operation: undercover 007

Saturday, October 21, 7 a.m.

I fly from Omaha and connect in Chicago at O'Hare to arrive in Atlanta. I've never had good luck with O'Hare - the first time I was there I missed my flight and had to wait eight hours until the next one with no iPod or cell phone (they were both dead) and the other time my flight was delayed so many times it was 2 a.m. until I made it back home. I was determined to make it through with no problems.

I made it into Hot-lanta around 1:30. I got on Marta and went several stops too far. I always have the problem of getting lost when I am in a new area and by myself. I was trying to make it to Jeff and Shawn's. After many phone calls and uncountable 'fuck!'s' later I made it. Their unit is beautiful and exactly how I pictured it. Cement floors, floor to ceiling windows, photography in black frames. Jazz was playing when I walked in the empty home. I walked in the room I was staying to notice Martha Stewart magazines carefully spread out for my reading pleasures.

I found a place to eat and picked up the tapes I was there for. Now it was time to enjoy myself. Shawn, his 'hall' friend Amy and I make our way to Little Five Points for a Halloween parade. It was interesting. Lots of people with open container and people dressed up in the middle of the day - what else could be more fun? I know - meeting Jeff for the first time. It was great to meet someone you talk to often - like they were an old friend. After the parade we make our way to their friend Kyle's home. It was beautiful, old and spacious. Spacious in the way he didn't have any furniture - but he did have a disco ball in the dining room.

I was standing in the yard, next to the white picket fence when Ashley walked/ran up and I did the same to greet her. I hugged her like I hugged my sister after I haven't seen her for months.

'I can't believe this is you and that you are actually here!' she would repeat. I told her she could touch me if she wanted just to make it official that I was actually there. She would later keep saying that, 'I can't believe you're here.'

We were hungry and went to Vortex, a wonderful burger place. 'I still can't believe you're here.' We talked and laughed and said how it would be more complete if Mollie were here with us. I had a yummy burger that was topped with a pineapple.

Bloggers unite.

That evening Jeff gave me a lovely tour of Midtown Atlanta. Pointing out the significant buildings in the area and even caught a slight moment of Randy Newman singing at the symphony. We half-assed walked Carolyn home and continued on with the 'tour.'

We stopped at Einstein's to see Attention Deficit David and carried on to Blake's. I wanted to see Ashley's dogs before she left, so we went there. On our walk to her place, Jeff informed me 'no on goes hungry in this city.' He was referring to the homeless man who had a wad of cash. Before I saw his cash flow, I thought I should have given him something, but decided not to (I had a flash back of the 'sorry, I only have debit' story).

Ashley's dogs were cute. The girl dog kept humping Jeff. Eric says is because she is dominating him. And the boy dog was greasy with a zit. But I liked him because he was the only one that paid any attention to me.

We left and I crashed within a matter of moments.

Sunday, October 22, 6:10 a.m.

I woke up and prepared myself for the day ahead of me. All I needed to do was drop off the tapes to a woman in Great Falls, Montana and I would be on my way back home at 10 p.m. After I barely make it through Atlanta security, I board the plane. I make it to Denver on time and wait for my flight for Great Falls that took off at 11:30 a.m.

As I was talking to my boss, Jen, I look at up notice no one is around me anymore. They had all left. I shot out of my seat and look outside. The plane is there and everyone but me is on it. I rush to the United stand to have them call the plane but it was too late. I had to wait for a 5 p.m. flight. I managed to pass six hours in the boring airport. I had to make sure I was on this plane, otherwise I would be in some kind of trouble.

I made it. I boarded and got to sit in first class. I saw with five other people who had also missed the same flight. How was it that six people missed the same flight - when they were all there? TJ thinks they knew they screwed up and that's how we all got first class. Anyways, the sunset was beautiful.

The airport on the other hand was less than desirable. It was a 60s flashback of orange carpet and wood paneling. The thing I was most startled by was the taxidermy animals. I knew I wasn't in Omaha anymore. I was up north with hunters and mountain men. I stayed at a nearby hotel and crashed after watching Charlie's Angels 2.

Waiting area.

Mountain lion posing on fountain in between escaltors.

Animal heads.

Bear in case.

Monday, October 23, 5:30 a.m.

I got myself ready, very slowly. I wondered to the breakfast area to see what it offered. I had a bagel with cream cheese, yogurt, two bananas and coffee. I was hoping all the fiber wasn't going to make me have to poop on the way home (and it didn't, thank God).

I sat next to a guy around my age on the way to Denver. He entertained me for a little over an hour. He was on his way to Hono Lulu to meet his brother who serves for the Army and is stationed in Korea. He is proposing to his girlfriend and meeting her parents for the first time. He farms, the guy I sat next to, and in the winter travels - because you can't do jack shit in Montana in the winter. For fun, when he isn't traveling, he hunts elk, antelope, coyote, and rabbits.

Back in Omaha, waiting for my bag, a man comments on how it's a rule for every bag to be upside down on the belt. I responded that they are also partially unzipped. I got into my mom's car and she said, 'Be careful your skibbies might fall out.'

'What?!'

'Your bag, it's unzipped.' What do you know, my bag was on its right side, but not zipped.

But now I am home. I am having a half 'me' day. I made frozen pizza and ate half of it and also ate chocolate pudding. I need to clean out Apollo and Martha too. I need an assistant to do that for me, because sometimes I feel too lazy.