strangers + me. oh yeah, we’re talking.
i struggled to balance the stairs, my suitcase, and my purse all while pulling my boarding pass out of my pocket. it was folded multiple times to fit in my coat pocket which, after i’d freed it, added unfolding the paper to my list of balancing acts.
her: are you mad because your team is losing [the super bowl]?
me: no, i’m tired and concentrating on unfolding this for you quickly so i don’t miss the shuttle. *hands over boarding pass* besides, my team is the pats. they’ve already lost.
her: yeah, you need to tell them to step it up. *returns boarding pass* head over to lane 2.
me: will do. thanks.
when you’ve got a tight connection + delays on the first leg of the trip due to the de-icing of the plane + a general weariness about you, it’s bound to show on your face. i didn’t realize just how much until that woman commented on it. i hustled out the door, grinning when the shuttle bus left a minute after i’d hopped on board. i guess there was some sunshine inside me.
Abigail Mumford 
Glad the shuttle worked out well for you anyway. Hope you’re feeling more rested now. :)
the shuttle did work out and i didn’t walk past the entrance to it like i did during the “getting to the destination” portion of the trip, so that’s a good thing. plus, i got to see lots of family, which was wonderful, even if the reason we were together wasn’t.
De-icing of the plane? That sounds… cold!
Happy 50th birthday to your series :)
compared to the time in paris (2004) when they de-iced the plane with orange goo, this time was actually a bit anti-climatic because the liquid was clear.
and yes! happy 50th edition to this series. wow.