Flyin' Higher

Here is a story I promised my sisters. Kori knows it already, she was there.

Kori and I flew to Seattle on one of our many excursions to care for our cousin Randy. This was not the same trip (or was it...I forget) as Mr. Stinky, but one of the many. Randy had Lou Gherig's disease and we would go out there to give his wife a break every once in a while.
But I digress.
On this memorable occasion, we were calmly placed upright in our seats, awaiting taxi and takeoff, and all around us were (not the usual--believe me) NORMAL PEOPLE. Who could dream this? With our track record for having to sit by the whack jobs, the stench-mongers, gabbers, and the parents who promptly fell asleep upon takeoff leaving their children to their seat-kicking activities.
Until near takeoff.
Then the fun began.
Mr. "I need a few belts to grow sufficient cajones to board the plane" stepped on board and sat in the seat across the aisle from Kori.
Reek? Ohboy, I can't even tell you. He immediately started to brag that he had partaken of eight (yes I said eight) drinks before he got on the plane. After takeoff, he proceeded to imbibe further. Three times further.
Now as another aside, may I tell you that if I had ELEVEN drinks I wouldn't be going anywhere short of the caneroonie to, well, hug the ol' white wishin' well as they say. This guy just got loud. And louder, and more and more embarassing. When the pilot informed us we at that moment flying over Montana, Drunkboy yelled "WHERE? I CAN'T SEE ANY MONTANA!" at a decibel level high enough that the jet engines seemed a whisper. And then laughed uproariously at his own joke. My eyes were tired by then from so much eye-rolling, but after that comment, I eked one more roll out of them. Unbelievable.
The flight attendant came to have a heart-to-heart with him and he settled down and fell asleep.
On the shoulder of the man sitting next to him.
Kori and I glanced at this man, and he looked at us, winked and said, "Well, at least he's quiet!"

Now you must be thinking "these girls have a weirdo magnet", but not all flights have had a "notable" person. Sometimes we just have fun.
When the guy got on the plane with a Burger King bag in hand and I asked him if he brought enough for the whole class.
Or the guy who fell asleep and drooled into his shirt pocket--on his sunglasses.

See? It's not always strange, but sure is fun when it is--years later of course.