Menage à Trois Bingo

In the interest of actually posting content in this journal, I subscribed to thefridayfive. Here's my first set of answers.

1. Where did you go the last time you took an airplane ride?

Reykjavik and Berlin. Well, I mean, technically, my last plane ride was the Newark-Chicago connection on our return from Berlin, and while that's a slightly interesting story it wasn't a particularly cool destination.

Tammie, Rosa and I went to Germany to visit my girlfriend Christine and her husband Rob, with whom Tammie and I both also have some kind of sexy-times relationship. And Tammie and Christine may also have something someday...there was a very nice four-way evening in Berlin before we left. But.

Anyway, when planning the trip, we found that WOW Airlines was the cheapest option to get to Europe, even including having to get to Newark...and they offer a free layover in Reykjavik. So we did that as well, and it was lovely. For a cheap you-pay-for-all-the-extras airline, the service is very pleasant.

2. Are you a nervous flyer or a comfortable flyer?

I'm pretty comfortable. I have flown many many times and I'm very used to it.

3. Window seat or aisle seat?

Aisle, usually. I have very long legs and like to stretch them once in a while.

4. What is the worst experience you've had flying?

That afore-mentioned return flight from Newark, but that was because we missed the connection due to a delay at the other end and slow customs agents. We were technically there before it left, but the airline had already closed the flight. We had to rebook a super early morning flight and stay overnight at an airport hotel.

The worst flight was probably Jet Blue to Atlanta for DragonCon 2007. It was super delayed, we sat on the tarmac for hours before leaving and were not allowed to move around, and Chris was flying with us. He's a big dude, so I was very cramped in my seat. And then the flight itself was plagued with turbulence.

5. What is the best experience you've had flying?

Ray and I arrived very last minute for a flight from London to the US, were hustled through the first-class passport line and gate check line, and on top of that we were upgraded to business class. Lovely comfortable flight, good food. I think I slept on that plane for maybe the only time ever.

It was a good weekend, even if I didn't get any closer to Chicago proper than Schaumburg.

Emma and Joey wanted to go up to see their families for her birthday, which is also his little sister's birthday (and the same day as Frodo and Bilbo as well). They had originally asked to borrow the car because they expected to have things to bring back, but not wanting to leave ourselves stranded in STL with just one car and Tammie off at The Grove for the weekend, as well as somewhat concerned about sending a newish driver off for a road trip with our car, and about whether or not he'd even be insured while driving it...we were disinclined to acquiesce to the request.

I had a brainstorm. We have these friends (Chris & Rob) up near Chicago...I could drive the kids and spend the weekend with my friends! Consultation with them produced gleeful squeeful agreement to the plan, so Friday night I collected the kids and off we went.

Saturday morning Chris wanted to go to kickboxing class; I said why not and went with her. Turned out to be boxing, full stop, no kicking involved. And it was FUN! Tape, gloves, the whole bit, punching a heavy bag for 40 minutes. I pretended it was Olivia I was punching in the face, and wasn't that delicious! That's a workout that strained some muscles that haven't been getting as much use with my running-biking-swimming routines. I can still feel the burning across my shoulders and upper chest. But I also learned how to hit to make it count, which I'd somehow managed to live 45 years without ever learning.

We went to see _The Butler_ after lunch. It was very good, very emotional (take tissues). A reminder of just how recent the history of civil rights actually is.

After dinner Chris and I went dancing with two of her friends for the last hurrah of a local gay bar that's now closed. Place was utterly packed, sold out of almost everything, and the music was pretty sucky. That said, it turns out that dancing is good for quite a few steps on the handy Fitbit: I had accrued 6600 steps for Sunday before I even went to bed Saturday night. Fi's idea of appropriate dancewear: sparkly black spaghetti strap dress (purchased at thrift store in Chapel Hill), striped rainbow-tiedyed knee socks, and motorcycle boots. I didn't get any pictures: wish I had. I did get a few compliments on my awesome socks.

Sunday morning we went to Gaylord Indian buffet for a yummy lunch and then spent 20 minutes in IKEA before I had to go get the kids and head home. Yes, it is possible. You have to skip the furniture altogether and go straight to the food market for cinnamon buns, jam, cookies and chocolate.