Details, details, details

Dear Readers:

October is an extremely travel-heavy month for this little writer, and while I will try to keep up some semblance of a Bethweek posting schedule, it may be a bit erratic for the foreseeable future. The good news is, travel tends to yield stories, so when I do post, I'll try to share the most poignant or gut-busting of the moments.

This week's story is a little of column A, a little of column B -- and mostly a reminder to pay attention to detail, and really clarify your requests:

My travels this week began at 5 a.m. in Jackson, Mississippi. I remember literally nothing about my first flight that day; I somehow stumbled through security, made it onto the little plane bound for Newark, New Jersey, and slept my way up North. I arrived in Newark, and before catching my next plane, an even smaller one destined for Providence, Rhode Island, I had just enough time to get a coffee.

Getting the coffee was a mistake. Getting the coffee meant that I was awake to fully realize the condition of the small second plane.

To begin, the "door wasn't aligning right" with the normal walkway, so we had to all walk outside and climb a rickety staircase to enter the shuddering aircraft. The layout of the tiny space went old-school-overstuffed-leather-seat, aisle, old-school-overstuffed-leather-seat. (Except for my part of the plane, since I was seated in the back, and my row went old-school-overstuffed-leather-seat, aisle, bathroom-with-door-that-wouldn't stay closed). The old-school overstuffed leather seats did not match: some were blue, some tan, some gray, with no evident pattern in their placement.

The only appropriate word for this plane was "hoopty."

As the Air Hoopty began to back away from the terminal, there was this horrible creaking and rocking sound, like a car with poor shocks or off-bearing, only magnified, sounding something like:

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK WONKA WONKA WONKA WONKA...

... as we lurched around the tarmac. More terrifying noises rumbled and squealed and belched their way forward when we began to prepare for takeoff. I closed my eyes and began to pray:

"Please God let me make it to Providence today, let me make it to Providence today, let me make it to Providence today..."

As Air Hoopty heaved its way into the sky, shaking and moaning, realization hit me. I re-examined the words of my prayer. My eyes flew open and my mind quickly edited:

"Providence RHODE ISLAND! Providence RHODE ISLAND! Providence RHODE ISLAND!!!!"