Christmas in Atlanta

I am blogging from Washington-Dulles International Airport, awaiting my final flight home on Independence Airlines. It’s a new airline with small planes that travel mainly throughout the northeast and the lower eastern seaboard. Comfortable blue leather seats. Until now, I haven’t been in a small commuter plane that has comfortable seats. I recommend rows 8 (exit) and 1 (front) if you like the extra leg room.

Remember ValueJet? I loved ValueJet. They were cheap, frequently on-time (truly a rarity in airline travel today), and the flight crew was funny. Too bad they went out of business. The thing that strikes me most about Independence is the friendliness of the crew. Even when a flight runs late and passengers are grumpy, the crew members manage to maintain a cheerful attitude. I like that.

And they try to be funny with their pre-recorded safety announcements at the beginning of the flight. “Should your oxygen mask drop from the ceiling above you, place the mask over your face and tighten the strap before assisting those near you who can’t move as quickly — such as small children or congressmen.”

Well, it’s funny the first time you hear it.

This is the funniest Christmas I’ve had in a long time. I love when my cousins from Louisiana show up for Christmas. My cousin Ronnie has to hold the all-time family record for Best Cajun Joke Teller. It’s the same story every time. After dinner we all find ourselves sitting and standing around the dining room table, with Ronnie standing at one end. Out of the blue he’ll say, “Ol’ Boudreau and Thibodeaux were out fishin’ on the bayou one day…,” and the joke-telling of the evening has officially begun. (I always wish I had a video camera to catch Ronnie on film when he gets into his joke-telling mode. Being a natural-born Cajun, he does the accent better than anyone I know.) I don't remember the last time I laughed that hard. A good time was had by all!

**** And that was just the first half of my trip home. Things changed drastically after that. But the nightmare that ensued is a whole other story—definitely suitable for a later blog entry. Stay tuned. *****