Listening: The sounds of the guys around me, of course.

Reading (perhaps quality): Nada.

Reading (definitely pulp): Nada.

Drinking: Hoping for some coffee soon.

December 30, 2003
between Charlotte and Las Vegas, 1.5 hours left on the flight

Note - this is all stream-of-consciousness/ fieldnotes ish. If you're looking for a strong narrative you should probably be on another web site or at least elsewhere on this one. But if you want to know what it was like to be on this flight, well, read on.

On the plane now. It's too bright with the overhead light on but nowhere near bright enough to see to write with it off. Have given up, for now, on getting any sleep.

Sitting in the middle seat for this crazy long flight - there's a woman who looks my age next to me on the window side listening to music on her palmpilot and shifting and sleeping, while on my right on the aisle side there's another woman who keeps putting on really medicinal smelling hand lotion and has a complex divided toiletries bag that's bigger than my carry on.

Most of the two rows in front of me is a group of early 20's chipsters wearing baseball caps and talking. Loud. Right now about the movie (Matchstick Men) that just finished . No. Now about how one of them is a "pussy" because he wants to sleep, how they're all going to stay up all night, how another is just looking for a little some'n some'n, how to make a good Bloody Mary (Tabasco), and the likelihood of being able to get one now. I'd feel uncomfortable hearing so much of their conversation but they just have to know how loud they're talking. And besides, it's funny.

The lotion lady has been talking to her husband for a while now but despite her sitting next to me it's only a murmur. Now the two of them are holding hands but five minutes ago he was sitting in her lap, his legs in the aisle and the two of them snuggling. He had the bigger bulk of him curled over her, his arm looped around her head and her arm looped around his back. That lasted until the stewardess needed to walk by.

Woo hoo, the chipsters just got some coffee. And their conversations are too random not to copy down.

Chipster #1: "Don't say you've never done that before."

Chipster #2: "Do you want to feel my dick?

Chipster #1: "Hell, it is New Years..."

Met up with the girls at National for a beer (two?) before the flight. Out of the 13 of us 9 are traveling on this flight so between bags and purses and bodies we were absolutely crammed around two small tables. Sat next to Carrie and caught up some, caught the rest of the girls up on the generalities of my life. Had a short flight to Charlotte, and there the group of gathered again, had a couple more beers and made up a list of rules for the trip. Most were pretty standard -- whatever happens on the trip stays on the trip (unless its your own story), etc etc. Also there were a list of things to do - from smooching a stranger to sneaking into a show. We all agreed that getting married was not on the list, though it would be kind of funny.

Now overheard - exercise advice:

Chipster #3: "We used to have big-ass Heineken mugs to go to the gym."

Chipster #2: "If I want to put on muscle I don't drink beer."

Stopped the stewardess and she got me a coffee with some mini moos. It's starting to kick in. Realized all I've had to eat today is a yogurt and a chocolate at the Vets meeting. Wow. Guess the breakup diet is on.

Okay, now we're hitting some turbulence, on our way down now. My neck kills and it's really warm. The chipsters have begun to quiet down, the lotion lady and her husband are asleep and the woman to my left is playing blackjack on her palm pilot for practice.

Apparently, I spoke too soon.

Chipster #4: I just feel bad that chicks, you know, looooooooove me."

Chipsters #1,2,3: "Yeah."

Chipster #2: "She sees it and ..."

Chipster #4: "What are are you gonna do?"

Chipster #3: (in a falsetto) "It's glorious."

I really hope they're not still talking about their dicks. But even knowing as little about them as I do, I'd assume they are.

So we're just about to land. Am hoping for a good time - really need to get away from DC for a little bit and have some good girly fun. From what I know of my girls, fun shouldn't be a problem. Returning with an intact liver may be, but fun will not.

Doing (life and related tasks): Am hoping I haven't left too much undone in DC.

Doing (crafty stuff): some knitting.

Wanting: to get some sleep.

Anticipating: a phenomenal time in Vegas.