Sunday, September 23, 2012

Miscellaneous Stuff

I thought I'd take a few moments to share a few things completely unrelated to foster children. 

Traveler Pro Tip #1
At a busy airport like, say, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Interntional, DON'T hold up the security theater line by getting redressed at the baggage X-ray roll off area. Grab your stuff and move. As suggestion, those thoughtfully placed benches 10 or 20 feet away are perfect for putting on your shoes, belt, jacket, rolex, wallet, etc. Mr. i-am-so-freaking-important-you-must-see-me-putting-on-my-designer-trash. The other 50 or 100 people in line behind you would like to get their stuff too.

Traveler Pro Tip #2
That bin that was holding your stuff as it trundled its way past the TSA X-ray, don't leave it sitting on the rollers to clog up the works of the other 50 or 100 bags coming through behind it. I promise you won't miss you flight by taking a whole two seconds to put it on the conveniently place roller cart or identical bins at the end of the line.

Traveler Pro Tip #3
While amusing to some, escalator luggage bowling can be dangerous and embarrassing. On my recent trip to Atlanta, I was coming down the extra long escalator from the airport train to the rental car center at which time i accidentally knocked my suitcase over on its back (where the handle hides) and it went scooting down the escalator and shot off the end another 15 feet or so. Got a thumbs up from one guy. The lady in the wheel chair and the British chick at the bottom of the escalator where not amused. I decided not to bow.

Rental Car Pro Tip #1
Chevrolet places the Onstar button in the exact spot where 99% of the population puts its thumb to flip the rear view mirror for day/night deflection. I have no idea how good Onstar's service is as I was able to hang up before the call connected.

Brief Rental Car Review
The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze I rented was better than the Chevy Cobalt that I rented a while back, but that's not saying much. The B pillar keep hitting me in the butt on ingress/egress. The rear view and side mirrors were not especially helpful. Acceleration was adequate if not exciting for a four cylinder engine. I am a firm believer that a four cylinder engine requires a manual transmission to make it halfway fun to drive. Turning radius was sub par.

Marital Dating Fail
Assuming that your spouse will be excited to go to an evening at the gun range for an intro to handguns class after you've told her that you have a surprise for her when she is stressed out and dealing with allergies is not a marriage enhancing move. Selecting said class on the basis that it was a HUGE deal on Groupon is also guaranteed to lead to the class being overbooked thus diminishing whatever pleasure might have been had from said experience. Salvaging the evening with all natural frozen yogurt at Pinkberry barely avoids a night in the dog house.

I should note here that my assumption was based on an early date we had before we were married. It was her birthday, and I set up a "testosterone" evening since she was very competitive. We started the evening at the gun range and rented a select fire H&K MP5 9mm submachinegun. We ended the evening driving go karts. Outdoors. At night. In January. Hands. Cold. Noses. Running. She said she had a great time. Me thinks she was trying to make me feel good.  

6 comments:

  1. LOL...she was still so enamored of you and excitement on a date leads to excitement of another sort later that evening. That was part of the "disovery" process. Now, she knows who you are and hopes you will know her,too. I was dying laughing at the date you chose. Yes, the frozen yogurt saved the night. Still laughing that men will chose and activity based on their likes and "surprise" the woman...lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chickie Mama, it's a rare fail on my part. I have surprised her with other things more to her liking and less to mine (I still get stuff in the mail from the Houston Ballet, and that was years ago...).

      Delete
  2. I ran across your blog from Senor's. I have enjoyed what I have seen so far, and will be doing some more reading as time allows. Indeed, Long Live the Queen, and Keep Right On Prepping. -K

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. K, welcome and thanks. I will get a proper welcome written when time allows.

      Delete
  3. Post 9-11 various official type folks were set up to "test" airport security with coordination with the police, and managers, and an assortment of fake weaspons.

    Remember those little plastic bowls you could put your change in? They were supposed to run it through the machine but back in the day, sometimes they just slid it across the top of the machine.

    They did that one day with the fake grenade.

    Or so I heard. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brigid, I remember the little bowls. A lot of times they were cheap pet food bowls. I also seem to recall the test you mention. There is also plenty of documentation of people pre and post 9/11 getting real weapons past airport security. The lady in NJ recently is a good example.

      Delete

I am not easily offended. Please feel free to express your opinions: good, bad or indifferent. Basically, the "Golden Rule" applies. You get what you give. Treat others like trash here, and your comments will be trashed accordingly. Rudeness and vulgarity will not be tolerated.