(no subject)

Well, my suitcase is packed with gifts and clothes, my netbook is charged and tucked up in my messenger bag, I've cleared the FAA hazards (two knives, one lighter) out of the pockets and replaced them with granola bars, and I've lost and re-found my travel documentation three times, so all the proper travel obsequies have now been observed.

Whenever I travel I wear a Saint Christopher medal mum bought me, because I'm not a Christian but I'm given to understand that Jesus loves me anyway. We joke about the medal because apparently Christopher is not technically a saint anymore, since one can't prove he existed or possibly he didn't perform enough miracles or something. Anyway, Mum always asks if I'm wearing my Mr. Christopher medal. Patron saint of travelers and those brought low by an uncertainty as to their existence, that's Mr. Christopher.

Frankly between him and Dysmas, all my favourite saints are of potentially fictional origin. Is anyone surprised?

Anyhow, I'm off into the wilds. Everybody stay safe and well-behaved and I'll post when I get into Austin around six tonight. (Or from my phone before then, if something particularly interesting happens.)

(no subject)

The Sam has landed!

The dog still hates me.

The food is good.

(no subject)

Overheard in the airport today: "He was a preacher and he'd had six bypasses, and he was going to Vegas with his wife when she broke her hip, and I was left holding this body!"

I spent the rest of the flight wishing I'd turned around and demanded that woman tell me the full story of the cardiac preacher, his fragile wife, their aborted Vegas trip, and what body?

I also spent much of the flight sleeping in order to escape from the two dreadful women I sat with, one of whom asked me to buckle her safety belt for her (I told her I'd call a flight attendant, she was creeptastic and turned out to be a holy roller). The other one asked if I could put her bags in the rack for her and the only reason I did was that she looked like she had low muscle tone and was trying to lift a bag directly over a woman holding a sleeping baby. I decided I would take responsibility for that child not growing up brain damaged from falling luggage, and helped her with her bag.

The flight got in early, which was nice, and when I arrived home dinner was nearly ready. My sister's Sullen Emo Boyfriend was there for Christmas dinner, but he turned out to be quite nice and we had a reasonably intelligent discussion about the ruination of the radio industry after a post-dinner viewing of a film called Pirate Radio, which was brilliant if a trifle naive.

Anyway he seems like a decent young guy and is probably too busy doing his hair and contemplating his manpain to be a dick to my sister, so I'll let him live.

And now I am supposed to be sleeping, so I'd better get on that. Hope everyone had as...intriguing a holiday as I did today.