Random Sayings and Observations in the Airport

1. If you're Stedman Graham, traveling from Waco to Chicago, when you land at DFW, you need not bother to walk four gates to catch the Skylink, like the rest of us mere commoners. Rather, a nicely dressed woman will meet you as you get off the plane and accompany you to the golf cart that will drive you to the Sklylink escalator. She will continue to accompany you to the departure gate, giving you acccess to your first class seat even earlier than the other first class passengers. I know this because Stedman was on my flights to Chicago this past Friday.

2. "Two weddings!" That's what it means to have two girls, approximately 15 months apart in age. That's what I overheard the young mother of the two girls exclaim during her conversation with another young mother. Not, "two college tuitions!" Not, "Two doctors in the house!" Rather, "Two weddings!" Guess she's more traditional than me. Guess she has different expectations for her girls than I have for mine.

3. "That means you have to bend over 36 times!" What? What could the gentleman who uttered these words possibly be talking about? Golf, of course. His point was that during two rounds of golf, 18 holes each, the player would have to bend over 36 times to retrieve his ball. Why make this point? Unfortunately (fortunately?) I don't know. I missed eavesdropping on that part of the conversation.

That's enough for one trip.

Are you smarter than a Project Runway contestant?

The challenge this week: design something for the very pregnant Rebecca Romijn, who's carrying twins. Fine. I think that's called "maternity wear." But, not on PR. They keep referring to it as a "pregnancy outfit."

Is "maternity" too big of a word? Too many syllables? Too Latin? If Tim Gunn can use "viscera", as in, "If it doesn't feel right in the viscera. . .", then surely we can call it what it is: maternity clothing.

Just sayin'.

Things change?

Then, it was the Coca Cola Starplex.
Now it's the Superpages.com Center.

Then it was "My Girl."
Now it's "Love Hurts."

Then it was the Temptations.
Now it's Incubus.

The difference in my concert-going days in Dallas some 20 years ago and BB2's concert this past weekend.

But, the Incubus set ended with Prince's "Let's Go Crazy."

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Emptier nest

My nest is growing emptier. Tonight marks the last night that all of the chicks will be roosting in the nest. BB1 leaves tomorrow; BB2 leaves on Sunday. BBs 3 and 4 will still be here of course. But I am growing a bit melancholy in a way that I wasn't when BB1 left for college.

There's a difference when there are two children in college as compared to one. If there's only one, when that one comes home for the weekend or holidays, the family is likely to be complete again. With two off to new horizons, one coming home for Fall break or a spontaneous weekend visit may mean we are still incomplete.

It is the new reality. Kids aren't supposed to live in their childhood bedrooms for the rest of their lives. They are supposed to fly the coop. And at this point, two of the four are still fully here and the other two aren't entirely independent. But I'm not sure I like this taste of things to come.

A Major Dilemma

Substance or fluff? Politics or fashion? Heidi or Chet?

What a dilemma I faced when Chet Edwards selected the night of the Project Runway premier to host his telephone town hall on health care. Ours was one of the 200,000 households randomly selected to listen in on the health care debate. I got the call just minutes before PR's All Star Challenge was set to begin. Whatever would I do?

Oh, how I wanted to be serious. Oh, how important knowledge is to me. Oh, how I love catty reality TV dressed up to look like it requires intelligence and talent.

So what did I do? I love life in the technical age. I recorded PR and listened in on the town hall. Problem solved.

I'm not Barbie

BoilerBaby2 has an ex-roommate, and move-in day is still weeks away.

Surely, that must be a world record? A national record? A state record? Either way, here's how it went down: the mother of BoilerBaby's now ex-roommate called him and asked that BoilerBaby 2 switch rooms with her son's best friend because they really wanted to room together. According to Barbie, it'd only be switching to the room next door. Yes, I did write that the ex-roomie's mother called. And yes, I did write that the two best friends were only going to be separated by a wall. But I guess they need to breathe the same air. And yes, the mom's real name is "Barbie."

There is a lot wrong with this, in my opinion. Why is the kid's mother calling for him? Is he incapable of working his own i-Phone? Did he know that his mommy is taking care of things for him? Is his mommy going to tuck him each night? Do his laundry each weekend? Ask his profs for extensions on his assignments?

And why is Barbie calling my son? Scared of talking directly with me as opposed to an 18 year old boy? What kind of reputation do I have?

When it's all said and done, we've had great fun with this. I'm convinced that Barbie is the prototype of the "helicopter mom" who will likely tuck her little pumpkin in each night and have warm cookies and cold milk waiting after a hard day at college. BoilerBaby 2 keeps asking for little favors and reminding me that Barbie would probably do it.

Whatever.

BoilerBaby 2 agreed to the switch. Probably a good move.