Confessions of a Grandma

Remember when travelling was an adventure and getting there really was half the fun?  Times have certainly changed and not in a good way.  This e-mail excerpt from my sister-in-law made me chuckle in the way you chuckle when you are just relieved it wasn't you:  Just a heads up, Sarasota Airport has one of those body scan machines. Even if they tell you to empty your pockets and you think you did, double check to make sure there isn't the tiniest wad of tissue way down in your pocket. You may be subjected to the pat down around the time another agent is pulling your luggage aside because an odd bomb-shaped jar of marmalade is making everyone suspicious. All the while your spouse is sitting smugly off to one side, pretending not to know you. The first time we went to the Bahamas, we had bartered antique Harley parts for at least part of the weeks rent on a villa.  This must have been late 1990's.  The cost to ship to the Bahamas, plus the duty on the imported ...

A post about teaching social norms by Retired English Teacher  reminded me about the "teacher look." (not me!) For me it is all in the cock of the right eyebrow, the slight degree of narrowing the left eye, and the proper amount of pursing of the lips.  I had it down long before I was teaching, because my younger brothers used to say, "Oh, no, she's giving us the eyebrow,"  when I was being displeased with their shenanigans as kids.  That look earned me those "smoker mouth" wrinkled lips without the smoking, but say what will, the teacher look is effective communication. Now, when we were working, we got in the habit of taking a winter vacation to a warm spot--most often the Bahamas.  This involved a flight from Burlington to Pittsburgh to West Palm Beach to Marsh Harbour.  Since we travelled during school vacation, there were always lots of families with young children on at least the first leg.  While waiting for boarding, Mike got...