On flying during high-terror-threat alerts

Am I wrong for feeling this way?

Okay, so I took it upon myself to move 3000 miles away from my parents about 2 years ago. Nobody made me to it; it was my decision and had absolutely nothing to do with a job or anything like that. Just wanted a change of scenery.

My dad has a big bug up his butt about the city where I chose to live (long story there but it was a big slap in the face for him). Consequently, he refuses to visit me. Yet, he's 83 years old, my mom is not alive and he is married to a woman he doesn't get along with, and there is both a spoken and unspoken guilt trip imposed if I don't go to see him for the ACTUAL Christmas Day. But the thing is, I took a consulting project in THEIR CITY and have been flying back and forth there almost every week for 15 months, just so I can see them more often. This fall, I was away from my house every single week except for 2, and some weekends, either in Philly or in S. America. I just got back on Saturday. I have to go down to S. America again for work in 2 weeks, and will have to stay for 7 weeks solid. The last thing I want to do is get on a plane tonight. Especially given the terror warnings.

Mind you, although I like Christmas, I don't get bent out of shape if it's nothing more than a phone call and maybe a nice dinner at home. Doesn't have to be on the EXACT day, though. However, I'm being a bit hypocritical when I say that, but will save that topic for another time.

Anyway, to make a short story long, I'm going to Philly. I'm leaving tonight at 7pm, arrive in Philly tomorrow at 6am, and my flight back leaves at 5:50pm, arriving in Portland at midnight. They can't say I didn't spend Christmas with them. But I have to say, I'm trying to figure out what to do with my resentment so that it doesn't come gushing out after the first sip of my mimosa tomorrow morning. I'm resentful that they won't visit me, even though neither of them work. I'm resentful that they didn't say "look honey, I know that you're not home very often, so why don't we celebrate Christmas one of the weeks when you're here" (which is often, b/c of the job). I'm resentful that they aren't calling me today to say "honey, we're concerned about the terror threat alert, and we don't want you to take the risk of flying tonight".

I have made it clear that my preference is to stay home for all of the reasons above. I'm good about speaking my mind. But I'm bad about just saying NO when it comes to something that's supposed to be all about family, because when my dad says "this could be my last Christmas".... I know that he could be right. I don't particularly get along with my dad, but I do love him and he is my only parent left. I know that once he goes, I will be so filled with guilt and regret that I will need serious therapy. I've worked on this with my therapist a lot this year already and it has helped a bit, but I am feeling very conflicted right now.

I just wanted to get it off my chest. No reply needed unless you know some way of cheering me up. Jokes are good.

We are ALL going to be a-ok!

nothing like stubbing your right toe to get the corn on your left foot to stop bothering you.

how about thinking how soon you will get to do your 2003 taxes?

Yes, dear friends, it is tax time again.

there is a painful contrast.

sorry if this does not help.

<font color=blue>[b] Wherever you go, there you are[b]<font color=blue>

I get it. Wah wah wah. Sigh.

We are ALL going to be a-ok!

Sounds like you are traveling quite a bit, but at least you are not as bad off as this guy:

He's spent a year traveling all around the world. When he finally returns home he feels a little rundown. He thinks it might just be jetlag but he decides it would be best to see a doctor just in case.

The doc gives hims a full exam, blood workup, x-rays, everything. The next day the doc calls the guy to give him the results.

"I have bad news," the doc says. "The reason you are feeling rundown is because it seems you have picked up several infectious and highly contagious diseases while you were traveling. From your blood tests you have contracted ebola, SARS and legionaires disease."

The guy stumbles for a minute. "What can I do? Can I be cured? Can you treat me?"

The doc tells him "This is what I want you to do. Come immediately to the hospital. We are going to set up a special quarantine room for you. You won't be able to have any visitors or any direct contact with anyone. You will stay in this protected room, and we will feed you a special diet of pancakes and flounder..."

The guy interupts "Pancakes and flounder? Will that help cure me?"

"No." replied the doc. "but they're the only things i can think of right now that we can fit under the door."
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Hope that cheers you up at least a little. Speaking as someone who can really relate, especially to the fear of going volcanic as soon as someone says anything... (that's kind of where I am now with respect to work and friends) at least try to have a good time there, remember the holiday. And maybe try to be sure you are occupied on the plane with a book or hobby or something so that you are at least not thinking about it the during the trip. In general do you like flying? Take the travelling time as a chance to relax during the flight if you can.

Good luck and hope it works out well

-- The world is what we make of it --
-- Dave
-- <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.idexter.com>http://www.idexter.com</A>

DEXTER! Thanks! Loved the joke! Hope you don't mind if I pass it on!

I hate flying. Feels like the biggest waste of time to me. They say that the odds if dying in a plane crash are way less than in a car crash -- but as often as I fly (pretty much weekly), feels like Russian Roulette to me. Plus no internet - ack. I usually down a couple of Tylenol PM and force myself to make use of the sleep opportunity. I can only read so much and if I tried to bring enough books to occupy 8 hours of flying each way, it violates my "travel light" policy.

Sigh.

They haven't cancelled my flight yet. The Air France thing is enough to rattle me, of course.

Sigh sigh.

Happy Holidays all

We are ALL going to be a-ok!