Wordle 764

 

Overconfidence

Or why you're always disappointed. 

On Marti Gras in New Orleans a couple of days ago, my wife and I were having a very nice meal at a Mediterranean place, when a woman came in and parked herself at the booth nearest the entrance.  She didn't order any food at the counter in the back but she did start a very loud phone call.  It was loud enough that I feel much more as if it was an intrusion by her, than eavesdropping by me--We were two booths away.

The woman had a toddler with her, in a stroller and was talking with her mom.  The upshot was that she wanted to be picked up.  She kept repeating, "I'm not going there, I was just there".  My thinking went along the lines:

1. What bearing on anything does your having been to place your mom wants to pick you up at have?  

2. Rather than repeat the same uninformative line, it might be better to explain why.  For instance:

    -That place is far away and I'm too tired to travel all the way back there.

    -That place is behind a bunch of roadblocks and you won't be able to get to it by car.

I think the same overconfidence, or perhaps entitlement that made the woman think it's okay to sit in a busy restaurant for 15 minutes, while arguing loudly and not purchasing anything, would lead her to expect her mom, the person she was asking a favor, to just trust that there was a good reason for not wanting to go back there.  I suspect her only reason was that she was just there--which isn't technically a reason of any kind, it's just an irrelevant fact.

Wordle 763

 

Overhead Bin Space Angst

In my experience, most of the time, gate agents will offer free gate checking for carry-on baggage.  Normally, I gladly accept this offer:  I don't have to deal with my bag or worry about overhead space.  Most of the time they'll take the bag right away, which is great! Sometimes they just apply a tag and instruct you to leave the bag at the end of the passenger boarding bridge.

On our latest flight, the agents came onto the PA and let us know that there could be no gate checking for; (reasons they gave, but I don't remember the term or what it meant) and so passengers were instructed to put their personal items under their seat and load their one allowed carryon, efficiently. Adding to my angst, was that we had budget seats and would be boarding last, or very nearly last.  We have seen passengers put their bags in the first open spot, even though they are seated much further back and given our boarding time, we could easily get screwed by any such psychopath.

As it turns-out, maybe one small vice prevented a much worse vice.  When we got to our seats, there was space in the overhead bins, but only after rearranging some shoddy packing by those before us.  Maybe the psychos were dissuaded by no clearly open spot to colonize. 

Added and only to remind me in 5 years and I've forgotten by then: In the bin above us a duffle bag was in crossways and space was made for our duffle bag by making both of them face with the long axis running aisle to window. The other bin with space way across from us.  A personal sized item was re-arranged so that it was on its narrow side and a coat was put on top of a shallow item.  This made just enough space for our carryon to be placed on its narrow side.

Float Shades

I just wanted to see if these shades, which I collected from a parade float, were functional. I needed to stand where the sun was coming in from the window and there happened to be a mirror on the wall next to the window. They don't work.

Incidentally, we've stayed in many different Air B&B places in New Orleans but this was the first "shotgun" for us.  The first room was a parlor, which lead into a living room, then a bedroom, then the kitchen, then the bathroom and backdoor to a fairly large yard, with an orange tree.  We availed ourselves of 5 of the fruit which were on the ground but not rotten.

Wordle 762

 

wordle 761

 

Wordle 760

 

Wordle 759

 

Wordle 758