Current location:	Charlotte
Current mood:	tired
Current music:	airport chatter

Delayed...
Airports are such strange places... little locked-down biodomes with representations of the best and worst of humanity. Everyone is either rushing around in a panic or falling asleep, seemingly oblivious and facedown on the floor (such as the gentleman about ten feet to my right). There are men sporting Armani suits with expensive silk ties and women in cute little cocktail numbers sitting next to schlubs in ratty Old Navy sweats and Goodwill-salvaged t-shirts. On the way to this concourse, I passed a high-faluting wine bar immediately followed by a garish restaurant/bar boldly named TEQUILARIA!!! The air is filled with loud chatter both business ("I'll have Phil run those reports first thing in the morning") and brainless ("Dude... yeah, dude, I called. You didn't answer. No. Dude. Why didn't you call back? No, seriously."). The gift shops smell like musky cologne and the bathrooms smell like shit. Airports are sensory overload.

So I flew out of BlueGrass (Lexington's quaint, three-gate airport) to Charlotte, where it's storming like a bitch and they've just announced that all flights are ground-bound for the time being; "Next update at 7:30!" All I wanted was a Subway five-dollar footlong turkey sandwich loaded with veggies, but I had to settle for Quiznos instead, and paid $9.61 for a 6-inch vegetarian and a bottle of water. I did, however, have a very tasty cup of no-sugar-added White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut frozen yogurt, which made me feel a little better. And at least Charlotte offers free wi-fi access, which is possibly the only amenity most airlines have left nowadays.

So my next destination is Tampa, where my parents will pick me up from the airport and drive the thirty minutes or so south to my grandparents' retirement community for a five-day visit. Once again, as in the past, I will be the youngest person within a ten-mile radius and will be regarded with suspicion by most of the locals. On the plus side, I did just buy a brand-new magenta-pink bikini, so perhaps that will at least catch the attention of some rich would-be sugar daddy.

7:30 Update: An airport rep just reassured us that the Baltimore airport is now open and operational again. While that is fantastic news for Baltimore, I would really rather know about Charlotte.

7:32: They just asked another flight to board, so I guess this place is open again? Wow, great communication. At any rate, I'll be optimistic and pack my shit up now.