Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Traveling with family.....don't do it.

so this is really a result of a thanksgiving trip with family. Ill fated, we'll see, but overall it's a feast of memories for this blog, hence its creation. My wife and I just thought, there's too much rich material here to let this not be unread by others who've suffered so. Mothers in law have enough issues, but sometimes your mother trumps them all. it all started as a fine idea....mom, step pop, sister, wife and I would go to CA for a quick trip of T-Giving. Alas, it's been what we imagined, and more. The plane was a good give away; we had all the common characters. Sick woman who blows her nose all day and just had to break out here required video game to annoy us 20 before landing. Tech geeks one and two, who couldn't stop talking about how COOL software hard and firmware aspects are. RealllYYYYYY? for two hours? Enough already.

Tech boy one started off informing us how great he felt while using pilates after his car accident. hey, we admire anyone who betters their body after such things, especially through natual means, but the thesis on the subject, pre take-off, was overkill.

Most other plane-mates were fine. I got up and got scolded by the suited attendant folks, as if by standing i'd jeaopardize the entire crew's future by not being in my seat for 30 seconds.

Next was airport nav. It's always amazing how crazy it can be finding a car rental and such at the airport, but it's way cooler if your step dad forgot which company rented him the car. so to pass the time, we found the local religious desk where the people have the 'can Jesus save me' pamphlets. always the clown, i can't resist the heavenly loook of them, and make a bit of fun with my family. We were unpleasantly surprised to find two hidden, if not well meaning, staffers behind the wall awaiting just some attention to their stand. damn it, caught, they asked their obligatory inquisitive questions, but we brushed them off, not to be rude, but really not wanting to entertain the typical God talk you get from people so excited to save someone. Thanks, but we're good.

We found the car people, and took the bus of folks over to car rental paradise. it's like being in a great 80's show, with every denomination of folks you used to see in those early mormom shows where an everyday event breaks out into a singing and dancing show. You know the ones, where you have a full scale mix of nationalities, just so no one feels excluded. And don't you wonder where the hell all these people are going?

Anyway, we got a car all right. If you've seen my family you'd know a 'mid size' sedan won't fit 5 typical americans and their 87 bags of luggage. We debated the smart choice of moving up to something that fits, but instead decided to stick with our grapes of wrath style rig for the duration. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy adversity; it's a great way to grow and be unamerican, in that we're so used to getting what we want, but we really had no room for anything or ourselves. Anyway, let's take the rip, bags stuffed among us, and continue on.....

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