Big and Small, 2003Big, Small. Big, Small.
My mind chewed on that one as I lay in bed, the sound of music and laughing outside my door drifting off just in time for sunrise, and I caught a couple winks before construction began outside. I had a big night, and I was in for a small amount of sleep. Earplugs, I thought, next time remember earplugs. I was at a big gathering centered around a small instrument. I was at the 2003 Ukulele Expo in Providence, Rhode island, which oddly enough, is the smallest state. The trip here had been fairly uneventful. I got up Monday morning at 4:00am. My flight did not leave until 6:45, so I figured I was OK. The airline recommended that I get there at least 30 minutes before departure, which I did with time to spare. I checked my bags , which was surprisingly quick, then wandered off to find my way to the gate. Then came security. The line was big. Each time I turned a corner, it stretched on to the next. I finally got to the end, where a helpfully security person was chanting,"45 minutes to security check point" I looked at the big clock on the wall, then at my ticket . The big clock said 6:00am. My ticket said 6:40am. "Crap!" I muttered. It became a chant. "Crap,crap,crap,crap,crap,crap..." The line moved a few small steps and stopped, moved and stopped, finally making it to the check point. I was lucky to get through with out a body cavity search, and was putting my shoes back on as they announced the final boarding call for my flight. I began chanting again, in rhythm with my jogging,"Crap, crap,crap,crap,crap,crap..." I reached the gate as they were closing the door. We landed in Minneapolis for a plane change, and took to the air again. The flight was smooth. I ordered a couple double Rum and Cokes and sat back to write. There is something different about drinking on an airplane. I don't know if it is the attitude or that the bottles look so small that I always order extra, but I always get hammered with relatively little effort, and also sober up quickly and smoothly.So there I was, I cruising along, jotting down some notes about the trip when I glanced out of the window and saw that we were now over the Ocean. No big deal, except that this portion of flight was from Minneapolis to Rhode Island, and last time I looked at a globe, there was no ocean between the two. Then I realized that I was not looking at the Ocean, I was looking at a lake. Lake Michigan, by my quick figuring.
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