Gettin’ Carried Away

It was like a movie…

Earlier this afternoon, about half way through my flight home from Denver to Chicago, I heard an attendant come over the PA system saying, “Is there a medical type person… uh… a doctor or nurse or someone… on board the flight? If so, please ring your call button and we’ll come to you.”

I could tell that the flight attendant sounded a bit nervous. A passenger seated about 10 rows behind me needed immediate medical attention, apparently. To my surprise, a few people buzzed their call buttons. The entire flight crew responded to the distress calmly and efficiently. I later saw that man was given oxygen and an IV (pictured below).

After we landed, we were all asked to stay seated once we arrived at the gate, as there was an emergency on board, and medical personnel would be entering the plane once it stopped. Sure enough, a fire truck and an ambulance were waiting for us as we taxied into the gate, and five people came on board right away.

The man was escorted off the plane by the sweet woman who stepped up and administered some mild treatments while we were in the air. As she made her way back to her seat, everyone gave her a big round of applause. I admit, the journalist in me wanted to interview the flight crew once we de-planed, but my kind heart ached for the man and kept me from poking my nose into his business. He was probably embarking on a great vacation or returning home from a business trip or visiting old friends or reconnecting with family. All he wanted to do was get to Chicago, not the hospital. So instead… I blog.

Props to the Southwest Airlines crew of flight 779 DEN to MDW. They never panicked and they handled the situation with the utmost poise and urgency.

Hello, everyone! As I write this, I am already on my way to another destination (hint: Western U.S.). I decided to leave my Mac at home this time, though, because I just didn’t feel like hauling it along with me. I will be gone until this Sunday, June 28. I know, I know… I am missing the Sox/Cubs series aka Crosstown Classic AGAIN! However, if I’m offered the chance to travel, I’m going to take it, no matter what I have planned locally.

And you know what else I realized? I have NOTHING planned for the month of July. Well, that’s kind of a lie, as I will be going to White Sox games and attending the TBEX meetup! However, I have no travel plans. Any ideas for weekend trips (with my weekend being Thursday-Saturday)? I’m thinking about a road trip to Lexington, Kentucky. Suggestions are much appreciated!

See you all on Sunday!

After spending a delightful morning touring the city of Guadalajara, we headed to Tlaquepaque for lunch. Once we were seated, the server brought over what I called a “mini coatrack,” which was actually for ladies purses (there were three of us, after all). Baffled at this unique courtesy, I hung my bag on the rack and enjoyed a yummy lunch.

Fast forward to my last night in Mexico, dining at the lovely Cafe des Artistes in Puerto Vallarta. Again, once we were seated, a “mini coatrack” was placed near our table. Because I like to take photos of, well, everything, I just plopped my bag on the floor to keep my bulky Canon Rebel near to me (and off of the table). Carolina, our guide, told me I had to give her my purse because it’s back luck to leave it on the floor. Confused, I said, “Excuse me?” Carolina replied, “It’s bad luck. They say if you leave your purse on the floor, you’ll lose all your money.” Far be it for me to defy this superstition, especially since I’m always terrified of losing money, credit cards, my passport, etc…

Once I returned home, it was back to business. On my way to work, I listened to my favorite radio program, Drex In The Morning on 103.5 KISS FM. Drex’s witty sidekick Mel T brought up the topic of superstitions, saying that in her Mexican-American family, it was bad luck if you didn’t touch a child once you complimented him or her. For example, if you were to look at a baby and say, “Look at that gorgeous head of hair,” you would have to touch the child’s hair to show an absence of envy/jealousy. Because if the hair fell out, you’d be in big trouble.

This is very intriguing to me. Has anyone else come across cultural superstitions on your travels? I’d love to hear some more!