No baseball and no projects

The Red Sox are on an off-day today and so am I.

I put the baseboards back together this morning and ran a few errands. Then I scratched a few more dead spots in my lawn and seeded them. The spots I had seeded previously have begun to sprout and it looks like I might actually have some type of lawn this year.

Then again, that's entirely up to the rain gods.

⧫

The other day, a flight attendant on American Airlines got a little aggressive with the way he handled a customer and her oversized stroller. This has generated a lot of talk in the media about whats going on with air travel.

I can tell you what's wrong - People are treated like shit when they fly and it's beginning to show.

Here's a short list of what is pissing people off:

The first thing you learn is that your ticket price is a lie because there are some additional fees, surcharges and taxes that you'll have to pay before you can go on that dream vacation. That means the $400 ticket you just bought is now $550.

Then you discover that if you want clothes while you're away from home, you have to pay a baggage fee because what the hell, if you can afford $550 to fly, what's another $25.

Next up is when they tell you to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight's scheduled departure time so that you can....

...stand in a line longer than the ones at Disney. And when you reach the end of the line, you get fondled by an overweight, sweaty 40 year old guy who is in a bad mood because he's been dealing with the traveling public for the better part of 8 hours.

While you are going through the process of trying to get on the plane, you get to deal with authoritarian petty bureaucrats who have the power to make arbitrary decisions about you such as whether or not you are going to have to go into a small room and get strip searched by a small band of government thugs.

And God forbid you should say something in line like, "Did you see that bomb that Brady threw in the 2 second period!" If you are stupid enough to say something like that, you can bet you'll be spending your much-anticipated vacation sitting in a small windowless room being asked a lot of questions about where you were born by three guys in dark sunglasses.

Once you reach your gate, you get to stand in another line while you wait for the fat chick in row 5 who is trying to jam the 3' x 4' carry-on into an overhead compartment designed for a 2' x 3' bag.

When you finally reach your assigned seat, you discover that you are going to spend your flight sitting in a seat that most 4 year old children would find small and uncomfortable.

During your flight, you will also get to enjoy a close, familiar relationship with two hundred people who may, or may not, have bathed in the last several days.

As your flight progresses, you will find yourself becoming stressed out over missing your connection because you only have a half hour to cover the mile between gates at an airport you are unfamiliar with.

And that, my friends, is why people are getting pissed off and why they feel justified reacting with anger and rage at the drop of a hat. Flying used to an enjoyable experience that people looked forward to. Now they feel lucky if they arrive at their destination with their dignity intact.

I have my pilots license so when I fly, I go when I want with whom I want. There are no flight attendants or bathrooms but what the hell, I don't get manhandled by large men in blue gloves and the only body odor I have to deal with is mine.

⧫

While I try to find John a new laptop, you can click on these links:

• Based on her mug shot, I'd say there is very little chance she is a rocket scientist.



• Hey! They named a light after me!



• Some people are a little to attached to their beer.



• Key phrase in this story: "Police say after two minutes, they heard a window open, followed by a loud thud."



• Teacher, and mom, of the year.



• Pfffttttt..... College students....



• Only in Florida.