Traveling 101

I've made it to the east coast, but I forget sometimes how different it can be at times. What do I mean? I traveled to Toronto over the weekend and spent Monday at our Toronto office. The traffic of driving in a big city that I don't get in Rochester day to day ("traffic" in Rochester means it takes 15 minutes to get home rather than the usual 8 minutes. Then Tuesday morning was spent in a car driving from Toronto "down the road" to Endicott, NY.... a 6 hour drive! Of course trying to stay caught up on work the entire time.

So that's my lame excuse as to why I haven't blogged this week.

But the one thing I was thinking of, are there unofficial, unwritten rules of flying?? I'll do my part in suggesting some guidelines to the people that don't travel by plane on a regular basis.

Rule #1 - Unless you're a professional and know the method of not checking any luggage (think of all the business travelers who do it every week of the year), please check all your bags (AND CRAP) to go under the plane. Yes, I know they say "one carry on and one personal item" but that doesn't mean your personal item can be the same size as the luggage I just checked! The purses are getting bigger, the laptop bags are getting thicker.... what happened to traveling light?

Rule #2 - The seats are labeled, and it doesn't take an engineer to figure out which one is "A" and which one is "B" and which one is "C", especially on the small planes which only have 3 options. If you sit in the wrong seat only to have me say "I think you're in my seat", you should be escorted from the plane and thrown on the next flight to try again!

Rule #3 - If the person behind you is taller than you, you are not allowed to recline your seat. I am 6'6" and 99% of the time I am the tallest person on the plane. You do not need to recline your chair for an hour plane ride, especially when you're just reading your Wall Street Journal. If you do feel the need to recline, I then withhold the right to become "that guy" that you complain about was kicking your chair and making you uncomfortable when you get home to your family. You started it.

Rule #4 - When the plane arrives and you're allowed to take your seatbelt off, scrambling around and running to the front doesn't get you off of the plane any faster. Note the delay between the "DING" and when the door actually opens allowing people to leave. Just like traffic jams, everyone just follows protocol and we all get out faster - don't be the a-hole driving around the cones just to save yourself 5 seconds.

Rule #5 - If you want the window seat, you relinquish your right to use the bathroom on any flight under 2 hours. If you think you may have to use the bathroom due to your small bladder, or the fact that you drank too much before getting on the plane - then get an aisle seat.

Bonus Rule - If you start the crossword in the back of the American Way magazine, THEN FINISH IT.... these things aren't community efforts, usually because what you have put in there is WRONG and it's not worth the time to correct your wrong answers. Want another hint? The answers to the crossword are usually on the very next page!! SERIOUSLY!!!

Any other ones I'm missing????? BTW - new iPod worked well for the ride out here. And yes Kahn, I was "that guy" driving while wearing headphones since I could only get 4 radio stations while driving through the mountains/hills here in NY and 2 of them were country! Easier to just listen to my own tunes!

Braves still have a shot at making the postseason! Last week of regular season baseball... and possibly last week of Barry Bonds!

GO CYCLONES!!! WIN ONE MORE GAME THIS WEEKEND AND I'LL BE A BELIEVER YET AGAIN!!

Haiku of the Day
To play or to bench
Mr. Grossman of DA BEARS...
I SAY BENCH----- HE SUCKS!!!


Entertainment of the Day - Finally watched Perfect Stranger that I've had sitting around for 2 weeks from Netflix.... Don't confuse it with the TV show from the 80s/90s that was called "Perfect StrangerS". This version has Halle Berry and Bruce Willis... and that creepy guy Ralph from "My Name is Earl" series (new season starting tomorrow along with "The Office". Not going to watch?? DON'T BE RI-DIC-U-LOUS!!! Ahhh.... remember Balki???

Weblink of the Day - Did you catch Britney on the Tyra Banks show this week? Here's the clip in case you missed it!! (Britney - CALL ME)!