Air Conditioning and Airplanes

Transition - having someone come and pick up your trash - wow; I moved my daughter Allison's trash cans and recycle bins to the curb today - it has been a long time since I did that. I'm used to dumping it all in a hole and burning it after everyone goes through it and recycles the trash by take empty plastic bottles and whatever things in there might have some use.

As our wedding guests have come and gone, we have made many trips to the Greenville / Spartenburg airport. It is a small but nice airport but they keep it so cold, you need a winter parka inside. In-fact, we feel like we need one in our car so when we go into a store or the airport, we can wear a parka, complete with hat and gloves. Another option is to take a blanket so if you are sitting somewhere you can wrap it around you. We are not used to all this air conditioning and are freezing most of the time. I have to go outside every few minutes to warm up! I think it may snow in the airport later today even though it is 95 outside. Energy shortage - I don't think so....

We took our oldest to the airport this morning and her flight was canceled and so her morning is being spent arranging alternate flights. Of course, there is no customer service - you check yourself in (Good luck if you don't have a credit card!) and put the tag on your luggage. They charged my daughter for the privilege of checking a bag - what is the deal with that? So, I predict soon that you will hear the announcement "Today's stewards will be the passengers in seats 3A and 12B. Please report to the front where the pilot will give you instructions on how to pass out drinks and today's popcorn snack. There will be a 25 dollar charge for the training."

So my oldest goes through the security gauntlet to the gate and they say "oh, your flight is canceled, why aren't you at the ticket counter (remember - there is no one there!), getting another flight? Didn't you hear the announcement?" Well, duh.....I'm here to board the plane and....I'm so very sorry that I am here as a customer, having done it all myself to this point, and to have inconvenienced you by getting all the way to the gate....So she goes back to the ticket office, waits in line an hour, and finally arranges new travel and now back through security. Now my dear, why on earth did you cause all those problems for Delta airlines? Don't you know any better than that? Why did you allow that flight to be canceled like that? Why didn't you just drive?

Then this morning, I see on the Internet news that a steward got so frustrated with a frustrated passenger that when the plane landed at the Pittsburgh airport, he blessed out the passengers, then he pulled the emergency exit door and slide, said "I'm out of here" and slid down the shut. Quite a way to resign. It didn't say if the passengers went down after him saying the same thing! (Actually I feel bad for this person, clearly a victim of burn-out in this age of decreasing service and civility - something snapped - it could happen to any one of us).

But the one I'm looking forward to is when they make the passengers fly the plane. What a great cost saving measure. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, today's special pilot will be the passenger in seat 5B. Please report to the cabin where our airline representative will give you your instructions." Sign me up, I'll give it a try! Don't worry, these modern airplanes practically fly themselves!

There were long lines for security - that gets more and more difficult - I'm sure we will have to strip to our birthday suits before too long to pass through. Takes twenty TSA people to get the security thing done but maybe we will get to do that also. The note on your ticket will say "report to the TSA office five hours before your flight so you can do your three hour shift at security before your flight. There will be a 100 dollar charge for the one-hour training." That could have been a problem for Krista this morning - she had to go through twice, so that would have been a six hour tour and 200 dollars!

My my things are seeming so different. I wonder if America is like the lobster in the pot and when you are in the pot you don't recognize what is happening.....

Or as I saw on a church bill board outside of Vegas one time...."You think it is hot here......"

I hope we as a people are not a bunch of lobsters.

Love to you this day.

Dave & Ann

"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14