Random whining

So here are my post Happy Hour thoughts on my day:

- Air travel reeeeaaally sucks these days, does it not? I got to the airport in very good time, after double-checking Air Canada’s check-in time for US departures. After much stress – being whisked out of crushingly long lineups as my departure approached (once to check in – to use the freaking automated check-in thingy, which isn’t supposed to create hundred-person lineups – and once in Customs), I arrived at my gate when they were almost finished boarding. Crazed with that peculiar airport stress – this time created by Air Canada’s absolutely outrageous inefficiency. Not having had time to buy myself something to eat for breakfast, nor even a freaking bottle of water, which I couldn’t bring with me because of these ridiculous restrictions on all liquids. Then I had to buy myself a horrid thing on the plane for breakfast, when I was so hungry my stomach was gnawing at itself. It cost an arm and a leg.

- By the time I got to the connecting airport, very late indeed because of unexplained delays on the runway on the previous flight, I had my first-ever dehydration and/or caffeine headache (due to lack of water and caffeinated tea in the pre-flight craziness). I bought a tea and it turned out the lid was defective or broken or whatever, because every time I tried to drink, it dripped scalding water down my shirt. Nice.

- That flight was also delayed, by an hour. While we sat on the runway.

- When I finally arrived in conference city, I tried to walk downtown from my hotel. Ha. Fat chance. This is sprawl hell, where every block is ¾ of a mile long and every pedestrian conspicuous, an utter novelty. I gave up after about 45 minutes of trudging in hot sun, getting nowhere…I went to Target and bought much-needed new workout clothes instead. And then came back for happy-hour margaritas. And nachos.

- I really can’t stand urban sprawl, having grown up in the heart of cities. My one experience of sort of living it was with my ex-girlfriend, the usurper of my field…the city she grew up in (where I am applying for this good job) is one of those. We would visit her parents for a week, and we would be getting in and out of the car four times a day. There was nothing that could be done without a car. It always drove me crazy after two days. Someone needs to legislate sprawl out of existence altogether, for its soul-crushingness, among other qualities.

- I got a slightly new hairstyle yesterday…some soft bangs-type things added. Usually I respond very badly to new hair things for a week or so – even when I request them. Not this time…I’m all about the bangs…

- Now I remember why I didn’t wear makeup…’cause it’s all so complicated. You see, I have been interested in eyeliner lately…this as a person who hasn’t worn any makeup except lipstick since I was in junior high. So I consulted with my hair person (he who is GF's oldest, dearest friend, and a rockstar, and a makeup knower) and bought some eyeliner yesterday. Besides the fact that I don’t really know how the hell to put it on (and was too embarrassed to say to the MAC salesperson, “you need to show me how to do this”), there is the fact of its needing to come off. So I had to buy yet another product today. This bugs me. This is why I don’t go in for makeup (well, one of a couple reasons), and why I am loath to put any product in my hair, or any colour…all too much labour…

- And now I’m going to get in to bed in my pyjamas, even though it’s 7pm, and watch a movie. With my York peppermint patties. I was very virtuous today altogether – graded many papers in my awful travels – and now I’m going to watch some kind of cable thing…what decadence.

- But: why do baseball stars’ lives and tragedies matter more than other people’s?