Leavin' On A Jetplane....

We get on the plane on Friday to go to Bermuda and see everybody and introduce Max (6yrs) to his Bermudian heritage :) I hate travelling. You know, back in the '60's (and earlier) you were very lucky indeed to actually board a plane and go somewhere different! Bermuda being an island meant that to get anywhere it was by plane or by boat.

British Overseas Airways Corporation (B.O.A.C) merged to become British Airways in 1974 but my mother, brother and I flew "into the friendly skies" in 1969 to go to Long Island to see relatives and it was so very exciting. I was 14 and there was the Moon landing and I wanted to see the big cars, eat the American junk food and see all the stuff I saw on TV.

People dressed up to get on the plane and when you came back home you had to have the latest fashion in clothes and gifts for everybody at home. My going-home outfit was a dark blue shirt with a Nehru collar, bell bottoms and white square-toed shoes.

The worst part about flying anywhere was affording the tickets to go. You showed up at the Airport in your best clothes with luggage in hand. They checked your passport and checked your luggage. You waited around and your relatives stayed with you until it was time to go out the door, walk across the tarmac and board the plane. Relatives and friends could go upstairs onto the balcony to wave goodbye.

Once in the plane it was a different world. The air smelled different, and the stewardesses in their smart uniforms were everywhere helping people to find their seats and it was so exciting I wanted to see everything.

Long story short you got a full course meal even on a 2-hour flight. Soon as the plane was in cruising mode they started passing drinks and getting the meals out.
I stole the silverware and saved the special sugar, salt and pepper and napkin with BOAC printed on it.

I also had to check out the shaky bathroom in the back, all silver with interesting things to put in my pockets also...the little soap, lotion, and any other things hanging around.

People could smoke anywhere they wanted but we were lucky enough not to have a smoker near enough to be a bother. Just kill the cigarette when the "no smoking" sign went on.

Oh yeah can't forget the stewardess and the safety run-through as the plane was taxiing down the runway before take-off. Because we were flying over water there was the yellow safety jacket, floating seat and tumbling gas masks to go through. Everybody pretended not to hear because that proved we were experienced fliers and knew it all ready. But we all buckled our seat belts and the stewardesses still went down to check that we did so.

Then off to "the wild blue yonder" and onto America, where everything was so new, so different, the very best and untold things to buy at the lowest prices......

Fast-forward to today. My grandson will have to wait in long lines and be x-rayed and walk over a mat with his shoes off and know he is being watched by cameras, every employee and maybe a bomb-sniffing dog. After all that hassle he will get on a plane and look at a short movie to show safety features which nobody looks at.

He will get a drink and a choice of peanuts or cookies. Nothing to steal for a souvenir. The shaky airplane toilet will be the same but he might have to wait in line and he better not stay in there too long. Unbeknowst to him he will be quietly watched like the rest of us for anything that remotely looks suspicious.

They took everything fun and exciting out of his first plane ride but he won't know what he missed because he has nothing to compare it too.

Else for me, we might as well be on a bus and treated like cattle. At least you could carry a drink and a snack with you if you wanted. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see people standing in the aisles on Friday morning hanging on to the straps. Welcome to the post-9.11 world. Sux don't it

I Haven't Made Time For Myself (and it shows)

It's been a while since I have written anything here, midnight seems a good time to try. Everything has been stressing me out here lately and I'm turning to my old enemy, Mr. Junk Food. I'm not even making any effort to stop stuffing my face. I've gone downhill again when you would think I would be trying to get rid of any lbs I can before I get on the plane next week.

I always know when things stresss me out. It's kinda like I am standing in the street with everybody going around me doing their thing and nobody even sees me. Just standing there not knowing enough to make my way to the sidewalk. Even cars, trucks buses,what-have-you just going around me like I wasn't there.

