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the charmed life

i am sitting outside security in the new orleans airport. i got some whiskey before the bar closed, and have to down it all before i got thru security…plenty of time tho, as my flight is 3 hours delayed. i get into denver late, will be put up in a hotel, and then finish the trip tomorrow. everyone who i have shared this potentially woeful tale with has said it sucks. but here are the good parts:

1. there’s free wireless in this airport!
2. there’s a live jazz band (albeit playing jazz christmas music) in this sitting area, for a private party happening at one of the airport restaurants (which is such a special idea it nearly makes me cry.)
3. i get to stay in a hotel!
4. i get to travel at least part of the way home tonight, so i don’t have to be on a plane all day tomorrow, which dedicated readers will know is one of the pettest of my peeves.
5. its snowing in denver and i brought my snowboots for the philly-ny parts of this trip!
6. i have lots of work to do and i work best in airports while waiting. well – i work best in bed, second best in airports.

today i worked with the parent organizing group to figure out how they will make decisions, get their calendar/work plans set, determine priorities among all the amazing work they have to do, and continue just falling in love with them – three awesome women from VERY different backgrounds with a shared commitment to better education for new orleans, towards a radically better world.

a singer with a lovely voice is doing an a capella version of white christmas and the whole room is sort of silent and its oddly sweet. the universal appeal of a pretty voice trumps the collective annoyance of delayed travelers for at least a minute.

a too-skinny, remarkably-hot italian guy is asking me for help because he’s managed to land in new orleans with no phone, no computer, no place to stay. just a big smile. i suspect he’s a hustler, he’s too smiley and sweet and abandoned. brainstorming single straight girls in new orleans….ok we got him into a hostel. ciao ciao ciao!

security time, aka take off everything and look silly for no reason time. yay!