pondring

I'm sitting on my porch, with a small DL off to my left.

The things I should get done today if I get nothing else done.

Right after making the list I decide to go into garage and get a bracket to hang the hummingbird feeder. Currently it's on a shepherd's hook in the dirt. It needs a permanent home.

So I said to myself "bracket" and got up to go to the garage. Noticing on my way that I also should get the slider things for the wood rack on the porch. The feet are metal, and it's tough to move.

Then I thought that once the wood rack is moved, I'll hang the retractable extension cord on the wall behind where the wood rack was, as part of my larger overall plan to rework that corner of my porch. The hanger for the reel was in the garage. Might as well get it too.

So I counted out loud and on my fingers, "bracket, sliders, and hanging thing," and walked into the house and out to the garage. I walked to where the slider things were and got them, then said, "Hmmm, brackets are around on the other side of Jalepeno, so I'll get the hanger thing..."

Then I couldn't remember hanger thing for what.

Then I laughed at myself.

And walked around the car to the place where the brackets are kept.

It's a tad embarrassing how many brackets I have.

I picked up one that weighed about 12 ounces and thought it would be a tad much for a hummingbird feeder. Besides, I had a bracket in mind. Naturally it was at the bottom of the stack.

I took a good look at it and said, "It's a little not straight."

Then moments later of course said, "But it's okay, it's meant to be that way."

So now slider things and bracket in hand, I went back to the other side of the garage. "Hanger thing, hanger thing, hanger thing for what, I've got a billion things that could be called hanger things."

Laughed out loud at myself some more. But kept looking. There were three things on my list.

And thus far I only had four. Because, much like Steve Martin in The Jerk, I also found a hose hanging bracket that I could use once I got my drill out after the retractable extension cord was in place. And grabbed a can of spray paint for the bracket.

So I looked at everything on the wall in my garage figuring what I was seeking would become apparent once I saw it. And after a few moments it was. It was the hanger thing for the retractable extension cord. I grabbed it, a glass of Gatorade on my way through the kitchen, and came back out to the porch.

Put everything down, put my drink by the list, and noticed nothing I had just done was on, nor supported anything on, the aforementioned DL.

Got home on time last night from Kansas City. This was a bit of a surprise, really.

Got to the airport and saw my flight was delayed 45 minutes. So I read and people watched for a bit, then went through security and walked the short walk to the gate.

A man there was talking very very loudly into his bluetooth.

I wonder about people like this.

Just unaware how loud they are? Or intentionally loud to get attention. Intentionally broadcasting a work conversation so we think gosh he must be important?

Me, I was listening to the conversation. He was using full names, company names, and talking about meeting details.

We did in fact board 45 minutes late. I was in seat 1C and dude on phone was in 2D. He was still on the phone when we walked onto the plane, and the flight attendant rolled her eyes at me as he walked by. I nodded sympathetically and said I was going to tweet his conversation.

I put my bags away, and got my phone. And started tweeting his conversation. Flight attendant came and asked me if I wanted something to drink, and saw I was actually doing it. And laughed.

Through further listening in on his conversation with his seatmate, the woman seated right behind me, I learned lots of other things.

How long he's been married, how many grandkids he has, what his house looks like, how smart he really is, how little he really thinks of his wife, and that the man considered himself "above average." He told his seatmate that no one could do what he does, with the sucess he's had, if they weren't above average. Then he says his wife is below average.

The guy tells his seatmate that he blew through six million dollars by the time he was 44 years old That's why he's still working. Then he says that his wife's father never earned more than 10 dollars an hour his whole life.

And the woman seated beside him just egged him on the whole way, agreeing that his wife seemed not to understand him, and gee what a good grandfather he seems to be.

Right before we took off, the flight attendant told me that she had refused to serve him a drink while he was on his phone. Apparently he tried to get her attention but she ignored him. I wanted to hug her.

Once we landed and got out of our seats, the guy who had been sitting across the aisle from me, and who was now behind me in the line to get off the plane asked me loudly what was up with that dude.

I answered that I did not know, but that I was sure glad to hear that he was above average.

Despite the delayed departure, we were mostly on time. I ambled leisurely to my next gate and had a seat.

A few minutes later a guy walked up and stood standing, talking to another guy who was seated a few seats down from me.

Guy standing up had shorts on, and something about those calves seemed familiar.

Couldn't get a good look at his face however, and he started to walk away.

I saw the walk and knew it was Bruce, a guy I dated for two years. When they called the flight I walked down toward the gate by myself. Bruce was a ways away talking to his friend or coworker again, and then looked my way. Did a double take, smiled, and walked back toward me.

We got on the plane. He was one seat up and one seat over, until he got up and took the seat beside me. We chatted the short flight home.

Got off the plane, down the escalator, said our goodbyes, he went one direction, I went the other.

Thinking there was a time in my life when he was the only one I wanted. And I sure am glad that it didn't work out.

With any of the three Bruces.