NWA Should Name An Airplane After Me...

I am by no means a globetrotter...but I could lay claim to continental U.S. trotter with full confidence. Between 2003 and 2006 I have probably, except for my six month retreat from the world, traveled by plane at least twice a month. For someone who does not have a job that requires travel or includes travel as part of my job description...that's pretty dang amazing. There was one point in 2003 that things just went a little bit overboard...there were three months that year...March, April, and August...where I traveled three out of four weekends in a row...and between November 2002 and February 2004 there was never more than a three week gap in between my pilgrimages to the Lindbergh Terminal at the Mpls/St. Paul International Airport.

Since moving to Albuquerque, I have travel led (usually to Minneapolis) at least once a month. Gate A12 at Sky Harbor (ABQ International) has a picture of me hanging above the gate that says Welcome Back Brandon...it's gotten to the point where I feel as if I should probably start handing out presents on the major holidays to the gate agents at the NWA counter. I mean...when you spend that much time with people...they really should be considered family.

This coming week I feel as if I am going to be in a remake of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (starring the inestimable John Candy...rest his soul). I am flying to NYC then taking a train to DC followed two days later by a train return to NYC and of course there is the 30-45 minute drive from LGA in Queens to Harlem where I will again be staying at the Chateau on 145th Street. Thank you Jeremy and RJ. I am super excited for this trip to NYC...for one because RJ and Jeremy will actually be there for more than a day while I am in town...and also because I get to attend the birthday fiesta of one of my old college pal-ettes. Plus, Munkis has moved to NYC to live with Jewish Jason since I was there last December/January. But the creme de la creme of the trip will be the couple days in DC where I will get to see my Non-Romantic Life Partner (NRLP) Jason Ruiz for the first time in what is becoming way to close to a year. I have to find a way to off his partner and make it look like an accident, so Jason can pack up this things and return to the Midwest where he belongs.  Don't let the last name fool you...that boy eats his rice and beans with steak and potatoes.

So, while this trip is officially a work excursion, and I have lots of smooth talking to do in order to try and raise some funds to Keep YouthAction alive (again...you can contribute to YouthAction via our website at www.youthaction.net) the time with good friends is desperately anticipated. It's been months since RJ and Jeremy have broken into a spontaneous argument for reasons beyond my feeble comprehension then try and drag me into the middle of it and declare one of them the winner (I am not even trying to referee those gladiator matches). 

It's wonderful having friends all over the country...because that translates into free places to stay. But the downside is that you never feel like you've been able to spend enough time with all the people that you care about. When I'm grown up and rich...I am going to own a house large enough that all my friends can live in it with me. As a matter of fact, anyone that tries to leave the grounds without permission will get a zap from the invisible dog fence...and the little device I am going to have implanted in their chins while they are sleeping.

The blog may not get much love next week...but console yourselves with the knowledge that I will be getting massive doses of love in its stead.