last night's tarmac thoughts

The plane we would be taking was late arriving in Philadelphia. Our flight was supposed to be leaving for Minneapolis at 6:35 PM, and it was well past that when the incoming flight finally landed. Then they had to unload those passengers and get us on the plane as fast as possible so that the people making late connections in Minneapolis wouldn't miss their flights. It was the fastest boarding I've ever seen. Everybody was cooperating, getting their carry-ons stored and getting into their seats quickly. I was impressed.

But then we were loaded, and we just sat there and sat there. The pilot finally came over the intercom to say there was a mechanical problem that had to be checked. So we waited and waited, getting nervous about the people making connections and also about the heavy snow that had started and was accumulating around us while we sat there helplessly. The mechanical issue was resolved eventually, and we pulled away from the gate. And sat some more. And then had to wait to be de-iced. More waiting. Then waiting in line to take off. And finally out of there. Almost everybody that had connections in Minneapolis missed them.

While sitting on the tarmac, I was wishing I could be blogging, although the blog posts would have been frustrated rantings about the annoyances of air travel these days, and you got to hear some of that today anyway. I had the time while waiting to read yesterday's New York Times, which is something I wish I had time to do every day, but that brought some more irritation. There on the front page was a large photo of that demented Arizona killer. I bet you could win the Nobel Peace Prize and not get your picture on the front page of the Times, but you can if you're a nut-case murderer.

And then today I see that Sarah Palin is appalled that people are blaming her and other irresponsible loudmouths of her ilk for helping to create an atmosphere of guns being glamorized and painted as solutions. Her gun talk -- her "don't retreat, re-load!" idiocies -- gives permission to the unstable to go after their perceived political enemies with literal firepower.

...and anyway, I'm home and back at the office, with no time to read the Times today.