Plog Number 25
Vacation Anyone?
Hello fellow Ploggers. I am happy to say that I am back from a lovely week of vacation. It has been fun, exhausting, exacting and a huge adventure. I was fortunate to be able to take my daughter to Las Vegas as a Graduation trip. I know that we don’t all have the opportunity to vacation so I won’t go on about the fun we had. But I will comment on things that it taught both of us.
It was certainly a politically news worthy time. Between the 8th January 6th hearing shown in Prime Time rather than the afternoon, and news about the conviction of Steve Bannon for Contempt of Court, I was absolutely giddy. The House passing the federal abortion protection law. The bill hasn't gone to the Senate yet. As predicted politicians like 45 and Cruz sent out blurbs about the states needing to decide the issue of same sex marriages. That is a total foreshadowing of what the Supremes will do in the fall. I didn’t spend a lot of time in the room watching TV, but what I did see was great. I will have to catch up on recorded shows and what happened. Believe me I will be Plogging about it in upcoming days.
Traveling is an adventure and a lesson in being persistent, patient, calm but kind all that the same time. If you want any” extras “ have to maintain your “nicest” interview persona. Quite a trick when you are unbelievably pissed. I was struck by how the counter people at airlines and hotels have to deal with very stressed out and unhappy people, but most of them do their best. I observed people with young kids and babies and their burdens and was glad that those days are behind me. I am sure we have all heard about cancelled and delayed flights, all blamed on the aftermath of Covid. It is at least partially true. You can see that staffing is not great, so fewer people have to do more work. I personally believe that the hotel industry is trying hard to make up for any profits they lost during Covid on the backs of us brave travelers today. If you plan to travel just take extra money. They are counting on it. NO deal is for the price that you were quoted. That price is simply the hook for the bait and switch that is coming your way. Hotels are famous for incidentals, taxes and resort fees that they charge DAILY. Airlines charge you for actual seats (isn't that what the ticket is for?), carry on or checked bags, name changes (if you hyphenate) taxes, insurance and more. The cheaper the airfare, the more charges they tack on just for basic service. That $69 ticket soon comes up to $200 for the same seat with no whiff of free food or refreshment on the plane.
But despite all that I just said, I am glad I got away and got out to see the world and enjoy a different perspective. The world has both great beauty and ugliness. I wanted my daughter to see some of both these things, and she did. We arrived back home on a Red-eye at 0500. There was no one to pick us up, so we took the RTA Rapid train to the end of the red line which landed us in East Cleveland. I pointed out a picture of the late Stephanie Tubbs Jones in the RTA station and took time to explain to Sophie who she was and that she gave me my first job as an attorney. She was a great person, but I digress. I knew this route well since I used to work downtown and took it all the time. As a Prosecutor I headed a Federal grant for gang activity in the City of East Cleveland, so this was my old stomping ground. My daughter thought we were going into an episode of “Boys in the Hood” or “Get Mugged by the Homeless Guy Asleep on the Bench” LOL. But we were fine. No one noticed us. I find that people are too busy with their own lives to worry about yours or mine. But you do have to keep your eyes and ears open. When we finally took a Lyft from EC to our home, the Lyft car was a beat up old Chevy Impala with poor shocks and some weird clunky sound when we drove around. This guy had a BUCKET!, yet was working at 0700 so I was not mad at him at all. All the Lyfts in Vegas were either shiny Honda Civics, or cute Kia Souls or sturdy Toyota Camry’s. They used much nicer cars there because, after all it was Las Vegas. Such a stark contrast. But real life versus vacation usually is.
I have much to plog about but find myself feeling tired and in need of a Target run for some basics. Until next time stay strong and RECLAIM!
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