It's Only Money

Once again, in my haste to finish my chores before leaving for the airport, I forgot to take the child seats out of the back seat of the rental car before leaving for the airport. I discovered them as I was turning into the rental car return entrance at Pittsburgh International Airport.

I struggled to get my two suitcases, carry-on, overstuffed handbag, and two booster seats to the terminal. The one local transportation office that might have been able to help me was closed. None of the local limousine companies had a desk at the airport, and the drivers I asked had no ideas. One driver gave me his company card, and the owner said he couldn't help me. Really, people. I'm offering you money to throw these car seats in your trunk and take the one hour drive to Youngstown and I'll pay you! How hard can this be? No rush. The next time you've got a fare to Y'town would be fine!

So I went to the ticket counter. The last time I pulled this stunt (yes, this is the second time I've forgotten these seats!), I was only carrying one bag to check, so these seats just became my second bag. This trip, because of taking the new pillows for the couch from Tucson to Y'town, I had two bags. Yep, that means the two car seats, thrown into a big plastic bag, became my third bag. D'ya know how much a third bag costs these days? $80! When I was going through security and chatting with the cute age-appropriate, though married, male TSA agents, one of them said, "I think I would have just abandoned the seats and bought new ones." Ummm, why didn't I think of that?!

Fortunately Lee drove the truck to pick me up and we had plenty of room for alllll my baggage. (Physical, not emotional. I don't think at this point anybody has room for all my emotional baggage!)

By the way, if you're ever departing from Pittsburgh, there's a fabulous little-known (at least at the times of day I travel) alternate security screening checkpoint on the same floor as the ticket counters. Walk outside, across the road, into a hallway, and arrive at the screening area with, at most, one person in front of you.

And Pittsburgh has a new explosives screening device. You leave your shoes on, step into this booth-like affair, and puffs of air are blown at you, from your head to your toes. I told the TSA cutie that it was the most fun I'd had in a very long time.

He laughed.

And another By-the-Way, as I noticed all the handsome men wearing wedding rings on this trip, I realized I'm jealous of all the women in my age bracket who have their men already. Really, the good ones aren't being released into the dating atmosphere. They're all being held onto for dear life, as their women know it's a freaking jungle out there. I think the only way a good guy is released is for him to become a widower. Maybe I need to focus on the widowers!