June 28, 2007

One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This

 

It irritates me a little that the first of the updates, as well as the first of the trip, has to start with an airplane ride. You can just seen the brick wall and the microphone stand now, can't you? Every hack comedian who had a job that required traveling was convinced that no one else had mined the material to be had at 28,000 feet. Oh, the food. The seats. The people.

And now, the security. If I'm timing my guesses correctly, tomorrow I'll have to remove my shoes at least three times, and as a result I'm debating wearing flip-flop sandals on my journey across two continents. Never mind that the nefarious shoe bomber was caught, and I'll try not to think about the fact that it was a flight from Paris that he was on, but can't we just have the illusion shattered and we all just kind of take our chances? In the past couple weeks we found out that a reason than a man filled with dangerous tuberculosis got into the country is that a Border Patrol agent, when faced with a computer reading "GAH STOP SICK GUY DON'T LET HIM IN TB DANGER COUGH COUGH DROP DEAD AAAAACK" looked at him, consulted his extensive medical training, and said, "Let him in. He's fine."

As I said to someone I was debating at the time regarding the federalization of airport security, "How come every time federalization comes up, you think of the Marines and I think of the Department of Motor Vehicles?" (Granted, I know DMV is a state thing, not federal, but the point remains.) I've never looked at a TSA employee (obvious in their power in that their department is sewn on the back of their shirts, like VALET or BELLMAN here in Vegas) and thought, "Whew, I'm glad they're on OUR side."

So I'll leave when it's dark and fly over the night. I'll turn 32 over Greenland somewhere. I'll land in a country where I don't speak the language but am fascinated by its history, its institutions, and its layout. I'll be guided by multi-lingual sherpas and take as many interesting pictures as I can.

Updates as soon as I can post them. This is gonna be great.

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