to the delay their flight from Atlanta to Heathrow had already taken off and headed for London. They seemed to understand what he was saying so he left to prepare for arrival. Seconds after the wheels touch the pavement, this family jumps out of their seat in a mad rush. I’m in the unfortunate location where their heavy luggage is right above my head. I’m terrified! People start yelling at this family, “SIT DOWN” “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING.” Everyone is already irritable from the delay and this didn’t add to the situation. The flight attendant who previously spoke with them raced as fast as he could with the fast moving plane towards this family who seemed to ignore the furious fellow passengers. He grabbed one of the bags and tried pushing the family back to their seats, “You NEED to sit down till the plane has stopped!” The family is seriously confused on what all the commotion is about. They think they didn’t nothing wrong and just want to make their ‘connection.’ Shortly after this little incident, the flight attendant gets on the speaker and announces for those passengers whose destination is Atlanta, is to please stay seated to allow those passengers with connecting flights to get off first. 10 times out of 10 this NEVER works, but the tension on this plane could be cut with a knife. For the first time in my life, people actually allowed people with connects to get off first. I was shocked! Naturally, when I finally have a direct flight this happens but when I need this, it won’t happen. Life.
Lake Lanier was a blast! Barefooting in the morning, reading by the lake, and jumping off the dock it was a fantastic vacation from the hassle and bustle of DC. Thanks Betsy and Ryan!
It’s 11:23 AM on Monday morning and I’m exhausted. I woke up this morning at 4 AM and caught a 7:15 AM Flight to DC. I came straight from the airport to work and I’m counting down till I can walk home and fall asleep. My entire body aches from this weekend’s skiing and sitting at my desk is rather excruciating…perhaps I’m being a bit dramatic. I blame the lack of sleep.
Off to do work now.
Feels good to be home (Wait, did I just say “home”…love it!)
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