11.12.2006

Home again

It's good to be home again.

... My conference was insightful. Heard a lot of behind-the-scenes stories about the Wichita Eagle's reporting of the BTK saga. Gained some insight into databases and spreadsheets. And my fire for becoming part of this online revolution in the media is burning even hotter ...

But the last session, a review and wrap-up thing ... just ... wouldn't ... end ... With a 12:40 flight I debated not even going. But I did, and ended up tearing out of my hotel on a mission to not miss my flight. Though it would've been cheaper, I didn't have time to wait for the shuttle to the airport. Luckily the concierge flagged a cab for me quickly and I was on the road ...

My cab ride felt like an episode of "Taxicab Confessions," but this time it was the cab driver doing the confessing. "I wasn't supposed to work today," he tells me. ... Oh yeah? I respond, and the driver dives into this rambling story about a tif he had with his wife -- of 48 years, he tells me. She's a schoolteacher -- earlier this morning. He tells me they'd been planning a trip to Las Vegas, and his wife said this morning she wanted to be there for six days. Six days! the driver says. Who goes to Vegas for six days!? You don't spend six days in Vegas!. So, he tells me, he decided to get out of the house for awhile. He grabbed his morning newspaper and took his cab downtown to pick up some people ... the first one being me.

... At the airport, I paid my driver and told him to enjoy the day. Again, I had no trouble checking in and getting my boarding pass.

... The security screening process was a different story. I joined a line that was as long as a football field. My heart sank, but a guard pacing aside the line was checking tickets and assured me I'd be OK. So I did some people-watching ...

Again, there was the security guard, an older black gentleman, who, while we waited in line, tried to keep us amused with conversation. He told a story about Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty coming through his line yesterday in jeans and a sweatshirt. He wa'n't wearing no million dollar suit, the guard said, he was dressed jus like anyone else. But I knew who he was, an I said there goes the best general manager in baseball. He looks at me an goes, the guard says raising his pointer finger to his mouth, shhh! Yeah, man. Walt Jocketty. He ain't wearing no million dollar suit ...

Then there was the woman I spotted in the adjacent bookstore. As though she'd just stepped out of the '70s, or Austin Powers: Goldmember, this tall, slender black woman was wearing a sparkling brown skirt and an large afro -- and wearing it well. It was darn cool ...

And there was the middle-aged man ahead of me in the security line who, every time I looked in his direction, was waving back and making faces at, I assumed, his wife and young daughter. I wondered where he was going and how long he was going to be gone that he kept turning to make eye contact with them once more. Then I watched as he got through the screening process and waved once more, this time a larger wave, more heartfelt wave then all the rest ...

And sitting on the plane (I did make it on time. I arrived at the gate just as boarding was beginning ...) behind me was a man who I quickly realized was a pilot. Throughout the entire flight he was describing the science of flight and the process to an inquisitive woman next to him. And when we landed, he told her, "Oh, that was a Navy landing ..." whatever that meant ...

As for the college kid sitting next to me, he was blasting the heavy metal music through his iPod. I'd be surprised if he wasn't deaf by the end of the flight ...

I found my car in the O'Hare parking garage and was back on the expressway quickly. Stopped at the oasis for some Subway, filled up on gas, I was back home by 3 ... Kates and I hugged each other so long it was as if we hadn't seen each other for weeks or months.

Yeah. It's good to be home again ...

* * *

... After my eventful travels and tour of St. Louis on Friday, I spent my Saturday night in the comforts of the Millennium Hotel. Ordered room service. Did some reading. And worked out in the exercise woman ...

... The highlight though? How 'bout those Wildcats! ... Now, my little brother is a K-State alum, having gone there during the Bill Snyder glory years. And while I've long been a loyal supporter of their intrastate rivals over at KU, my Bearcats were having a pretty good run of their own in D-II simultaneous to K-State's run at the D-I national championship for a couple years there. My point being, we took a lot of pride in our teams and I've rarely cheered hard for K-State ... Saturday night, however, was an exception. They were explosive, Josh Freeman was near perfect, and in my room and then later working out, I could barely take my eyes off the action. ... Two consecutive flee-flickers!? You've got to be kidding me!? I was going crazy ... Great game.

... and then! Saturday Night Live!! Wow!! ... I flipped over to NBC as soon as the game was over, though my expectations for the show have been considerably lowered this fall with several mediocre skits and shows that have rarely had me cracking even a smile. ... but Saturday night! The show of the year!! ... Alec Baldwin hosting (and appearing in comical sketches as Saddam Hussein and then Tony Bennett), surprise appearances by Steve Martin, Martin Short and Paul McCartney!! (as Baldwin and Martin argued about who has hosted SNL more...)

Then, the best 'Weekend Update' Amy Poehler and Seth Myers have done all season -- they delivered some excellent one-liners ...
  • "On Tuesday night, in an ironic turnaround, Iraq brought regime change to the U.S. "
  • "President Bush on Wednesday held a news conference where he vowed to work with the new Democratic majority — which, if true, can mean only one thing: The Democrats have a nuclear bomb."
  • "On Thursday the Army launched its new recruitment slogan, ‘Army Strong’ — which replaces its previous slogan ‘Army of One.’ Meanwhile, the Navy is sticking with its recruiting slogan: ‘ Iraq : It’s Almost Entirely Landlocked.’ "
  • "Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman won re-election as an independent and is expected to be courted by both Democrats and Republicans — though it remains to be seen which Lieberman will show up in the Senate: the dull and boring Lieberman or the boring and dull Lieberman."
  • " Arizona on Tuesday became the first state to defeat an amendment to ban gay marriage, while Missouri approved a measure to back stemcell research — and Kansas drowned a witch."
  • "According to the journal Science, the world’s supply of seafood will run out by the year 2048 — thanks in large measure to Red Lobster’s ‘Eat All the Shrimp in Existence’ dinner special."
  • "A new company has created a system that allows car passengers to access the Internet while driving. This is good news for anyone who wanted to use Google Earth to watch themselves hit a tree."
... plus! the show offered three, THREE! superb performances by Christina Aguilera!! and then Tony Bennett himself joining Baldwin for one sketch and a duet with Aguilera!!

... other blogger's views were less rewarding, but seeing all of the starpower lined up together during the closing credits was priceless ...

* * *

I returned to the Arch this morning for the sunrise. And I thought being there Friday afternoon with all the fall colors was as serene as it could be ...


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