Embarrassing travel moment #1, no doubt of a series

Listening to Doug the tennis pro from Chicago go on and on and on and on as Chicagoans are prone to do about the great aspects of our second city on the third coast as the stewardess, strapped securely into her little stewardess seat during take-off, smiles, and nods, and smiles and nods, and etc etc. Not necessarily embarrassing, but slightly unbearable. But after having already made ample use of your own air sickness bag in your seat front pocket tucked between the SkyMall mag and the Swiss Air in-flight magazine (featuring a cover story on Chicago, The Windy City, no less), you have to borrow -- if by borrow you mean lunging desperately with a glazed look in your eye across your neighbor’s lap into their seat front pocket-- an airsick bag from said neighbors, a nice couple from Macedonia expecting their first child (he looks a little like the computer nerd techie guy on Alias). Sympathetic looks from the stewardess, offers of a Coca-cola quickly and firmly refused, and a politely stifled gasp from the neighbors. Sigh.

On that note, I highly recommend Nick Hornby’s new book, “A Long Way Down” which I have enjoyed immensely after arriving. That is all.