First off I should say that I have not flown since the mid 90's.  Wow have things ever changed.  Not just the post 9/11 security issues that everyone must deal with these days, but for the electronic gadgets everyone has!  Holy cow!  I've never seen so many I pods, laptops and cell phones in all my days!  Once the plane landed in Chicago, it was a mad dash for everyone to find POWER!  I was surprised to see people just plugging into the wall receptacles anywhere they could find one.  I guess watching a movie on your lap top is a good way to pass the time, but my goodness, has everyone forgotten the old-fashioned book?  And for the cell phones.  I think EVERYONE has one now and there were more people on them than not!  As it turned out, my cell phone was a life saver (or flight saver) for me.  I was sitting at the wrong gate waiting for Linda C. from Oregon, another Take Peace lister.  We were to meet in Chicago and fly to Hartford, CT together.  They told me when I left home that I needed to check the reader boards once I got there to make sure they didn't change my gate.  I got there, checked it and settled in.  I didn't bother to recheck.  Thank goodness I had emailed my cell phone number to Linda.  She called me from gate C-29 and asked where I was.  I told her I was waiting at the gate for her!  Little did I know, I was at the wrong gate.  Good lesson for this non-traveler!

The whole reason Linda booked the same flight as I had is so we could fly together from Chicago to Hartford.  She even booked the seat next to me.  The night before she left, they changed her ticket and we no longer were sitting next to each other.  As I boarded the plane ahead of her I just kept thinking it wasn't right, so I got on the plane and begged the stewardess to find a way we could sit together.  She did and we were so thankful.  As it turned out, we were on the airplane for 5 hours!  Three and a half on the tarmac and an hour and a half flight.  The time just flew by!  We had no idea.  You see, Linda and I are also in the Annabelle Club.  It's a doll club via the Take Peace list.  We are each making dolls and all of the accessories that go along with her.  I painted Linda's doll and she made me a dress in exchange.  We waited until the plane got in the air before we got our dolls out!  My poor Annabelle was only in her undies and had no hair.  I dressed her on the plane.  The stoic man sitting next to me was less than amused!  We didn't care!  Neither of us could believe we were on our way to the Kindred Spirits Gathering!