Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire

  • Mood:
  • Music:

Safe in Ann Arbor, about to put my princess pants on.

My flight from SFO was both exceedingly eventful and completely uneventful, which is always a fun combination (I'll explain in a second). I was flying Northwest—despite having originally thought that I was flying American, which, it turns out, is actually my airline for DucKon; this is why I try to stick with Virgin America whenever possible—out of SFO. "Northwest out of SFO" is another way of saying "Northwest out of the Torture Terminal." Seriously. There is one crappy coffee shop at the end of the terminal, and there are way more passengers than seats. Pretty much everyone who was taking my flight had to stand until they let us on the plane.

I had a Rice Krispie Treat and a Diet Coke for breakfast. This is how dire the terminal was. I did, however, see a woman with an electric orange and green messenger bag while I was going through security, and I was able to catch up with her to go "I covet that, where did you get it?" Turns out she got it from Timbuk2 in San Francisco, which will make you a bag in any color combination you want. They're not cheap, but I now have a total target for the next time I decide to splurge on something.

(Last year, I splurged and bought an iPod. This year, I splurged and bought a kitten. Next year, who knows? I am the worst impulse shopper in the world—I actually schedule my impulse buys a month in advance.)

On the plane, I was seated next to a very tall woman from Canada. I asked where in Canada, which turned out to be the perfect conversation starter, because we chattered for three hours. Want proof that I exist in a reality-warp? She's works in pandemic planning and preparedness. Seriously! (It wasn't until much later that either of us realized that maybe discussing immunodepressant smallpox, the Black Death, pandemic flu, and how many bodies you can fit in a hockey rink could have gotten us reported as international terrorists. I swear we're not, Homeland Security Monitor Guy. We're just weird.)

My hotel is small, cozy, and conveniently close to downtown. Since I woke up at seven this morning—jet lag? What's that?—being able to go and get a salad and a soda before most of the world was awake was a real blessing. I also found Borders store number one, and bought Queen of Babble Gets Hitched and In the Forest of Hands and Teeth for the flight home. (Did I read everything I brought already? Yes, I did. I swear, my reading speed accounts for more frantic bookstore visits than I like to think about.)

I will now go put on my Disney Halloweentown Princess Pants and get ready for my business meetings, which should be interesting (they always are). And then I meet with Jim and fly on home. I'll be trying to finish Late Eclipses on the plane. So...close...

Catch you soon!
Tags: good things, in the wild, pandemic time, shopping, so the marilyn, travel
  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

  • 26 comments
I remember visiting Michigan when there was only one Borders. I've read good things about In the Forest of Hands and Teeth, though I understand the book isn't as icky as the title. :) Want to get Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, too.

(And yay for safe travel!)
I definitely want to get Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but so does everybody else on the planet, which has made finding it a bit of a bear. I shall endure.
I figured I'd wait until this June 9 event:

http://www.borderlands-books.com/about_events.html

seanan_mcguire

8 years ago

You do know that you are made of awesome, right?
...thank you? (Not confused by the compliment, confused by the cause. Ignore me, I baffle easy.)
I love those sorts of conversations, and I adore the people with whom I can have those sorts of conversations. When I have time, I read medical textbooks for fun. (I, um, have university library fines to prove it.)
Works for me! Seriously, check out The Return of the Black Death: The World's Greatest Serial Killer when you get the chance.
I read a good review of In the Forest of Hands and Teeth in the Sacramento Book Review. I'm interested in your take on it.
It was interesting.
Oh, good, I'll probably want to borrow In the Forest of Hands and Teeth from you -- the reviews are interesting, but I'm not quite convinced it's My Sort of Thing(tm).
It may be more your sort of thing than it was mine, oddly enough.
That is a fantastic plane story.

I never really liked Borders until I moved to Ann Arbor and visited store number one. I'm not sure why it seemed so much nicer than the other stores I'd visited in Hawaii and Missouri, but it was.

I hope you enjoy your visit!
It was lovely. And now I am blessedly home.
"...and how many bodies you can fit in a hockey rink..."

I love you, Seanan.
Dear Seanan,

Here is a pandemic!

Love, Canada.
P.S. Here is an ex-pat Canadian pandemic too!
Thank you, Canada! I love you, too!
I fly Northwest home a lot and could have warned you about the utter lack of terminal amenities for them at SFO. I have learned to stop for breakfast before I get there. On the plus side though, I love the Minneapolis airport, and they tend to be on time.

Only you would end up discussing pandemics on an airplane.
It was awesome. I never have that much fun on airplanes. And she gave me her unopened bottle of Buckley's! (I gave her some dollars, and she was able to buy Pringles. Everybody wins.)
SQUEE GIANT SPIDERS!

Giant spiders are love.