Second leg toward home!

FRANKFURT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Dec. 13, 10:40A, local time.

The flight over went fine. Got to see some well-lit cities as we were in the air. Guessing that it was a low-altitude flight or something. Maybe I just woke up at key points. I dozed a few times, but nothing super sustained. My ears have not yet recovered ,though.  I’m not worrying about it.

I’m not worrying about anything. Like when I got off the plane and had NO idea where my connecting gate is. The fun part about the U.S. Airways-Lufthsana relationship, I suppose. And of course, the first four people I ran into had no idea where the U.S. Airways info counter was. Finally found someone who directed me to my gate. So off to security I go.

You talk about through the mountains and around the bend! Whenever someone remarks on the slenderness of Europeans, I’m deadly sure it is due to constant walking. That’s not a bad thing. But it’s just that after traveling, even the lightest bags start weighing a ton. With the addition of a book and a couple of files, my carry-on case with my computer and other recording doo-dads suddenly became this gravity-obeying weight digging into my shoulder. I walked on, with a steady gait.

Now, while I was at the Oslo airport, I picked up a few duty-free things for folks back home, items that you could only get in Oslo or somewhere in Europe, or at least more readily. One of those items was a bottle of chocolate liquor, for me mum. Well, I never thought twice about that one. After all, I was in duty free, getting on a plane, and then a connector. No big.

Well, the Frankfurt security folks did not see it that way, even though I produced a receipt for my duty-free purchase. I was offered the choice of checking in my slight carry-on bag or “smashing it.”

Charming.

Making my way outside and then back to a U.S. Airways counter, the young lady there helped me with my dilemma. She liked my locs, so that was always a good sign to a great start. She even gave me some extra paper to help stuff my bag. I’m praying that everything makes it without harm. I don’t want to think of cleaning up shards of glass, drying out my equipment, or worse, having gone through all that trouble for a gift for my mom to blow up in my face. Keeping the prayers lifted that all will turn out well. After all, they didn’t charge me for the second checked bag, and that was a blessing in and of itself. Don't necessarily have $55 just to toss out a window these days. Or any day, actually.

I’m getting hungry, because the little roll with cheese and apple juice of earlier has about worn off. We’re looking at a seven-hour leg. And I have to stay awake long enough to eat. Else, someone really will need a mop to clean me off the floor.

Eyes are getting heavy now, as I await the gate to open. Another hour plus until boarding time. Philadelphia is getting one step closer.

Geez. The iPod is about out of juice! Hopefully, I'll be sleep for most of the flight anyway.