Feline Forum: Day One, Wild Blue Yonder

It was tough to leave home and to leave Bob, Huggy and Gracie, since they're ALL on meds of one sort ot another. Sam assured me he'd look after everyone and truly Bob did seem much better after...cough...giving him that damn metacam!

Last night began the final countdown to having to fly. I told myself over and over that this will pass by quickly. The flight isn't that long, just over 2 hours. Even if there's turbulence, it's normal. We aren't going to spin out of control and smash into the ground...well probably not (not to jinx here!). I MUST do this. I must get over my fear so I can really get out there and meet people, have fun, have adventures! Isn't that what life is all about?

So I stuffed down another Xanax in the middle of the night, when I woke up feeling the panic tickle my gut. When I woke up at 8am, the tightness was there but no where near where I expected it to be. I went through the motions of most every day, feed the cats, scoop the poop, give the pills out, get showered and dressed. I focused on only having to be at our Director's house by 10:30 and nothing more. So what if I was bringing suitcases with me??! That's when I realized I needed to take the full Xanax. I could feel myself getting ready to flip out. Normally, I would have been in the bathroom 50 times, had the burning squirts, not eaten, then taken a fist full of immodium to shut my arsehole down so I could just make it to the airport without stopping 15 times (which I actually had to DO once and I missed the flight---big surprise there, right?)

I was 8 minutes late and our Director busted my balls! I think she was kidding, then I think she wasn't. I said goodbye to Sam. Funny we never say; "I love you" any more and of course since this was life or death, the "I love you's" came out in full force.

We made it to Westchester, a TINY airport with only one? gate? There's no jetway. You walk up steps to get on the planes! So cute! Our Director packed, like, ah, a pair of underwear and I needed to check my bag for which she gave me grief. Then I found out our other Director had to check HER bag, so off we went to check bags. There was NO way my suitcase was going to fit on the overhead of an Embarer? TINY-ASS plane.

Time was passing quickly and we got through the security checkpoint and basically got right onto the plane-the plane with about 40 seats. Two seats down one side, one seat down the other. I sat by myself, heart racing, but bunghole was quiet. I hit my head sitting down. I'm 5'5"! This plane was so SMALL, the Flight Attendant had to change where some people sat to keep the weight distribution even!!!!!!! Oh yeah, this is gonna be great.

To late to turn back. I put on my sound reducing headphones, even if i couldn't have my iPhone on with music just yet. I took a deep breath as we taxied. No waiting at a small airport and whooooosh...off we went!

Oh boy!!! I did NOT NOT NOT LIKE THIS!!!!!! I TOOK A DEEP BREATH and tried not to freak out. The Flight Attendant said we could put our many devices back on so I quickly turned my iPhone on, hit the iPod button and chose Beyonce who sang about "if you like it why didn't you put a ring on it," while I pretended to be one of the backup dancers. I tried to read "The Autobiography of a Fat Bride," by Laurie Notaro. She's awesome. Somehome between Laurie, the 1.5 Xanaxes? Xanai?, Beyonce singin' "oh oh oh"...I started to calm down.

There was some turbulence, more than a few times, but it wasn't bad.I told myself that I'm living my life. I'm not hiding. I'm doing it. Yes, I feel uncomfortable, but it will be over, we will land, I will be fine. I even paid enough attention to really read my book, instead of stare at the pages. I didn't sit with my feet firmly on the floor, fearful that if I moved them, the plane would crash! No. I rocked out. I looked out the window. I saw Lake Erie, then the hazy outline of Chicago another thirty minutes later. I was doing it. It was almost done. I even saw my friend, Trevor's condo! It's got vertical stripes on it and it's downtown. You can see it from Mars, I think.

We began our descent and I got happier and happier, the closer to the ground we got. Wow. What a thrill. I actually made it!

Next, a quick trip to the Marriott, which shockingly did not live up to the FANCY photos of the rooms as I had hoped. It's more in line with a...err...dump, but it seems that the other half we're not in is nice-hence our cheap room rate, I'm guessing. It's $13 / day to get online! What a rip! My room is damp, BUT I have a door to get to the courtyard and the pools. It's kind of nice though I'm on the first floor so I have to remember not to prance (have I ever pranced?) around nekkid!Oh yeah, and every so often a PLANE almost LANDS on the hotel it's flying so LOW. I may have to be on Xanax daily. No way I'm gonna forget about flying for a few days!

We had a quick bite in the "sports bar" at the hotel, which was greasy, had a gillion tv's all set to different channels and bad 1970's music playing. It was an A.D.D.-Sports-Freak-Heaven Needless to say, we didn't eat much and could not wait to leave. I'm seriously regretting I didn't get a rental car. There's little around here, other than a grocery store where I was lucky enough to pit stop so I could load up on crappy snacks to tide me over.

Before I knew it, it was time to head to the Registration desk for the Feline Forum! Check in took less than 30 seconds. These gals are on the job! The Grand Ballroom, where the mixer was held, was quite Grand, indeed, filled with veggies and cheese and fruit and a few hundred people! I started to wonder if you totaled it up, how many cats all the folks in this room had saved...then, of course...how many had died, too. Sorry, but you know how it goes..you can save lots and you have to put down lots...well, we don't! But...just sayin'.

So we made it. We were on time. Looks like a good group. Tomorrow classes start. I am ready to get some rest and kick it tomorrow. I met one of our CiCH friends tonight and that was very cool! Hope to make some new friends tomorrow and learn lots.

By the way, Bob is doing well today, I'm told. I think he's out of the woods after his fall. Dr Whitney called and said his Thyroid levels were NORMAL. WHOOhoo! ALT will be rechecked in two weeks. Otherwise it's all good.

Ooo! I just found the room service menu! Will write more tomorrow! Good night!