I'm Baaaack

I know it's been a while. One reader actually emailed me to say that this blog has been stagnant since July. My apologies - I was busy feeling sorry for myself as I imitated Linda Blair in "The Exorcist" and moped around (well, really just moped around in my bedroom, since I rarely left the house for a couple of months).

I'm sure everyone will be happy to know that even though I am still green, I have a bit more energy and so am able to leave the house for a good 20 minutes at a time. YEAH! In fact, I even committed to a business trip at a location that was not too far away, and I took out the maternity business wear and packed up the old backpack for the trip.

Most business travelers will tell you: It's not the flight that is the actual thorn in their sides, but the delays before you even leave the ground. In my case, I had a connecting flight that I missed due to a six-hour delay at the airport for my departing flight. The official reason was "maintenance." We were finally sent to another gate via shuttle, where we were squished into a tiny plane, moved around to "weight" the plane properly, and were on our way. On the way back, the delay was due to "high winds earlier in the day" - luckily, I only arrived two-and-a-half hours later than expected. So, do I mind travel? Nope. Do I mind flight delays? YES. Most important, though: Would I rather be grounded than have my plane fall from the sky and crash into the Atlantic Ocean or into Anytown, USA? Absolutely - ground me anytime if there is danger to us by being in the air.

To pass the time, I purchased the book "My Sister's Keeper" at a newstand. This is a move I now regret, as I spent most of my four flights hysterically crying and blowing my nose. On Flight #2, the woman next to me quietly requested that the flight attendant move her to a different seat. On the last leg (where I read the final chapter), the gentleman sitting next to me was so ruffled by my behavior that he spilled his drink all over the poor guy in the aisle seat. The crying continued for the rest of the flight, even as I listened to my iPod, as I had "flashbacks" of the final scenes of the book in my head. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have listened to all of those sad songs on repeat from the soundtrack of the original movie version of "Fame," but hey, I was already crying, so I needed some mood music.

On the book itself: Two thumbs up. Just make sure you have plenty of tissues handy.

Oh, and by the way, in case you were wondering: I am now 4 1/2 months' pregnant with Baby Boy #5! He's already rolling around in there when he hears his brothers playfighting on Mommy's bed. I'm sure he'll jump right in as soon as he's able to.