I am woman, hear me roar

Today’s post brought to you by: The dog in seat 10C
Grateful for: Having boobs, Uber, Google maps
Trying hard to accept: Jacinda

I’ve seen it all now. You can take your dog on domestic flights.

I wondered why all these people were dragging their bags in one hand and Fido in the other. And to add horse meat to dog roll, they even get their own seat. Imagine Angus!

The 7 feet tall, Stetson and flannel shirt-wearing ex-Pakistani army cowboy I met, me and 236 others sat on a jam-packed 3 hr flight to Houston, across 2 time zones. Thank goodness for the free movies. Thank goodness I brought my earplugs so I could watch said free movies.

Sent ‘constructive feedback’ to Amtrak earlier, now about to send some to American Airlines to point out that I am not a man. Is my chest invisible? Ok, don’t answer that.

I dealt with five of their staff at LAX. Three called me “sir”. Oh hindsight my friend … I should’ve screamed discrimination and gotten upgrade. Bugger.

Also going to email Jacinda to let her know that as soon as I say the words “from”, “New”, “Zealand” I have to fake grin my way through how wonderful our PM is. But I guess when you’ve got Trump … Wonder if Jacinda’ll give me an upgrade/job/Green Card/cushion cover.

Izabela, where are you when I need you? Out power walking the ‘hood this morning it took me all of 6 mins to realise I’m the only person in my neighbourhood who did not understand a word of Spanish.

I was in the proudly historic Filipino area of LA and strangely the residential streets reminded me so much of the posh Adelaide streets I’ve spent hours wandering. Until I got to intersections where the streets were littered with broken sofas, clothes and dumpsters, and the only breakfast options were enchiladas, fried chicken and liquor.

So proud of myself – Google maps only had to save my skin once.

Move over Grand Central Station, Union Station is something else. Art Deco piece of beauty surrounded by palm trees and the best thing is the super friendly concierge woman who approaches and helps you if you look the slightest bit lost. She was over to me in a flash!

Got my third invite of somewhere to stay while on airport bus. Met Janette, ex Boston & Chicago, who was 81 but had the energy and skin of a 61 year old. She’d been to the Antipodes lots with her late husband who was a Baptist theology academic. Rilly (that’s not a typo, it’s how we speak down under) interesting and informed woman, would love to go stay with her.

Due to time zones I lost 2 hours of my life flying to Texas. But boy has it been Dallas Fort WORTH it (get it?). Jim and Fran must be the most hospitable, generous, thinking-of-everything-before-even-super-organised-me-has-thought-of-it people I’ve been lucky enough to meet. David my Airbnb host has an amazing house full of treasures and we have so much in common it took an hour to make it to the stove.

I’ve gotta feeling I’m gonna kinda enjoy Houston.

Gooda nighta y’all.