Sittin' on a Dock on Tahoe...

Song of the Day: "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"- Otis Redding

Spent the weekend at a friend's place right on Lake Tahoe and actually I was singing: "Sittin' on a Dock on Tahoe, ohhhh, I don't want to go."

It was my third visited to the area nestled between California and Nevada, and it just doesn't get old. I grew up with sandy beaches on the Great Lakes, and later fell in love with the Atlantic Ocean from South Beach to Point Pleasant. But with Tahoe you get the water, the mountains, the trees. And then there's the casino's at night, a great cure for a "nature overload"...something city folk experience from time to time.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...but after this weekend I have to say that's not always the case.

At times, pictures can't really convey those "momentary qualities of light" that Monet was so fond of painting. The sun chasing the water and the water tossing off sparkles. You can't look at a picture and really smell the clean air, hear the soft putt putt puttering of the small boats lumbering by, not in a hurry to go anywhere. Taste the succulent, perfectly spiced meat that was slow roasting on the BBQ, or feel the utter contentedness at that a simple yet full day can bring.

You can't see any of that in these pictures. Thank goodness for words.

Holiday travel tips: You can't take it all with you

Yesterday, I was pondering about a nice frothy little post with some soft random thoughts and frilly traveling advice. It’s the holiday season and a lot of inexperienced fliers are out and we should all just try to get along. I was feeling uncharacteristically Zen; pretty O.K. with my fellow man & womankind.

But then I got caught.

Caught red handed with extra gels and liquids. Done in by my greed to take my new Burt’s Bee’s Orange face wash that I LOVE and a few other extra niceties that didn’t fit in the regulation bag, like hairspray and my own shampoo and conditioner.

I know the rules. I obey the quart size bag decree to the tee. I take off my shoes and coat, place everything in those bins, and have my boarding pass ready with a pleasant attitude. I travel quite a bit.

Since I’ve have been there, done that…I saw it…. more like felt it. I was getting flagged. I’ve been stopped for electronics, I’ve been stopped randomly. But I haven’t been stopped over gels before. I knew they saw something. You know why? The bag with the extra contraband was in the outside pocket. I cursed my stupidity.

But truthfully I had never tried to sneak in a whole regular size Burt’s Bee’s before.

Suddenly, my bag is grabbed off the line and this strange lady opens it up and is touching my stuff…which just makes me crazy. In all the hullabaloo my toothbrush comes loose from its case, skids out and hits the floor.

I begin to lose it. I grab a few bottles out of my bag and throw it in bin and say, “I don’t need this stuff lady, I need to go”

Bad move. I’m not allowed to touch, or use a tone. I’m supposed to be happy I’m being violated. I know, I know they’re just doing their job…. but it was early in the morning.

NOW these big guys come over and yell at me. My horrid criminal self with the large size Burt’s Bees, and essentially three small extra items. He’s gonna haul me away in a second if I don’t calm down. I flash to myself on the news, the crazy woman screaming and kicking and no Thanksgiving for you lady. I wondered too what the hell happened to my Zen moment.

So, I step back a second. In all fairness to the lady, she’s trying to shove as much as she can into my quart bag and I think she is at least being nice, but I don’t care, I want to be done. The process, which is probably no more than a few minutes tops, feels like decades and I’m shakin’ like a junkie and I need to cry now.

So, I think they’re gonna run my stuff through the conveyor security thing again. That’s the point right? I had too many liquids that weren’t originally in the trusty quart bag. I know the rule.

But no, they just sent me on the way without a few of my products and most of my pride.

I knew I was wrong. A weak last minute moment that morning, throwing a few extra things in the bag. After I stopped crying I chastised myself.

I was gluttonous. I wanted to take the little niceties that help staying in three different places in five days a bit more manageable when you have all your HBA's with you.

On this Thanksgiving Eve, it’s nice to have such little problem right? I’m grateful for that. I feel like such a turkey now ☺