During a recent business trip, I failed to plan well on one very important front: how to kill five hours on a plane.
I'd forgotten my iPod, so there was no relaxing listening to my favorite tunes. I didn't bring a book or pick up a copy of that day's newspaper. I'll blame my lack of planning on having to get up at 4:15 a.m. to make a 7 a.m. flight.
And considering I have no luck sleeping on planes, I took a very close look at the current issue of Southwest Airlines magazine available on the plane. Here are some of the things I learned:
• My next vacation will have to be a gambling destination, based on the ads. I'll pick Las Vegas over Graton Resort & Casino, located somewhere inland in Northern California. While in Vegas, I'll be entertained by Penn & Teller and the Rock of Ages musical. I'll play golf at TPC Las Vegas, and opt not to do indoor skydiving (though a possibility is the Insanity Ride at the Stratosphere).
• I'd love to check out the beachfront property available in Costa Rica, but unfortunately it's not close enough to a Major League Baseball park, a must for anywhere I live.
• It's hard to decide on the best celebrity advice. It's either Jack Black's urging to “get happy,” or Hilary Duff's to do the most each day as possible. One gentleman I met at the conference I attended must have leaned toward the latter, as he had 41 meetings scheduled over four days.
• Lucky for me that my flight didn't offer WiFi capability, or I might have gone on a shopping spree. The ad for untuckit.com caught my eye, selling, of course, shirts designed to be worn untucked. I also liked the looks of the Daniel Steiger watches and the Varidesk standing desks, which several people in my office have been using.
• Things I'll pass on include hair restoration; dating smarter with “Just Lunch” (my wife would frown on that); most everything in the Health Promotional Series advertorial; and definitely the electronic wart remover.
• By far the most interesting tidbit gleaned was that 90 percent of Mount Rushmore was carved by dynamite. The original idea was to depict Old West legends such as Wild Bill Hickok, but sculptor Gutzon Borglum pushed for the presidential angle. The subjects were to be shown from head to waist, but funding dried up in 1941, and the work was declared finished.
• And finally, should something drastic happen to my current career, I will pass on the chance to work as a medical billing specialist and instead look into the chooseright-athome.com franchise for at-home senior care. After all we do have an aging population and there are four nurses in my family to help out.
Next trip, I'll make sure to plan better.
Meyer is editor of Rubber & Plastics News. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @bmeyerRPN.