On the wings of a parrot.

I can only take it as a good omen that the mascot of my first flight
today- with Northwest Frontier, each of whose planes bears a brightly
colored anipal for your viewing pleasure- was a parrot. Although not
the same species as my own birdie, it seemed fitting.

I departed from my parents in an airport surprisingly busy for five in
the morning, feeling both elated and a bit leery- it all has a
tendency to feel like a big mixup, like there's been aome mistake. But
there hasn't, it seems, since all of my tickets got me on a real live
plane!

I'm in Denver, Colorado at the moment, awaiting my second and final
flight of the day. I'll spend a day and a half in DC, then it's off to
foreign lands!

.....

On the floght here to Denver, I had the pleasure- and I truly mean
pleasure- of riding directly on front of two small childrem who had
never flown before. Their mother was wonderfully calm and well
equipped with snacks, games, and even gum for popping ears. The kids
were well prepared with awe and wonder.

(Okay, awe, wonder, and a loudly smacking juicyfruit scented miasma
that wafted forward like a sentient being bent on fruitiness. But I
digress.)

Anyway, I heard some of the most charming statements I've ever heard
on a plane:

"Are we gonna go up in the air, mama?"

"We're in the air!"

(In tones of wonder) "I can see the clouds!"

It made me remember my first flights, the amazent and the joy and-

(cue turbulence)

"We're gonna craaaaaaaaaaaaaash!!!!!!!"

-aaand the terror. Oh yes.

PS Colorado looks weird from above.

PPS Susan, no proofreading. I'm thumbtyping on a keyboard the size of
a saltine. :-)