Getting to Santa Fe (pt 2 - Auckland)

I woke with a start at 4.30am because the alarm clock in the hotel room had been set by someone else- bummer. I had asked for a 6am wake up call and would have relished the extra 90 minutes sleep. But looking on the bright side- my hair and make up is the best it has looked in a lifetime because I didn't have to get the girls ready for school. Now I know why my single friends always look immaculate. Does this mean I have to get up at crazy o'clock to look semi-decent?

I got to the airport at 6.45am. I asked to have the direct flight to LA rather than taking the 9.30am flight to LA via Sydney. Ask and you shall receive. The lady at the Qantas ticket office said it was silly to go via Sydney and broke the rules to change my flight. This was also great news as she didn't charge the ticket changing fee. So now I am sitting in Auckland Airport for 8 hours until I fly out at 3.50pm. This is better than sitting on a plane for that whole time. I can write cards to the girls, type my blog, read a Jodi Picoult book (Nineteen Minutes), people-watch and walk around at will. 

It is so interesting to watch other people as they mill around waiting for flights. Especially parents with their children. I know what they are going through. It is so different being without the girls- no responsibilities or children to remember not to forget. No running to the toilet with a child who is “busting”. No children who are bored. No squabbles to adjudicate. My I-pod is my only company. It is alien to me to live the single unencumbered life.

There are lots of stressed out Mums and Dads carrying floppy children over their shoulders and juggling bags of stuff for their kids. Usually it is me carrying bags of kiddy paraphenalia through airports, desperately wishing I had a donkey to take the load- toys, books, food, clothes, drinks, wipes etc. I give them sympathetic looks but as I am kid-free, maybe they think I don't know what they're going through. I am still a bag lady on this trip, but this time I'm carrying bagloads of technology crap- computer, cameras, lenses and books. I was astounded how many different recharge and download cables I had to bring on this trip to go the distance. I guess in the old days it would have been bagloads of film. 

The interesting thing is that the last time I did a solo overseas trip was pre-children- in 1997. I went to Europe by myself for 5 weeks. From memory, I returned with 35 rolls of used film. I was a minimalist back then using only one camera and one lens. That was all I had. The more I have learnt about photography, the more bits and pieces I take with me to get that elusive shot. One day I will do a journey with one camera and one lens, maybe even a Box Brownie.

I had the urge to move. I guess the thought of being sedentary for 12 hours on a plane creeps me out. I power hoofed over to the domestic terminal, walked up and down the length of the building and then back to the international terminal and up and down here. Feeling better now.

When I got back, I saw a guy wearing a black t-shirt emblazoned with “What is fashion?” in large white text. It made me laugh on the inside because he wasn't being cynical, he clearly thought he was pretty fashionable with his designer black track plants, gel in his hair and a little too much gold jewellery. I would have photographed him except I would have been fuelling his passion for his kind of fashion. I don't know what fashion is but I suspect he hadn't much idea either.

Time....
There are many sayings associated with the subject of time.
Time is of the essence.
Time is ticking.
Time is your enemy.
Time is on your side.
Make up for lost time.
A waste of time.
Time slipping away.

I have so much time today. I don't remember ever being able to sit and write or read at will. Time is not lost to me today. I am absorbing it and appreciating having it.

Grope alert
They weren't joking when they said it would take a while to get through security for a US bound flight. I was seriously patted down between the thighs and on the breasts. The woman doing the groping was pretty intimidating too- six feet tall and built like a tank. I wasn't going to complain but I certainly pulled a face when I turned my back to her for the butt and leg grope from behind. When I had to take my boots off inspection, she described them as “interesting”. I suspect interesting translates as weird- I was wearing my Italian chocolate brown and red shiny wrestling boots. Maybe I should have challenged her to a throw down then and there. Then my bags were very thoroughly searched. I had forgotten to put my cosmetics into a sealed plastic bag. Apparently in the US they would just throw my cosmetic bag away if not in a clear sealed bag- oops. The world has definitely changed post 9/11. 

You know what is more interesting than seeing a celebrity in a public place? Watching the faces of those standing around as they recognise that person and whisper to the person next to them. I was standing next to Elijah Wood for a bout 20 minutes waiting to board the flight. There were two other film guys talking shop with him and clearly trying to impress him talking about what's left of old Hollywood. I put my I-pod on because it was so painful. Finally business class was called to board the plane and Elijah politely excused himself. I overheard the two guys talk about how surreal it was to have been standing there having a chat with EW. Incidentally, he is only an inch or two taller than me so he really is a hobbit.

When the plane was about to take off, the Captain announced that he was required under US federal aviation law to inform us that we were not permitted to congregate in groups around the toilets. I wanted to ask if that meant we couldn't queue to go? That was bizarre and a little OTT. Then I had to fill out two forms for my visa waiver entry which asked for the same info 4 times.