Islands in the stream, that is what we are

Holiday greetings from Florida. I flew back to Fort Lauderdale today from San Antonio, and while the Italian mother & son I sat next to from Houston to FtL and the husband and wife who managed to miss their flight while sitting at its gate are interesting, I am most intrigued today by another individual who I happened upon earlier than both those.

I arrived at Terminal 2 of the San Antonio International Airport at about 6:15 a.m., for my 8:15 flight to Houston connecting to FtL. Whether because of the holiday travel or perhaps the hourly flights on offer to both Houston (Continental) and DFW (American--which displayed it as "Dallas-FTW" for some reason, rather than "DFW" of "Dallas/Fort Worth"), the line awaiting security was full. While it was moving relatively smoothly, I still was there long enough to notice a guy in his late 20s/early 30s in line behind me and the minor stain he had on the front of his shirt, catching the latter right about the same time that he noticed it.

A little while later, I was through security and had advanced to the restrooms in the gate area. After having relieved myself, I pass by the sinks, just as the aforementioned guy takes off his shirt and begins to try to clean the stain. As I headed out the restroom, I was admiring him not only for the buff torso he revealed in taking off his shirt, but also for his diligence to clean the stain.

The last I saw of him was a bit later as he was walking around the terminal, presumably in search of his gate. There was a rather large wet spot splashed across the upper right quadrant of the back of his shirt.

(The lack of holiday music on the radio--3 days after Christmas!--has me utilizing Islands in the Stream as today's subject, which I got from the Bee Gees CD I got for Christmas--this would be rather than a carol. I'll try to remedy this inadvertent succumbing to society's complacent acceptance that the holiday season is over, simply because Christmas Day has passed, and use a holiday song in my next post. And yes, I said Bee Gees: they wrote the Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton duet, later reworked as Ghetto Superstar. I also just realized that I've yet this year to listen to any of the holiday songs in my iTunes... so they are now playing.)

Everything is nothing when you got no one
And you walk in the night
Slowly losing sight of the real thing

Mele Kalikimaka is the way to say...

Greetings from San Antonio... I hope you're Christmas Eve goes well.

Today was the day I was to go to my old club team's annual reunion luncheon. So after a cutting short this mornin's shopping trip with my mom (some last minute stops), I donned my Reyn Spooner Christmas shirt (part of the pattern is pic'd at left--completely with a surfing Santa, Mele Kalikimaka, and wreathed nēnē), and headed downtown.

I parked across the street (parking tag at right) and walked over to the restaurant arriving at the appointed time (noon), and was the sole person there. Ahh the fun.

So much for this year's reunion; hopefully next year will be better.


Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way
To say Merry Christmas to you

People I know, places they go; make me feel tongue tied

Luck was on my side today. I am hanging out in the Fort Lauderdale Airport, awaiting my flight to San Antonio, where I will be for the Christmas week. With me is a portion of a Carnival cruise that apparently docked this morning, and dumped all its passengers--most of whom appear to be at the airport now.

As my friend and I drove up to the terminal, we saw that the sidewalks were packed with people awaiting curbside check-in. I wasn't too worried at that point, nor thought anything was terribly out of the norm, given the proximity to the holidays and the airlines involved (JetBlue and Southwest--neither of which I am on). So, I figured most of the people were outside, and inside would be relatively vacant. So, I got dropped offed, and ventured inside: which was just as packed.

All the baggage check lines were full, and all the seating was occupied (with people, presumably, on later flights today). Thankfully, thankfully (and for whatever reason), today I'm flying on an airline where I have Elite status, and consequently, I was able to bypass the long bag check line and the mega-long normal security line (i.e. I got to use the "Elite Access" lines). So, instead of taking 2 hours to check my bag and get through security and to my gate, it took about 15 minutes. Phew.

Course, now, I'm hanging out in with a "capacity" crowd at my gate.... But at least I'm just waiting my flight.

Crazy I know, places I go
Make me feel so tired
I can see how people look down
I'm on the outside

Here's, where the story ends

So close, yet so far away

The other day, I was texting a friend of mine in Austin. While plotting a dinner get-together with my former rowing crew, crewÜ (and doing a spectacular job of restraining myself from pestering encouraging said friend to sign up for Facebook), I tossed around the idea that the dinner could be for a group that promotes random usage of umlauts, and proceeded to include an excessive amount of the diacritic in the remainder of the text.

There was a slight snag though: my phone let me put the umlaut on all the vowels, save "e". So the text looked something like this:
"Cool, cool. Maybe we should turn the dinner into a meeting of the 'Söcïety för the prömötïön öf ümläüts', and also fete the Nöel."

Ironically, my phone wouldn't let me put the one correct umlaut into that sentence: over the "e" of Noël--mÿ cömpütër döësn't hävë thät lïmïtätïön; thöügh (Ï cän ëvën püt thë cïrcümflëx övër thë "e" ïn "fête").


So close, yet so far away
We believe in tomorrow
Baby more than today
We're so close
So close, yet so far away

Let me show you the world in my eyes

So while I was in Atlanta last week, I snapped the above picture of the "very vibrant" red leaves on one of the trees in my hotel parking lot. I was actually quite surprised by the tree. One, that the leaves were still on the tree, given how late in the year it is. Two, given the ever-green nature of the palms and other more tropical trees in South Florida, I've grown accustomed to not seeing leaves change color. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see not only one whole tree but a few have leaves completely changed from green.

