The Neutral Zone

Vienna, Austria - We arrived in Vienna yesterday. The flight from Zurich was short - about an hour. Nonetheless, H was a bundle of nerves in the hours leading up to, and during the entirety of, the flight. We contracted colds over the last week - minor ones, as these things go. But H has suffered severe pain and discomfort in the past when her congested sinuses contributed to her ears popping in an excruciating way during ascent and descent. For years, my dad has also claimed of suffering from this. But he's an old curmudgeon, so to be honest, up until recently, I was unsure which played a greater part in the affliction: an unfortunate and painful anatomical snafu of the eustachian tubes or a compulsion to complain. H's experience suggests the former plays a greater role, but one can never fully rule out the latter. So, we armed H with a variety of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products (some, with more suspect capabilities) intended to make her flight comfortable and...

San Francisco International Airport - We arrived early to the airport. About two hours early. Such is the way of my in-laws. It's OK: I took a nap on the floor in the terminal. I understand that firm surfaces are good for your back. We also came with stuff. A lot of stuff. Seven check bags and four carry-ons. H is indulging in what I consider excessive smug because I ended up taking more stuff than she did. Apparently, this little detour from heteronormative packing patterns is news that everyone needs to hear: the ticketing agent, the TSA security woman, and practically all our neighbors and friends.  The reason I have more stuff is that I am taking skis and H is not and ski gear is rather bulky. H briefly explored the idea of having me leave the ski gear behind, but this idea failed to gain traction with me. Switzerland is rather well known for its skiing and I wasn't about to pass that up.