Laughing...

Ahh, it feels good to be back in school. My ennui has vanished.

I intended to read the NT on my flight home, but I forgot that planes make me sleepy. On my first flight, I was zonked out before the flight attendants even came by with the drink cart. I vaguely remember a woman asking loudly if I wanted something to drink, but I ignored her, because I was comfortable (on a plane, people! That's miraculous!) and I didn't want to have to settle in again.

On my second flight, I stayed awake long enough to have a sip of water, and I spent the rest of the flight asleep. With my mouth open. How embarrassing.

On my third flight, I had my mouth open...in a different way. I knew five people on my flight, and I was coincidentally sitting across the aisle from one of them. Next to me were two empty seats. I kept waiting for someone to sit down, but when the flight attendant announced that the cabin doors were closed, I raced up the aisle and grabbed my friend at the front of the plane so we could sit together. I hadn't seen her for a month, and well...there was a lot of talk about. We did a crossword together before the plane had even taken off, and we were the lovely recipients of a death glare from a woman sitting a few rows up from us. I would have understood if she were also doing the crossword and was getting annoyed that she couldn't figure out 62-across before we did...but as far as I could tell, she was just listening to the safety announcements, and it's not as if we were shouting. Is there a new etiquette rule about being mute the entire time you're on a plane?

If so, I broke that rule. Absolutely shattered it. Oops.

About halfway through the 3.5 hour flight, a flight attendant came over to our row, and assumed the "I have a migraine" position. You know? Pinching the bridge of your nose between your thumb and index finger, with your head in your hands? Blargh, bad description. Anyway. She looked like she was about to faint, so we asked if she was okay. She sighed and said, "The man in front of you has complained that you're being too loud. I don't know what to tell you. I don't think you're being loud, but I'm supposed to come and talk to you."

I felt terrible. I think it was my laughing. My classmate sitting three rows behind me said he could hear me. My classmates sitting 5 rows back couldn't hear me. Phew.

When I came home, my boarder sister came downstairs and said, "I thought I heard Tara's squeaky laugh!"

So, yeah. I guess I need to stop having fun. Taking joy in life is overrated. From now on, I will be stern, severe, deadpan. I will stop poking fun at myself. I will not make jokes. I refuse to notice puns. Palindromes will no longer make me squeal with glee. Your jokes will not amuse me. Life is serious. Bah humbug.

Um, yeah right.

HAHAHAHA doesn't translate well, so just imagine me laughing right now. Cackling. Loudly. You know you love it. Unless you're one of the two grumpy people who were on my flight. In which case, I am truly sorry for ruining your flight. Please accept my apology. (P.S. Lighten up.)