It has been a hectic couple of weeks but it seems to be slowing down and getting back to sanity. We had 4 midterms, or should I say opportunities for excellence, last and week and our last one tomorrow. I feel like I have been a book worm for over a week now, it will be nice to not feel the need to be studying something every chance I get for a week or two. I took a little trip and headed down to Statesboro, GA for the weekend to visit with Ryan and catch the soccer games. Not only did I get to do both of those things but the Bulloch County Fair was also in town! What an awesome weekend to visit, I got to take Ryan on his first Gravitron experience! You know, the ride the spins really fast and the floor “drops” out. In great southern fair fashion they were selling fried pickles, fried oreos, fried snickers, fried twinkies, and even fried butter! I couldn’t believe it! That really shouldn’t even be legal, there is no nutritional benefit to putting fried butter in your mouth. We were also able to have a nice evening dinner at 119 Chops, probably the best restaurant in Statesboro on Saturday, just like old times! It’s hard to believe that very well might have been our last time in Statesboro, ok we’ll probably be back for alumni events at some point but with one of us as a student.
So I am currently on US AirWays 1232 from JAX to DCA so I can get home and get ready for my final midterm and get back to exercising! Ryan and I did make it out and about for a nice 6 miler but we also made 4 pies ( 1 Dutch apple and 3 pumpkin) so I had my fare share of pie and Ice cream over the past couple days! But, more about the flight due to a somewhat unusual experience. The unusualness started at security at JAX when both my backpack and my duffel bag had to be searched. Apparently the culprits were my reflex hammer and a small candle, both of which I was allowed to have but apparently they were suspicious looking in the x-ray machine. While it bothered me at the time that I had to wait for them to look through my bags even though they were fine on the way down it is now helping ease my mind just a bit. As horrible as racial profiling is I am definitely guilty especially when flying. I arrived at my gate during boarding and found 2 men, when green head wraps and beards waiting there as well. The head wrap reminded me completely of what Professor wears in The Sorcer’s Stone to cover Voldemort’s face on the back of his head. Anyways, I walk down the jet way to board the plane and found myself waiting behind one of the gentleman. The only normal things about him being his video camera and NorthFace backpack. I got a good long look at this man and I know I did not have the most pleasant face during this time. I noticed he had a small picture tucked into one of the folds of his head wrap, now I’m not sure of this is common among the culture but odd definitely. I definitely began to get an autonomic response, I think if I was a pt with T4 SCI you would have called it autonomic dysreflexia. My heart was racing, I was shaking and all I could think was should I turn around and ask the gate agent if there are any other flights into DC this evening? I didn’t do it though, knowing that TSA was scrutinizing every last item in the luggage, I figured I might as well get on the plane. So here I am at 33,000 feet with 2 people, I am deathly afraid of and 200 others who I don’t know at all, but who would hopefully be brave enough to fight. Unfortunatly I have already purchased a ticket home for thanksgiving and a ticket to New Orleans for CSM in February, but I may not be flying again any time soon. I just don’t like being scared when I am flying and I was scared and shaking and wanting to cry the entire first half of this flight.
Alas, I am nor comfortably in my chair watching the minutes tick by until our wheels are safely on the ground again. It will be nice to get on the metro and get back into DC.
