staying in one place is for sissies

I'm in Billings now. I head back to the east coast bright and early tomorrow morning. I am pretty excited to go to the airport at 4 in the morning. My plane doesn't leave until 6:30, but the airport security in Montana is unreal. Getting into the airport takes far longer and the procedure is far more thorough than in any big cities where terrorists actually go. Everyone has to wait at the ticketing area until all of their checked luggage is x-rayed and often opened, in front of you, so you can explain anything that looks suspicious. Then you go through the insanely sensitive metal detectors and have to open all your carry-on luggage.

That was back before water was explosive and you could even have carry-on luggage. I feel extremely apprehensive about having to fly all day with no water and nothing to read. Hopefully that aspect of the Heathrow regulations went unnoticed by the Billings authorities. But I doubt it.

So, I have a long layover in Minneapolis and I'm having brunch at the Day By Day. That is going to be a delicious treat in the middle of my dehydrating plane experience. I hope they still let me out of the airport, because otherwise I'm going to be crying in the bathroom for 4 hours.

Then Thursday my favorite friend Kate is flying to DC to have a fun-filled weekend with me. And it turns out that my other favorite friend Chris Koza is going to be playing some music in New York City this week. So Kate and I are taking the Chinatown bus up there on Friday to mingle with famous rock stars and look stylish.

Chris is playing two shows to my knowledge, with his super awesome bandmate Pete. They are both extremely attractive. And talented. And generally wonderful. And good at climbing trees.



One show is Wednesday at Banjo Jim's and the other is Sunday at the Rockwood Music Hall. Everyone should go see them and buy their CDs and compliment them on their haircuts.

Then on Sunday I will go back to Washington and think of useful ways to spend my last week of summer vacation and read murder mysteries and drink beer instead. It's gonna be great. Call me if you want to drink beer with me.