"So Here I Sit"

So here I sit! In San Luis Potosi airport at 5:30 in the morning, realizing that I could have slept for at least another half hour. I was a little nervous however as I would be going to the airport in the dark and many of the road signs are poorly lit to say the least. But I got here no problem and here I sit. My plane leaves at 6:40 for Houston where it will also be a bit nerve racking. Although I have 90 minutes connection time I will have to clear American immigration there. As much as I, like many others, was inspired by my American friends on their national election day, I don’t think that Mr Obama will have made much change in the attitude of their paranoid customs and immigration folks. But I’m sure I will manage to make it all in time. The good thing is that I am travelling with the same airline all the way through. This means that I am already checked in for the second leg of my flight, which also means they know I am coming. They will generally wait until the very last moment to close the airplane door on a passenger they know should be on the way. I’ve even seen them wait longer when a passenger is late arriving from a connecting flight, if that connecting flight is one of their own.

So here I sit! Thank god they didn’t take my water bottle when I came through security here. They just made me promise to drink it all before I got on the plane. Yah Right! It’s one of the biggest flying hassles I have as I try to always anticipate my opportunities to keep something with me. It’s not too bad in the US and Canada. As long as I keep an empty bottle with me I can usually find a fountain to fill it, but in Mexico that’s something you just don’t do. To compound the constant need for water, there is the accompanying constant need for a bathroom, and again I always try to anticipate as much as possible. The worst time is the stretch before and after takeoff and landing, when you can’t get at a ground toilet, nor an airplane toilet.

So here I sit! On this little three quarters of an airplane(2 seats on one side and one on the other), all scrunched up and unable to stretch, freezing my butt off, but “with” my water bottle. I thought they were going to trust me to drink it before boarding but they had another little surprise in store for us and that was another luggage search….the third one…just before letting us on the plane. But I seen it coming and managed to move my bottle from my luggage to my pocket just in time. I smiled inwardly as the young lady thoroughly went through my dirty underwear, and not once looked up at me. The bulge in my pocket was obvious and it wasn’t because I was excited to meet her! I always make a point of putting my used socks and underwear on the very top when I pack to go home….is that nasty of me? One thing I didn’t anticipate (again) was the need for food. I must get better at this when I travel. Because of my limitations I need to bring my own at times. They just gave us a snack but it didn’t do much for me. I tried the granola bar(impossible) the bagel chips(managed a few) and the raisins which actually went down quite well. I see them as a future travelling food source. Relatively high in calories for their bulk, and no fat at all. I know it may seem crazy but old thinking patterns are so hard to break, and I still find myself thinking that “not” eating is a good thing. Especially when I have had very little exercise. I suppose only time will change this destructive habit. Time and continuing evidence that I “can” eat well and still not get fat. Intellectually I know it’s working as I can feel the long stored fat leaving my ribs. The evidence is in the extra skin I now seem to have, and once I have come to accept it on an emotional level I will probably be able to put this one to rest. The fact is that If I can’t eat potato chips, and I don’t enjoy eating pizza or drinking beer, I will probably never get fat again. I do consider these facts a blessing rather than a curse. I can tell you that it is the strangest experience to feel my pants getting looser and the scales not showing any change at all. It is the first time in my life that this has happened to me.
So here I sit! This plane actually left the ground at SLP 5 minutes before planned departure which is almost unheard of, and as such I should have a comfortable connection in Houston. Maybe I’ll even be able to get a bite to eat.

And because I have nothing better to do I’m gonna tangent way off for a minute. Did anyone have the same bizarre sensation that I did when they seen Obama and his family come out on the stage in Grant Park(home of Lolapalooza by the way) the other night? It was almost surreal. It felt like I was watching a movie or some kind of politically correct advertisement, or even more crazy some kind of skit from Saturday Night Live. It wasn’t so much Obama himself but to see his spouse and those charming kids waving to the cheers was truly remarkable. They were all black skinned for crying out loud….unfreakinbelievable!!!! I am no more a fan of Obama then I am any other politician(within a year we will know all his lies), and yet it must mean something good about humanity eh, that so many people would make such a powerful statement. The only damp feeling I got as relates to the whole American election was the success of prop 8 in California. If you don’t know what that is look it up. Unfortunately I’m afraid that my old nemesis, organized religion was responsible for this one. The catholic church (as many Californians are Spanish catholic) and the Mormon church which apparently contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to the campaign to support this proposition. The Mormons sitting in judgement of the morality of others beliefs or practices! Absurd! It makes me both sad and angry. Oh well….it does make me proud to be a Canadian where even the catholics are much more progressive! To counter that bit of negative however is the great feeling I got watching the pain in Bill O’reilly’s eyes as he tries to come to terms with the idea that a black man is now his President. This cruel bigoted racist, sexist, homophobic , fear mongering, near monstrous cartoon of a man will hopefully become a thing of the past as the decency of the world outpaces his lunacy. I sure hope so. If you don’t know who O’Reilly is you don’t need to find out….I wouldn’t even recommend it.