So, I decided to snap a picture of the trees. I started by trying to get a wide view, which I had a couple of posts ago (on 12/5/08). When I took that shot, though, I didn't think I'd really captured/conveyed how dramatic the red seemed (though upon loading the pic to my computer, the wide shot kind of does). So, I went under the tree, and shot up. And the above shot came from that... complete with some close up branches, glimpses of a few stray yellow leaves, and a hint of sunlight and the sky peaking in through some openings.... (Note: the picture has been rotated back into the angle from when I took it--undoing the automatic portrait layout my camera forced on it.)

Let me take you on a trip
Around the world and back
And you won't have to move
You just sit still

Now that we've grown up together

It was two years ago that I took the picture at right: of the newly potted tree I parked outside my outside my front door. It was one of the two trees I picked up and planted two years ago. Its compatriot, however, has not faired as well; having died off about a year ago (and it was in the ground, no less).



However, that Spanish Stopper tree seems to be doing rather well in it's pot. A picture from the other day is at left. As you can see, not only has a railing been put in on the stairs, but the tree is 2-3 times its size from then. (Of course, it could just be the different camera angle between the two shots....)

Looking at the two pictures, I now find myself wondering two things:

• 1) Should I transfer it into a bigger pot?
• 2) I probably should do some pruning....

That's the price that we all pay
Our valued destiny comes to nothing
I can't tell you where we're going
I guess there's just no way of knowing

That's me in the spotlight, losing my religion

I returned from Atlanta last night. In preparations for my flight, I decided to disperse the items in the box that was my second checked bag from on the way up here. This so I could avoid paying $50 to bring it back with me. So after doling out most of the items, and cramming the rest into my suitcase, the box was ditched.

Loaded down with a heavier carry-on, as well as with my coat, I arrive at the check-in desk at Hartsfield airport and check in my 1 bag. And (now) get to pay $15 for the one bag--oh joy. After contemplating whether/not Delta is out to get me, and adding further support for my dislike of the airline, I learned that Delta implemented new baggage pricing whilst I was in Atlanta: first bag $15, second $25. So, a little miffed (i.e. seeing red, losing my religion), I paid for my bag.

And now, I'm preparing to contact Delta to see if I can get a partial refund on my bag fees, in light of the fact that the 2 bags on Wednesday were $50, and on Sunday they would've been $40... hasta.


Every whisper, of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you

Once I am going, I am gone

So I have arrived in Atlanta. It's a tad cooler here than South Florida, to the point where it actually feels like winter and the leaves actually do change color. There's even some very vibrant red (what appear to be Maple) trees in the parking lot of my hotel (pictured at right). And I believe I'm a few blocks away from where a friend used to live....

Things here are starting off well. I managed to get some Tex-Mex food Wednesday from a restaurant based in Houston and even had an only slightly disappointing visit to the local Taco Cabana. (Disappointing due to its restricted menu compared to within Texas, and they were out of Dr Pepper. Both were acceptable, particularly the latter since I am in the land of Coca-Cola.)

The meet I'm at (U.S. Short Course Nationals) got underway yesterday at Georgia Tech. That has led to my work starting. Otherwise, not much to report, other than I'm trying to figure out how to dodge the SEC Football Championship Game that is here tomorrow. Upon my return to my hotel tonight, it was suddenly packed with Florida Gator and Alabama Crimson Tide fans (hopefully they won't be yelling down the hall "Roll Tide" and "Go Gators" all night...)


(You can catch me poppin' that) Once I get going
(Droppin' that) I am gone...
(Ain't no stoppin' that)
(Are you watching that?)

Voices start to ring in your head, tell me what do they say

Well, I head off to Atlanta tomorrow morning for the rest of the week for work. I checked in for my flight today, and got charged $50 by Delta to check a second bag. Fifty! What is going on? I knew I would have to pay a fee, but thought it would be like $15, maybe $25 on the outside. But $50? Geez.

This and I've not even gotten to security yet, where I'll get to unpack half my bags and take off half my clothes. Maybe I'll just wait to get dressed and pack at the airport; TSA shouldn't mind (they are the ones causing the trouble anyways).

(I miss the days when you paid the airlines for your ticket and things like luggage where included.... or atleast when you figure out all relative associated prices when you were looking at purchasing your ticket.)


Voices start to ring in your head, tell me what do they say?
Distant echoes from another time start to creep in your brain
So you've claim madness like it's convenient
You do it so often that you start to believe it

If you wait too long you'll be too late I'm not telling you something new...

I am crestfallen.

I just read that Eli Stone is being canceled. This just further solidifies my desire to not watch t.v., a habit I inadvertantly broke a few years ago (which I'm glad I've done), though things like the networks continually canceling the shows I actually like did not exactly hurt, either. But this just sucks.

I feel a little better now, due to a rather good swim practice this evening (I went home with a pleasantly-raised body temperature--particularly cool to feel in my arm--which probably means I didn't warm down enough, I guess, but was nice). That, and I believe I saw a homeless person buying groceries at the grocery store today, presumably with the money he collected (I always hope the money people get goes to productive things, though this is possibly my first actual validation that it does happen). It made me feel better.

Though I'm still bummed about Eli's days being numbered....


Get down, beep beep, gotta get up outta your seat
On and on, the beat goes, on and on