The Air Was Alive (REDUX)

1.1.2017 (first published this week 2010) 

Heard it all before, a thousand times: "The overhead bin space is for larger carry-on luggage, smaller items should be placed in the space beneath the seat in front of you." And, "In the event of a water landing, your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device." And, "The captain has not turned off the fasten seatbelts sign, so please return to your seats." But not, "Our in-flight beverage service will consist of complimentary coffee, juice or soft drinks, beer, wine and margaritas are available for five dollars." Margaritas? I love margs, sure, I just wasn't expecting a major airline to take a stand and offer margaritas over the dozens of other cocktail choices available. Why not bloodys? Why not gimlets? Why not sake-bombs? Why not Jaeger shots? No, the lovely Miss Margarita won the contract.

And I didn't expect the flight attendants to offer cocktails at the god-awful early dust-off time of 5:50 am, but they did. I was half zombiefied and didn't trust that I heard them correctly, but my connecting flight in Houston some time later said the same thing. bla bla bla for free and beer, wine and MARGARITAS for five bucks. I had to investigate.

I shoulda guessed that it was a pre-mixed job and I winced a little, knowing that most mixes are sweet as Texas tea, but I found this to be a nice sweet-salty mix. And I was happy that I could get two nice drinks out of the wee bottle if I had an airline cup full of ice. My sister joined me in this experiment and she enjoyed the marg too, so when our flight attendant came by asking if we wanted another, we said hell yeah. Then the gal seated in front of us asked how they were and we said, "surprisingly, they aren't bad." She asked for a marg too.

So now the FA had three margs to retrieve. She got the gals one each and said, "I'll have to go to the forward galley to get yours," to me. She came back and hardly slowed down when she handed me mine. My little wife, seated next to me, said, "I think that one's been opened." Sure enough, the seal was broken and the little bottle wasn't full. "Good eye," I said, then flagged down the FA. "I hate to be a pest," I said, "but this marg's been opened." She took the bottle and said, "I think she opened it." I didn't know who "she" was and why she would have opened it. "I'll get you another, " she then said. "Take yr time," I said, " I'm finishing this one." She said she'd be right back and she was. "This one's unopened, but sticky," she said, "something spilled on it. Another margarita, I think. I'll get you a wet-nap." I said don't bother. "I have a napkin." She left and came back with a wet-nap AND a tiny bottle of Grand Mariner! "Float some of this on top, hon," she said. "Why you have just Cadillaced our margaritas!" I said. "Thanks!"

I then shared with both my sister and the gal in front of me. Twas the Season of Giving, after all.

Tonight - Lone Palm
Come kick-off 2017 with a bang!!

bye-ee!

whrr ... clik!