Friday morning: Just after midnight in Wisconsin

My Grandmother has finally been laid to rest. A very long, emotional day today. I'm going to be visiting with family and friends here in Wisconsin for the next few days. This blog has been a bit somber lately, and it's high time I start to lighten the tone.

I'll begin by chronicling my journey to Wisconsin on Wednesday. That morning I went online to print out my boarding pass. When I got to the point in the process where I was able to select my seat on the plane, I noticed there were still a lot of available seats to choose from. I picked a window seat (my favorite) just behind the wing. It just so happened that I chose a spot where not only was there no one sitting next to me, but no one in the row in front or behind me. I was completely surrounded by empty seats. Perfect! I could pass gas with no discretion at all!

Sometimes I like that isolated feeling. Just being all alone, not having to interact with strangers. I go into a sort of "zen" mode, where my mind goes clear and I'm quite peaceful. Despite my protective bubble of empty seats on the plane, I still donned my "cloak of invisibility", meaning I wore sunglasses, a hooded sweatshirt with the hood over my head, and my iPod. It's the same outfit I wear when I have to go to a shopping mall, and I don't want to be hassled. It's an outfit that says "I am not to be disturbed." Sure, I look like the Unibomber, but it works.

As usual when I fly, I slept for quite a bit of the time. Something about hurrying through the airport, worrying about tickets, luggage, security etc really tires and stresses me out. So much can go wrong. So by the time I'm finally on the plane and in my proper seat, I'm ready to relax and take a nap. I suppose in that way, I'd make a terrible pilot.

Besides the funeral and all that accompanies it, and visiting with my family, I've been watching Kevin Pollak's webcast interview with Futurama's Billy West and John DiMaggio and listening to some choice music on my iPod. I've also been reading (make that DEVOURING) The Road by Cormac McCarthy, a post-apocalyptic story of survival and isolation, a fitting tale considering the past few days.

Tomorrow I'm going out and taking pictures of life in Wisconsin. I'll show my favorite, can't-miss spots when I visit and share some old places from my past. See you then!