Shit – it’s American Airlines for us today. One of the worst.

We are all in line (after rousing at a cheerful 6 am). The ticket-marm barks something into her microphone/distortion unit. Not one of us understands a word she said. Quick comparison of notes with other ticket-holders brings the same response – it was total gibberish, devoid of information.

Jimmy, now accepting full responsibility (as he should), decides the time has come for action: brazen as an elk w/a fresh head of antlers, he leaps forward waving his right to passage in his bag-free hand! The ticket-marm scans his ticket w/increasing dismay, and a dark cloud settles upon her brow. Her eyes rise slowly and nail Jimmy to the floor: “What were you thinking?!?!”, and she cuffs him redoubtably about his ears. Sympathy pours from all those still quailing in line, terrified that they, too, might inadvertently commit a misdeed merely from innocent misunderstanding, or excessive verve to attain their allotted seat-slots.

Clint chooses this moment to rush, arms flailing, to his brother’s aid, but she brushes him into the same side-pen and reaches under her gilded podium to produce, and hold aloft for all to view, a gleaming white dunce cap! Jimmy sheepishly hangs his head forward while she sits it triumphantly upon his skull and fixes the strap firmly under his chin. After thus asserting complete domination, she gazes ahead for a goodly time without uttering a single announcement as to which row or boarding group was to go forth next, to inflict upon us all, as co-conspirators we surely were, her worthy and just punishment.

(note – names have not been changed to protect the innocent)

Landed in Seattle. Jimmy got the van. We picked up our guitars in the “Oversize” area. Drove to where our amps and drums had been shipped. Went to the hotel. Ate some food. Recorded a radio show (KEXP in Seattle) to be aired later. Some now going out for a goodly dinner. I now to the pool to dekink my system. Overall it feels good to be somewhere seriously ON LAND, in a VAN and not on a plane.