Chuck's Chat - Welcome to December 2024

My what a difference a mere fifteen inches or so of rain makes! Our pond constructed in January 2023 is finally full. The creek has water in it again, and the grass in the pasture has greened up. Now I know where the good grass is, and where I need to do some renovating. I wanted to get that done this fall, but also wanted to wait for some rainfall. Now the ground is too wet, and with shorter days and lower temperatures, it looks like I’ll have to wait until spring. Oh well, I can still burn the brush piles and get ready to build/rebuild some fence.

For various reasons, I had the opportunity to do some air travel this year. I spent a little time in Tulsa, Dallas, Pensacola, New Orleans, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Spokane, and Seattle airports. It’s somewhat comical to witness the varying degrees of TSA scrutiny. In some places, the workers are quite helpful; accommodating, and otherwise willing to help make your trip a pleasant experience. In others, it seems as though the TSA’s function is to create as much confusion, frustration, and whatever else they can do to help delay your desire and need to catch the next flight. There really ought to be some kind of standardization to their routines. But I’m not gonna be the one to do it because I’d have to fly from place to place, and I’ve done my share this decade.

I really miss the personal treatment onboard as well. Once upon a time, one flight attendant would actually describe the procedures for buckling the seatbelts, how to use the drop down mask in the event of the loss of cabin pressure (huh?), and describe where the emergency exits are located while a couple other attendants did show and tell. Now, it’s a recording that plays, and you are directed to look in the airplane’s descriptive literature for the exit locations. They don’t even thank you for choosing whichever particular airline you flew with. “We know you have a choice in flying, thank you for choosing __________” Nope, just “Be careful opening the overhead compartments as some baggage may have shifted.” Right. Have you ever seen the number of improperly sized luggage crammed into the overhead bin? Ain’t no way that cargo is shifting anywhere. And by the way, in the unlikely event of an emergency water landing, have the seat cushions been tested for flotation, or am I just supposed to take their word?

And another thing, if they loaded passengers onto planes like we load livestock, boarding time could be cut in half. Load the last row first, then fill the plane from back to front. That way the luggage bins are loaded in an orderly manner, and I wouldn’t have to return dirty looks to the first-class folks sipping their complimentary cocktail while I make my way to seat 37D. Oh, and folks already seated wouldn’t get smacked by a fifty-pound backpack loosely slung over some yuppie’s shoulders. Good grief!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

And bring back the Sky Mall magazine!

Until next month,

Chuck Voelker