It occurred to be a little bit ago, while dreading a meeting today, that one of the things that contributes to my general fustration level with certain people is that all I hear is complaints really. Todays meeting is another meeting for the yet to be launched new web site for the library and there is yet anothher list of questions and complaints…
It would be so nice to have people ocassionally come by my desk and say, “hey john, today I used ____ that you created for us and it helped me help this person with ____”. As it is, I can’t remember the last time that happened with our library staff. Other departments, yes. People from across the planet, yes. People I’ve never even met, yes. People I work with daily, constantly supporting, nope. All I get are complaints. Its no wonder I have no patience for it anymore.
Now that I recognise this as part of the problem what do I do about it? I used to keep an email folder with thank you messages from the librarians, but deleted it in a fit of depression/ fustration since it had no more than 10 messages in it over a five year period…
Its hard to be positive and upbeat to people when the first thing that comes to mind when you see or hear them coming towards you is, “what’s wrong now…”.
I guess maybee I’m just not cut out for this… Or perhaps I just need a change, although I can’t see a change making any difference in the long run really. People tend to be the same evreywhere.

When is the last time you have said thank you to people that keep your daily life functioning?

There’s secretarys day, bosses day, etc… Hell there is even “sysadmin appricieation day”… Did you know the last time anyone ever said anything to me on that day was years ago, probably the year it was created?

Ok its time to go to work… I’m sick, its storming out, and I’m tired, I guess I’m just feeling sorry for myself.

Guy in 20B get you leg off me… Seriously there’s barely enough room in my seat area for me, spreading your legs wide and then because you are bored bouncing you damn leg making it rub agaisnt mine for hours is going to get you punched. Your wife is in seat 20A play with her not me. Also, your seat space ends at the armrest not 6 inches over the edge. Your damn boney elbow in my gut or back is really uncomfortable.

Kid in 19B when your mother says “I think someone has to go to the bathroom” that means you… Stop trying to hold it and stinking up the area worse than a bristol privy on a 100 degree day… Planes have lavatories… Use it!!!
Mom in 19A… I don’t care how special you think little Shawn is, when he’s not getting the hint about his bowl movements… Just take him…

Steward dude, when you are dancing at the drink cart… Please don’t forget that you have passengers right behind you… I did not enjoy your rear end wiggling right in my face for a full 12 seconds…

To the woman sitting somewhere around row 14… Turing side to side past each row as you attempt to squeeze by doesn’t help make you less annoying. In fact it makes you more so because every time you turn you end up hitting someone else. Turn sideways, stay that way and walk like the rest of us…

To the woman who was at the lavatory before me, I’m waiting behind your husband in the isle so you can sit back down, you aren’t doing me any favors by turning back around and heading back to stand in front of the door I want in so we can then try to squeeze two people in the isle… Its not rocket science… Sit down and get out of the isle!!!

Sigh….

I’m sick, I’m crabby, and I’m tired of being on an airplane…

Seriously, I am done with air travel for a while I swear to god every freaking person on this flight has shoved their posterior in my face. I know I’m grumpy cause I’m sick so I’m probably just more sensative but damn! It seems like they all choose my row to pass by each other too. I can’t tell you how many times I’m been pushed at prodded sat on or run into while trying to sit in my seat!!! 2+ hours to go… I may survive it…

I’m in the air on my 3 hour flight to alaska from seattle. This plane has direct tv in every seat just swipe your card for $6 to use it. I’m not…
For the first time I can remember in years I have an open seat next to me. I have the armrest up and don’t feel cramped. The woman in the window seat and I have both clamed the middle seat for our possesions and therefor have decent legroom too.
The are bringing around the meal of a salad and a turkeydog now.

I have landed safely in Seattle, now wandering the airport to get to my next gate. I have 2 hours or so to kill…

“Up in the air” is over. I wasn’t horribly impressed. It was actually kind of depressing if you ask me. George Clooneys character may have learned a little bit about life I suppose but ultimatly he seemed worse off for the events in the movie. The other characters didn’t seem much better off either. I guess I am happy I don’t fly for a living but, whatever.