I made a few slow starts to get myself ready to go home. My hair has been touched up, and today I found a piece of luggage and my c-pap bag, and started sorting through some clothes. I took up the straps on my ole fat-lady bathing suit, and also on 2 tank tops. I am waiting for two shorts and some things to keep my feet from sliding in my new sandles, maybe they might come tomorrow.

i hope just getting off the plane and seeing the things and people I grew up with will make me feel less lost. Maybe I might even find a little time for myself and get some strength to take up the stress of daily living and maybe get back on my weight loss plan.

Meanwhile I am standing in the middle of the street like a big dummy. Maybe some kind soul will take me by the elbow, guide me to the side of the street and make me stand on the sidewalk out of danger. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow

Box Braids For Bermy!!!

I aim to get Box Braids for my trip home, just for ease of hair care. It is so hot and humid and because my hair is frizzy-textured all I can ever do is pull it back in a bun or single braid or something. It is always scraped back from my face and I want to do something else with it.

Someone who has a daughter with hair texture similar to mine said she will do it for me as she us used to working on her daughter's head. Daughter is 15 so her mother must do a nice neat job, you know how picky they are at that age.

I don't want them done too small and I want the front done with a side part so I can have some tucked behind my hair. The main thing is my hair will be out of the way and I will have a nice "airy" scalp.

I suffer in the heat because my head gets too hot and I sweat a lot, With it scraped back it would be like wearing a tight hat on my head. The air just don't circulate folks and I know it looks awful.

I have been going through the black hair care sites to learn how to care for them so they don't look a hot mess. It seems I can wash them, paying attention to getting my scalp clean and allowing the water and shampoo to just run down. Then I must make sure they are thoroughly dry or they will smell moldy.

At night I have to toe them up in a silk scarf but I want to see if I can get some kind of silky night-cap. I use a c-pap machine and I have my head gear to bother with. Then I have to apply braid-spray to keep them nice and shiny.

My hair is about waist-length so I will have plenty to do styles with. I am looking forward to this. I have braided my own hair before but not being able to see the back of my head it isn't tidy.

There's nothing weight-related in this post except to say that if people look at my hair they won't be staring at my big, fat can :D

My Mind Is All "Scrambled" Today

Right now it seems so hard to concentrate on anything. It's been the kind of day that took me way out of my comfort zone and although I am trying so hard not to let current events get to me it's not working.

May 31 I went to the Weight Loss Surgeon and received a list of people I had to see and tests I had to take. One of these was to see a Cardiologist and I had to drive alone. I hate driving, I am afraid of hitting somebody or being hit and I like going strange places even less.

To complicate matters DH had taken my car to work as his died and he just about got it home early this am. I didn't realise this until he called after 8am to tell me. When I told him I needed to be at the office by 10:30 he wasn't too pleased but he had to drive home (about 1/2 hr or so) and I had to drive him back, fill up and left before 9:30 to give myself an hour to find the place.

Well Map quest didn't do too well by me. My daughter found me a route without having to drive the highway which makes me freak.

Well to cut a long story short I ended up at my appointment over an hour late. I called at least a dozen times for directions. I even ended up in Providence (the city) and the somebody who watches out for my mistakes and helps me when all else fails, took over the wheel and out of town. Of course I had no choice but end up on the highway and all over the place and finally got within the vicinity of the office. I travelled up and I travelled down Cranston St, looking for numbers on the building for guidance.

Everybody knows how hard it is to see street numbers. Finally I got there and everybody was nice to me including the lady Doctor. You know, lets humour the old fat crazy person who can't find her way out of a paper bag!

It ain't over people. I have to show up at that same place two more times. June 2 for two stress tests (four hours..have to be there at 8:15 sharp OMG)

Then June 11 for the test results.

It took me about an hour to find my way back home again. So basically I have been on the road since 8:30 and got in the door a little after 1pm.

My mind hasn't gotten on track yet. Can't concentrate on my games, which usually are relaxing to me. Maybe some Xanax will help sort it all out. Where would I ever be without all my drugs