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Saturday, July 30, 2011

Once Upon a Time, I Had a Blog

Oh, and look, it's still here. Is anyone still reading?

Summer. Ah, summer. I love the warm weather--it's so short-lived in this part of the world--but truth be told, it's killing me.

The boys and I came home this week after two weeks visiting my mom in Ohio. We had such a great time, and I THINK I did an OK job of balancing fun for the boys and work. And visiting people. And eating Graeter's and Donatos.

Nevermind that it was 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity, nevermind that at all. The benefits of being in that kind of humidity--great curls, my wrinkles aren't so defined, the closet in my old bedroom was so hot it steamed all of the wrinkles out of my clothes after traveling. The drawbacks--puffy ankles, puffy fingers, lotion doesn't rub in, you are sweating immediately after getting out of the shower.

And now, I'm going to comment on airline travel. Because I feel like it. And what the heck is up with the airlines? I don't know if any of you have ever used some of the small, regional airlines in Europe, but they are VERY strict about your carryon luggage. One bag. One bag, I tell you, and it had better fit in their little size thingy that they have at the gate--measurement-wise and weight-wise. While this made it more logistically more challenging to think about flying, I have to say I appreciated it when I was boarding and someone wasn't trying to stuff a gigantic bag in the overhead compartment right above my seat.

So here's my beef. On our way to Ohio, two women carried on bags/suitcases that were technically of the right size per airline standards, but they had clearly packed them so full AND these women were not the most physically fit, that they couldn't lift their own bags into the overhead compartment. Why would you do that? Perhaps it's time to suck it up and check your bag? I understand that none of us likes the baggage fees or to wait in the baggage claim area, but the situation with carryon luggage has gotten completely out of hand. The rest of us checking luggage get our bags weighed. Who is weighing the bags of all the people carrying on? Hmmm?

I carry one bag on--usually a backpack. And I usually put it under my feet. On two of the flights this time I did put it in the overhead bin, just to have the leg room. And I love it when someone asks me if they can move my bag to fit their gigunda bag up there. No, I'm sorry, you cannot move my bag, you overhead bin hog.

Anyway, I feel that there should be a new rule from the FAA: If you bring a bag on so heavy that you cannot lift it unassisted into the overhead bin, you will be left on the tarmac.

I feel better for getting that out of my system.

Life is busy and kind of boring now, but on my agenda for posting in the next week, I am committing to:
-Finally posting pictures from our England/Germany trip (remember that?)
-Posting some pictures from Ohio
-Getting caught up on everyone else's blogs!

We'll see how that works out. Hope everyone (all one of you reading this which probably doesn't even include my mom right now since Erin is there visiting) is having a great summer.