Well, I’m in flight. The plane is pretty nice, multiple LCDs for the movie. (”Up in the air”) the one stewardass seems intent on running into me at every opportunity.
The seats are comfortable though, and so far so good.

I am currently sitting in Ohare Airport, gate C11 awaiting the boarding call for my flight to Seattle, the 1st half of my trip to Alaska. So far I’ve not had any real problems getting through security or anything. I did once again forget to remove my cellphone before heading throught the metal detector… Oh well, these things happen.

We are currently about mid flight on the flight home. What a wonderful trip.

Now at five hours into the flight Jon pointed out the window. I looked down and the cloud cover had parted and below us was a frozen landscape unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Greenland. Despite the desolation the ice revealed hills and valleys and windswept patters that from this distance just seemed so beautiful.

Just over two hours to go. Except it may be longer or worse. Just a few moments ago the flight attendants asked if there was a Dr on the plane. Seconds later a man passed is with two stewardesses. As I was writing this another stewardess ran past with the AED… This could get interesting. They just announced that they are distributing the customs forms. I suspect we may divert to newark… If that’s the case, this will be the second time I’m visiting Newark with Bounding Main. A member of the flight crew itself headed to the rear of the plane, presumably to assess the situation. Currently our heading is still on track for Chicago so we may still end at our correct destination.

Nope, 1:52 remaining and we have been informed we will be diverting to Toronto. After taking care of the sick passenger we will take off again and continue to Chicago.

It is now 7:04 chicago time and we have arrived in Toronto. We are taxiing into position to allow EMS to retrieve our sick passenger. After that the flight computer is projecting about a 40 minute flight to chicago.

I’m now at the final bounding main concert in poland this trip. The show is going well. Maggie even got cake from fans, despite asking for a cat! Christie got a coke… Somehow it doesn’t seem quite balanced awesome audience though.

We had a guy next to me that picked up on the chorus to “Toss and Roll”, David’s original song and began to sing it in broken english. He just had a look of joy on his face, when I saw that I joined in and he smiled ear to ear. Way to cool!

After “rolling up rolling down” the whole bar errupted into the polish version! Bounding main is definitly a hit!

As I write this line they are on the second encore!
The First was: Health to the Company
Second is Saltpeter Shanty
Third encore! Wow! Farewell to Tarwathee

Now after the show a shanty sing broke out! I have to thank Bounding Main for insisting that I come out from behind the camera and lead one! Holy crap was the the coolest moment ever! I lead, “Long time ago”. Bounding Main quickly joined in, and then before very long so did the whole room full of poles. It was quite cool!

So I just fell down the highest viewpoint in krakow. I’m fine aside from being covered in mud. Now on our way to the salt mine!

Opened with toss and roll, the jokes and humor worked well, the audience loved it.
The audience is really receptive to them, lots of laughter and cheering.
Second song is Dean’s solo, “call of the sea”. The audience seems to be trying to find a beat to clap to in it but I see a lot of swaying along so that’s probably good. Audience cheered but not as loud. Honestly it didn’t sound as clear as it should have.

Next up, “hezigon ciscele”. Croud is really clapping along to it, and I swear I hear a lot of them singing along! Cool! Looking down from the balconey I see a LOT of folks singing alon! Oh no! This just in! The weakest link has been used! Christie flubbed a verse!

For not knowing the language they are definity engaging the audiencr very well!

Next up is “green eyed girl” and again the audience is clapping in time and even adding in some complex rhythems in with the clapping?!? Wow!

“Barbershop shantyl” is up now, let’s see how this goes. . They gang sounds at the top of their game, the crowd is mostly quiet. I see some folks dancing though… Good amount of applause though.

