Okay, I finally caved.
After watching a fellow passenger color for three solid hours on a flight from San Francisco to Minneapolis, I bought two books this weekend and gave it a try.
It’s pretty darn fun.
This page is from a coloring book on Tokyo (which I visited in 2014). I also got one on New York City.
I would write more, but I think I will color instead.
Rory and I flew to Boston today.
Our flight was fairly uneventful, but then again, Rory didn’t spend any time in the cockpit.
Posted in Airplanes, Animals, Comedy, Dogs, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Philosophy, Travel
Tagged airplanes, animals, Boston, cockpit, comedy, dog flying plane, Dogs, entertainment, flight, friendly skies, Humor, Internet, life, photography, Travel, turbulence
No birds were harmed in the creation of this blog post.
Several birds tried to take me down, though, on my flight from Detroit to Lexington.
They filled the plane…so we had to wait over an hour while the unwelcome fliers were removed and the plane was disinfected.
It was a crappy situation, no doubt.
When we re-boarded, the pilot discovered the plane had a broken wing, so we had to change equipment altogether.
Clearly the airplane was on the birds’ side.
I have arrived in Tokyo.
It only took a 14-hour flight and a 1-hour car trip from the Narita Airport to arrive at my hotel near Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo where I will be speaking on Friday morning.
That’s just hours away. I lost a day when I crossed the International Date Line.
(I’ll get it back on the way home.)
Although I have walked to a nearby bank to exchange dollars for yen, and a small market to grab waters for my mini-frig, I haven’t had time to sight-see just yet. But here are a couple of fun facts about my trip so far:
1. On my flight, I sat next to the lighting designer for the play War Horse, which is doing a month of shows in Tokyo.
It was his third touring production to visit Japan, and when it wraps, he’s headed back to the States to prep Cinderella for its national tour.
Needless to say, we chatted quit a bit about Broadway shows…until we both fell asleep.
2. I knew I was staying in Tokyo’s Jimbocho neighborhood during the business portion of my trip, but I didn’t realize it is a center for book publishing and used book stores.
As we drove down a major thoroughfare, there was storefront after storefront filled-to-bursting with books.
I just hope some of them are in English!
3. The TV in my room has limited cable channels and very little English programming, but I’ll admit I stopped and watched this show, even though I couldn’t understand a word.
It’s a very small world.
Posted in Airplanes, Broadway, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Shopping, Television, Travel
Tagged airplanes, book pubishing, bottled water, cable channels, car service, Cinderella, easing in, flight, fun facts, Hitotsubashi University, Humor, International Date Line, it's a small world, Jimbocho, life, lighting designer, mini-frig, money exchange, Narita Airport, national tour, QVC, QVC Japan, shopping, sight-see, storefront, Television, Tokyo, touring production, Travel, used book stores, War Horse play, yen
I got upgraded to first class on my red-eye flight home last night from Phoenix, so I took my cushy window seat and starting prepping for a long sleep.
Then the man next to me started talking.
He was chatty and pleasant, so I figured we could pass the time until the plane was in the air. We talked about my job, and then his in private security. When I asked for what company, he pointed across the aisle to…
Rudy Giuliani
I decided I could probably spare the guy a little more talk time.
Eventually Giuliani took a bathroom break. When he returned to our aisle, my new friend introduced us. Rudy was friendly and personable; we chatted for a few minutes before he took his seat and slept the rest of flight.
Man, I love first class.
Posted in Airplanes, Celebrities, Humor, Life, Politics, Travel
Tagged airplanes, bathroom brea, celebrities, first class, flight, Humor, life, Phoenix, politics, private security, red-eye flight, Rudy Giuliani, talk time, Travel, upgrade, window seat
I am on a flight back to New York City from Miami.
This handful of pistachios in the shell — objects appear bigger on the blog than they are in real life — is all I have had for dinner.
Flight attendants, please bring the cart with your food for sale! I will buy it, whatever it is.
Sincerely,
Starving, Party of 1
Seat 10C
Posted in Airplanes, Business, Food, Humor, Life, Travel
Tagged a cry for help, airplane, Business, flight, flight attendants, food, food for sale, Humor, life, Miami, New York City, objects appear bigger than they are in real life, pistachios, Travel
Don’t you just hate getting the go around?
That’s right — the ‘go around.’
My flight from Chicago got one from air traffic control as we neared LaGuardia tonight.
We had just finished flying up the Hudson River and were within mere seconds of landing when the pilot suddenly accelerated upward, away from the airport.
As we appeared to leave the city, he explained that we received the ‘go around’ order because an aircraft was taking off on the same runway.
So we entered a holding pattern and landed about 20 minutes later.
Obviously we were very lucky, and I doubt anyone on the plane minded the slight delay.
But I’ll miss my stomach.
Posted in Airplanes, Business, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel
Tagged air traffic control, airplanes, airport, Business, Chicago, delay, flight, go around, holding pattern, Hudson River, Humor, LaGuardia, life, pilot, runway, transportation, Travel
When I was in Singapore this past weekend, I thought about flying on to Australia. It’s only a seven-hour flight.
This guy made that voyage by water…in the opposite direction.
Rubber Duck, a ginormous piece of conceptual art by Florentijin Hofman, was last spied bobbing about in Sydney’s Darling Harbor. Today the inflatable duck, which measures 46 feet tall and 55 feet long, arrived in Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong for a month’s stay with a little help from a much smaller tug boat.
Let’s call it a Duck Boat — it’s earned it!
Posted in Animals, Art, Humor, Life, Toys, transportation, Travel
Tagged animals, art, Australia, Darling Horbor, duck, duck boat, flight, Florentijin Hofman, holy duck, Hong Kong, Humor, inflatable duck, life, rubber duck, Rubber Duck conceptural art, Singapore, Sydney, transportation, Travel, tug boat, Victoria Harbour, water voyage
Thirteen years ago, Rory and I made our first airplane trip together — from Kansas City to Craigsville Beach on Cape Cod.
As we arrive home tonight from Kentucky — on what is easily Rory’s 30+ flight as an ‘in-cabin pet,’ I never take for granted his zen presence and sunny predisposition that make him an easy, breezy traveller.
Good dog.
Posted in Airplanes, Animals, Crafts, Dogs, Family, Humor, Life
Tagged airplane, Cape Cod, Craigsville Beach, dog, flight, frequent flier, in-cabin pet, Kentucky
The Sticky Egg 
35,000 feet treats
Guess who took the flight with me today from New York City to Dallas?
American Airlines is now offering the yummy treat — a favorite when I travel to Chicago — on their afternoon flights over two hours.
It’s a mix of cheese and caramel corn — that perfect combination of sweet and salty — that disappears pretty darn quickly when you are reading a good book or watching the in-flight movie or trying to ignore the screaming baby.
(The baby rode with me today as well.)
I know the airlines are always trying to find ways to differentiate themselves — I think American needs to feature Garrett’s in their ads.
It’s that good, people.
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Posted in Airplanes, Commentary, Foods, Humor, Life, Travel
Tagged 35000 feet, airplanes, American Airlines, caramel popcorn, cheese popcorn, Chicago, commentary, flight, Foods, Garrett's Popcorn, Humor, in-flight movie, life, popcorn, sweet and salty, Travel