So here I sit! At my gate in Houston fully an hour before my flight. I was warned about this airport as it is very large, but so far I have found it very user friendly. Lots of walking, but I don’t mind that. It is infinitely better than sitting, eh Mary? And I always….and I mean always, get everywhere faster than everyone else. One of my favorite tricks is to pass people who are also walking but on a conveyor belt beside me. That always gets some funny looks, as they think they’re really motoring until you outpace them. I swear some people look at you with envy, as if you found a faster belt or something. I have scarfed down a Wendy’s big breakfast sandwich along with my low fat milk. Boy I’m good! I also have a new water bottle in hand as they finally got my other one. I found myself caught not anticipating the next situation. Immigration was a piece of cake. I definitely find at most American airports that a Canadian passport gets you a decent reception. Contrast that to my usual border crossing at Windsor/Detroit and it is refreshing. Probably it’s because those guys hear lots of BS from lots of Canadians all day long. I also had a smile while passing through security as I heard something which reminded me of a little segment I seen on CNN last night. The piece was about this guy who had been collecting political paraphernalia for many years , and after showing off some of his stuff he professed to be proud to be an American, as opposed he said “ to living in some parts of the world where collecting this kind of stuff could get you arrested”. The smile came to me when I heard this announcement on the public address system as I was approaching the inspection area, and I quote…”inappropriate remarks could lead to your arrest”…..hmmm? So print it on your bumper sticker, your tie, your lapel pin, or even your ass, but don’t say it out loud I guess?

So here I sit. New plane, some conditions. I was hoping to get bumped to business class, which happens fairly frequently because of my “Elite” status, but no such luck this time. By the way, you get to be elite not by doing anything special other than getting on airplanes a lot. I think maybe one more year of this stuff and then I will try to find something less nomadic. I do have an aisle seat, which I desperately try to pre-arrange, and it looks like maybe I won’t have anyone sitting beside me. Anyway, they’re closing the airplane doors, so in the famous words of a famous but very strange man, who I think is still the governor of California, “I’ll be back”.

So here I sit. No one beside me thankfully, and only a couple of hours to go to Detroit. I’ve been a little frustrated this trip because I forgot my ipod at home and so am making do listening to some music I have on my computer. Unfortunately the only headphones I have are these cheesy airline ones, and for some reason they will only play at a reduced volume. But I’m gonna plug them in anyway, and try to do a little work, something of which there is never a shortage. Hey! They they just brought us something to eat. Not much mind you but something. A little wee turkey sandwich, a small bag of ruffles, and an even smaller bag of M&M’s. I got most of the sandwich down, will save the M&M”s for one of my new neighbours, and as god is my witness, If I thought there would be any pleasure in it at all, I would eat that bag of potato chips right now! Man I am blessed eh? Just one more example of how seemingly bad things can prove to have so many good things come with them.

So here I sit! In the car on the way home from Detroit airport. What an incredible November 5th in southern Ontario! I am going to force myself to go for a run when I get home even though I know I will not feel like it by then. I also intend on adding a few of those sprints I mentioned that are going to increase my production of HGH. We have what I suppose should be a big day tomorrow as I go to see Dr Hammond at the clinic for a checkup. However I honestly just consider it a formality. Somehow I believe I will know long before the doctors do if there is something wrong again. After all I certainly did the first time. Hopefully Colby will be able to come along for the ride. After all, the best moments of my whole cancer trip were those when he was taking care of me in one way or another. There is also still the possibility that we will be doing the TV thing tomorrow, but as of now at least I have not gotten confirmation from her. I did tell her that she could let me know at the last moment if necessary so I’ll just wait and see.

So here I sit. At home after a decent run (I did the block in 35 mins and 35 secs) and after a decent meal. My grandchildern are sitting beside me watching Dora, while my son is gone to the gym. As I reflect back on my day of sitting I feel pretty content....aaaahhhhh....So Here I Sit.

I wish to dedicate day 50 to Bill O’Reilly who I'm gonna pray for, and who’s lucky that I don’t believe in hell! As it is I think he's gonna have to go to purgatory with Sister Michaela!

And it's musical quote day so this ones for Bill....
"Come gather round people wherever you roam And admit that the waters around you have grown. And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you is worth savin'. Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin'.----Bob Dylan

And for organized religion there's this....
"Open up the gates of the church and let me out of here! Too many people have lied in the name of Christ for anyone to heed the call. So many people have died in the name of Christ that I can't believe it all"---Graham Nash

And lastly for sitting.
"Oh I'm on my way, I know I am, somewhere not so far from here. All I know is all I feel right now, I feel the power growing in my hair. Sitting on my own not by myself, everybodys here with me. I dont need to touch your face to know, and I dont need to use my eyes to see"---Cat Stevens

love
peter