“Northwest Passage”, let’s see if this is as well received as in germany. The couple in front of me just cuddled in closer to each other. I see again that some folks are singing along. I just had shivers down my spine, I hear the crowd singing along!!! And they just burst into clapping in time and the place is ringing with voices singing along in polish and english! Holy Crap! Wow! Crowd Just broke into northwest passage in polish for Bounding main after the song was over!!!!!!!
“Marching Inland” as a closing encore! As expected there are also folks singing along to it. Jons comedy verse is jetting applause with each hammy moment. They don’t know that if they keep it up Jon may never leave the stage

All costumed performes just took the stage for a group photo op .
“Bounding Main was a very pleasure for us”

I’m now at the afternoon traditional shanty show and loving every minute of it.
Tom Lewis just did Marching Inland…
And the wreck of the nancy lee, followed by last shanty. |bn

This could be bad…
The show tonight is supposed to be modern shanties…
Uh… Well Bounding Main prepared their more modern shanties…
The opening act dressed in pirate garb, just started out with a cover of a Green Day song…
They are very rock oriented… Yikes… This could break bad for our troup of Shanty singers…

Next troup is up, and they too are playing rock songs… Yikes!!!
I really fear this is not going to be what this audience is expecting to hear… Rut Ro…

On a side note, I really have got to just fully trust my instincts… As I was leaving the hotel room I found myself drawn to a pair of earplugs I left on the table. I felt the need to bring them and I ignored it. As loud as this is getting, I should have brought them… As a dear friend who is also a pilot is fond of saying: “nothing is so useless as fuel on the ground”. Seems to apply here…

Group number three is now taking the stage and I see an electric bass, accordion. And two accoustic gutairs. I fear they won’t be much different…
Well its not quite full rock, its like country-rock. Oy. Hey song two by this group is actually shanty like! Woooohooo even includes a “Wey Hey” song three by this group is “when Johnny comes marching home again”, Bounding Main may be more fitting if they are up after these guys…

Phew Bounding Main is up now! Massive cheer as they took the stage! Wish em luck!

The band currently playing is playing irish tunes in polish! I LOVED their version of “Star of the County Down”, they also did a version of Donnegal danny I believe.

I’m currently at the Saturday earlyer show. Its not a shanty show per say, but rather seems to be a showcase of music that has influenced the people. It was very cool to have heard “St. James Infirmary” done in a mixture of polish and english! Love the song anyway but its so cool to see how music is truly universal. The band started the first few notes and there was a wave of excited murmering from all over the audience, my self included. Here I am 1000s of miles away from home and am able to share the excitement and joy of a great song with a group of strangers who speak a foreign language.
Music, the universal language of the soul.

P.S. Just heard “when the saints go marching in” in polish. Way cool!

Today we all met up around 10am local time to have breakfast in the hotel resturaunt. While there we met up with our friend Powel and then later we were joined by the legendary Tom Lewis. After breakfast the group reassembled to do some touring of the city center.
After touring and shopping we returned to the hotel so bounding Main could rehearse for tonights concert at 10 pm.

We landed without any trouble at Krakows wondfull airport. We were met by festival organizers we then rode straight to the concert hall for sound check. After sound check we checked into our hotel, a lovely hotel right off the city center of Krakow. We then rested for a bit before taking cabs to the show.
The evening concert was phenominal, I’ve never seen such an audience. It was so incredible to see such fandom, and to hear so many old favorite songs sung in Polish!!! Paddy lay back, marching inland, lukeys Boat… Wow wow wow!

Bounding main was LOVED the audience erupted and demanded an encore!

Well it’s 2:18 am Chicago time, we have had breakfast and there is about an hour left in the flight. Then a short layover, and another hour long flight. I managed to get a little sleep earlier although it was in short bursts due to the comfort level of the seats. Oh well, its still more sleep than I got on the Germany flight. Dare I say I’m becoming accostomed to all this?
Scary thought!

This post is from about half way into the flight. The baby has quieted thankfully. David and I are going stir crazy in our seats. One major thing we are missing is the little air jets to give you fresh air blowing on you. Very fustrating.
Also wish I could have brought a giant bottle of water as I’m parched…