Whenever I go through security at the airport, I immediately begin to feel like I might, in fact, have something to hide! I don’t though! But the severity of the TSA agents, the x-ray machines, the masses of people moving back and forth through the line and the check, check and double check of my ID and boarding pass make me second guess whether or not I actually did put those kitchen shears in my bag without realizing it!

This morning was no different! But I made it! I put all my belongings in the required bin, asked an agent if I had done it correctly, pushed the bin down the conveyor belt, watched it disappear inside the machine, then held my breath as the agent waved me through. I even think I did a little leap as I went through-as if that might make me more delightful upon the finding of my kitchen shears!

Anyway, the funny thing about having to take my shoes off today at security was that I was wearing my hiney-kicking boots! They make me feel confident and confidence is what I needed as I tend to get awfully nervous when I have to say good-bye to my family for even a 4-day weekend away. As I told my husband, I put on my big-girl pants and my brave boots and was ready to do it all on my own!

See? These are my boots, I really love them! 

The funny thing about the boots was what I had on under them! I happened to be wearing my owl socks and I felt excited at the possibility that I might provide a little smile to those around me when they feasted their eyes upon my owl socks. I don’t happen to have a picture of my owl socks just yet. You see, as I write this, I am sitting at a local coffee shop in Burbank waiting for my sister to finish her Yoga training. I could just unzip the side of my boot and get a quick shot, but then I feel a little embarrassed to do it! The tables here are rather close quarters…but I don’t know these people. I felt excited to share my socks with the rest of the herd at the airport this morning. Should I do it? I don’t know…Give me just a minute…I’m going to look around and see if I can catch a vibe from these folks around me. Well, you know what? I don’t actually think I should be so concerned…I’m going to take my whole boot off! Let ’em wonder!

I’m on vacation!

When my sister dropped me off here, I was a little uneasy, only because I am just a bit out of my element. There is a Starbucks across the street, even, and when she asked me if I would be more comfortable over there I answered, “yes!” But then I thought about how sad that is! What does that say about me? Why shouldn’t I be comfortable in a local coffee shop, as cute as can be, with an original, old-school espresso machine and a barista that makes swans in my cappuccino foam?

Well, I’m glad I stayed. I am enjoying myself quite a lot! I befriended one of the two baristas (who are both friends with my sis because she frequents this place daily). I commented on his geeky Star Wars shirt and when he told me what a fan (to a fault, he said) of Star Wars he was, I told him I am with zero judgement as my family is a Star Wars-friendly family. That’s when he proceeded to talk with me about the films and the order in which my husband and I are raising our children to  watch them and how cool an actual IMAX film on pod-racing would be, and how George Lucas entered into a brave frontier in going back and making changes to his original three and how the fans were mostly in bad judgement of said changes and when I told him that the notification sound on my phone was that of a light saber turning on, he humbly told me that he was delighted to meet someone whose family shared his affinity for Star Wars. Except we don’t bring exact replicas of a light saber with us to the theater when watching the new 3-D version of Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace!

Since I’ve been here, I have witnessed:

• What seems like a couple presenting someone in the film industry (?) with their screen play…right now they are talking about the male character being pretty much an unlikable, typical male figure.
• An artist pencil drawing running horses
• A guy that could easily be mistaken for Slash, who I think is addicted to Words With Friends because he keeps shouting at his phone big words like “hootenanny!” and “I’m addicted!” Hmmm…
• There is a guy near me who just started reading The Hunger Games this evening…lets hope he’s a fast reader!
• There was even kind-of a hip cat sitting in the corner with business attire, but then a dangly earring in his left ear and I only became aware of his presence when he could tell I was looking for a table that had an outlet nearby and he started shouting, “No outlets! No outlets!”

So, that leaves me here and now. And, I’m not used to being this person who sits in a coffee shop hour after hour sipping (now) cold coffee out of a mug with their lap top open in front of them, seemingly oblivious to those around her (but you and I both know I’m not…). So, with this inexperience, comes the question of what to do when the restroom calls? Do I pack it all up? Bring it in there with me, only to come back out and set it all up again? What if someone takes my table? Maybe I’ll ask Slash to watch it for me…

I’m kidding.