two beers and a fruit cup

Ok, that was an interesting day.

I went to bed way too late last night considering I had to be up at 3:45 to catch a 6am flight. I woke up to what I thought were snowplows early in the morning, but it turns out it was some tectonic shakin’ and bakin’. In any event, not a lot of sleep was had.

The cab showed up right on time, and I got to the airport to an empty US Airways kiosk, leading to a painless check-in. Ottawa still has the worst security screening layout for US flights, with this crazy merge lane for passengers with carry on and checked baggage. It’s irritating, but I cleared it very quickly.

It was in the security line that the first weirdness (well, unpleasantness) started. Ladies, some of you are just not built to wear low-riding jeans. I don’t care what people say about it being great that you’re proud of your body, if the rolls ooze over the sides and give you that Michelin Man look, it’s time to size up. Bending over every 30 seconds to pick up and move your bags along only compounds the problem. That said, you saved me from the uneccesary calories of an airport breakfast after I lost my appetite.

US Airways uses RJ’s to fly from Ottawa to Philadelphia. They’re kind of cramped, but tolerable for sub-sixty-minute flights. Because they’re cramped, you’re pretty much in your neighbours lap if you try and move around. My neighbour was oblivious to this fact, and insisted on trying to turn around in her seat to talk to the folks behind us, who were her travel mates. Irritating at 5:30, but not so bad.

The conversation is what killed any appetite I may have had left. Ladies, point two, please don’t discuss your last trip to the gynecologist in front of me at 5:30. I don’t wanna know, and my right brain really, really hurt me. I understand you may need to talk about it amongst yourselves, but please know you need not admit me to the club if I don’t know you very well.

I’m scarred now, and will probably never look at the Ottawa airport the same way again. Oh well.

Arriving in Philly was a trip. We flew over the naval yards, and there’s some pretty impressive hunks of grey metal their. The cab ride to my office was entertaining, with a big-pimping, dressed-like-a-gangster Russian who had nary a clue where we were going. I did get to see where the Eagles play – it’s right by the 95.

After driving around NJ aimlessly (yeah, yeah, the same can be said even if you know where you’re going there) for about a half hour I gave up on my driver, and he dropped me off at a local landmark (the mall), and my boss came to get me. Eventually, I did make it to the office.

The day was filled with calls, orientation, and shooting the breeze. I also had the best cheap chinese food ever. $4.00 for an egg roll, rice, a huge portion of spicy crispy chicken and peanuts on broccolli, and tea. Yum!

So now I’m back at the hotel after finishing a run, and there’s no restaurant inside, and I’m not feeling adventurous. They do have this thing called “The Market”, where they sell various junk and some real food. So, I got a fruit cup (very good), and a couple Michelob Ultras.

My closing thought of the eve is those couples you see battling intensely at the end of the night are not smiling because Michelob Ultra tatses good, they’re smiling because they successfully gagged it down and will now get their paycheque.

Ok, that’s unkind, it’s not that bad, but it’s not that good, either. Tomorrow I’ll stick with Corona, as the other beers are quite “industrial”.

Welcome to NJ, the state that was built in the seventies, and hasn’t really been renovated since.