Part Five ~ Early Again

I always get to the airport early. In pre-security days, I've arrived so late that the ticket counter had to call the gate to tell them to hold the plane as I raced through the airport. But now I'm always way early. I think it has to do with the fact that I do NOT like to fly (more in a bit).

I think I was regularly made at the mall. I saw people glance and look away. So either they figured me out, or they were confused, or I looked REALLY hot. I'm going to be positive, give myself the benefit of the doubt, and say they were confused. :)

I'd love to get someone to take my picture but I'm not confident enough to ask someone to do that. I can just hope if I'm taking pictures (with my cel phone ~ I left my camera at home this trip) someone will say "would you like me to take your picture?" Or someone would say to themselves "I think that's a guy" and take my picture ~ if anyone did that, I'd ask if they could take a picture with MY camera too. I was ready to do that. I think they'd be too flustered to not do it. Not surprisingly, it didn't happen. I just passed too well, and no-one wants to take a picture of a 50 year old woman at the airport. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :)

I've been taking written notes here. There are some outlets but they are crowds around them. I don't know how long my computer battery will last, or I'd tether and do a live update. I tried to take a picture of myself but y'all know how badly that turns out. Stupid me, I should have brought my netbook. It has a built-in camera and I could have uploaded video from the airport! Stupid stupid stupid. I was trying to travel a bit lighter so I'd feel comfortable! This was a bad trade-off. Next time! (Am I really thinking about doing this again?)

Dulles has changed, again. I had to take a little train (new) to the terminal. There was a bit of a walk from about A10 to A1 where my plane was to depart. The terminal goes over an airport road or something, and the geniuses who designed this stopped the terminal at A7. Then you have to go up two escalators and across a section that goes over the road, then down two escalators to gates A1 to A6. I did this and checked out the gate area. I have plenty of time. I could've spent some more time shopping and still been my usual early self.

It's about 1:40 and the plane doesn't leave until 3:34. I'm a bit hot and a bit sweaty, but I'm feeling great and have NO regrets. I'd love to find a decent mirror or some reflective wall or SOMETHING so I can make sure I'm looking OK but there don't seem to be any and I never was any good at those little compact mirrors. There is a family restroom in this terminal, and maybe I'll sneak a peek.

It's time to take a walk. I usually take a walk when I'm at the airport, look at the shops, and people watch a bit. I wasn't sure about getting something to eat or drink. I wasn't very hungry and I didn't want to force a visit to the ladies' room. Although I did see that family restroom.... I did think about maybe getting a fashion magazine (I only look at the pictures). So I walked.

This terminal is large. I think the last gate was B79. It turns out that there are many groups of restrooms. Every second group has a family restroom. There's also a Dunkin' Donuts and I can NOT resist their coffee. I got the caffeine kick and the second kick from seeing lipstick on the rim of the cup. I walked with the cup for a bit, then sat and sipped and people watched. Most people ignored me. One woman at the next table who was having trouble managing a young child looked at me and smiled, a "you've probably been here" smile. I nodded and grinned. It's always good to be part of the sisterhood, even if it's only for a moment.

On the way back I did duck into a family restroom (some gurls have called me brave. No, I'm still chicken) to dispose of the coffee and touch up my lipstick. As I pass over that bridge at A7 again I notice the sky doesn't look good. I'm hoping for no weather delay, but I also don't want to fly in bad weather. I'm a bad flier in any circumstance. I'm not a white-knuckle flier. I worked with a woman who smoked occasionally but chain-smoked when on a plane. When they forbid smoking on flights she took up drinking. I am not making this up. I'm not that bad, but I Don't Like Flying. I'm very glad I like dressing. It sort of balanced it all out. :)

For the record, I don't like heights either. However, I am OK with widths.

By the time I got back to the gate it was 2:50. I said it was a big terminal! My shoes are comfy, and I just feel... right. I just feel normal and right.

I think that's enough for today. More airport tomorrow and I'll see how far I get.