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me and charlotte sitting in a tree

and what i mean by that is the charlotte airport, which is my favorite airport in the country. which is great since i spent 6 hours there when my already long lay-over was extended due to a mysterious delay. there have been times in my life when that kind of delay would really upset me, but today it was great, because i had my computer to do some work, i had a book to read, and it was this particular airport.

the charlotte airport has a brookstone with the latest massage chair model – the one with a hand and arms massaging part! i kicked off my shoes and did some deep tissue and shiatsu work. i have gotten to the place where i don’t mind enjoying the massage chair to the full out extent as long as possible – until someone taps me and asks if i am interested in buying the chair. interested yes, in possession of $4,000 for a chair, no.

i rock the chair like it is in my home, even though it is a display chair so people walk by and comment, facially. the women generally smile that wry american grin of shame…’look, she’s clearly enjoying herself…jezebel. i want to do that but my husband stickbooty would frown upon it.’

9 out of 10 men look at the breasts only and keep walking. this stat is of course just based on one afternoon in north carolina, but still, isn’t that how most stats on the american male are documented?

this airport also has a chili’s where a girl can put away two el nino margaritas and a bowl of soup and no one bats an eye even if its before noon. AND it has rocking chairs by windows all throughout the place, lots of light and very little construction. and no real internet connection to speak of, so all i could do was work without the distraction of gaim (my encrypted consolidated chat program where i can see aim, yahoo, msn, etc all on one list! gracias satya!) or email.

then i arrived in south carolina where i was picked up by my two stunning sisters and whisked off to dinner at – can you guess? OLIVE GARDEN!! o.g. has significant sentimental value in my family – as does burger king and i can’t even start on dominos. when we were in the u.s. and could get this type of marvelous exotic over-the-top food it was a miracle. those breadsticks make me think of a time when eating out was a special event for special occasions – as opposed to now when it’s breakfast, lunch and dinner.

and this WAS a special event, for this was the official brown sisters meeting with april’s big football boyfriend stanley. he was completely sweet and the two of them were giddy and comfortable together and overall it was just sickeningly cool. stanley is ranked the 12th or 13th defensive lineman in the country right now and stands a good chance of going pro. he’s got a thick louisiana accent and his appeal is like that of the rock, all cocked brow and bulk.

tomorrow the loungefest officially begins, which basically consists of my sisters and i seeing who can go the longest without getting dressed, cleaning, or moving in any way from the couch where we are watching scarface, the godfather, and whatever else is in april’s collection. i cannot put into words how much i have needed this time and looked forward to it. everyone should have something, or some people, comparable to this in life. and be grateful for it.

this is thanksgiving week, where everyone in the progressive community tries to outdo each other by coming up with something else to call it. happy whatever you end up calling it. be grateful for your history and your present and your future.