My passage to India

Departure day, Wednesday March 25
So, if its Wednesday at 11:30 p.m., I should be on a big, big plane, with wings and everything, somewhere over maybe England or something, heading for New Delhi, trying to sleep in an uncomfortable seat. Instead, I am at the Crown Plaza Newark Liberty Airport Hotel on a very comfy king-sized bed having a nice glass of wine. Instead of a three-hour layover in Newark, I have a luxurious 24 hours.
Long story short: 3:20 flight to Newark from Pittsburgh delayed, then cancelled because of maintenance issue. Everyone lines up to rebook and the line moves at quite a leisurely pace. The 6:20 for Newark leaves with me watching longingly from my place in line, my calls to Continental and Expedia to rebook while in line having been a total waste of time.
At 6:30 or so, a miracle. The maintenance issue has been resolved. Everyone still hanging around from the 3:20 flight gets on and we taxi away at 7. Then we stop.The pilot announces spacing issues at Newark. Boo hoo. We have to wait until 7:45. To take off. For my flight to New Delhi. Which leaves at 8:40. It’s an hour flight from Pittsburgh to Newark. The math doesn’t look too good.
And sure enough, the one flight I needed to be late was right on time. For my trouble I get a voucher for a comfy king bed in a hotel from a cheerful Continental customer service representative ("We'll go tomorrow!"). Oh, and my choice of aisle or window seat. She didn't burst out laughing when I asked for a free upgrade to first class for my trouble, so I figured she must get that a lot. Worth a shot.
In a day full of wasted time, I’m won’t squander any more on anger, but I’m sure hoping that the only way to go from here is up. And I mean that literally and figuratively.
The picture is of the unused USA3000 gates at the end of concourse C at Pittsburgh International Airport. When the flight delay was announced, I got up and walked three concourses, A,B and C. Not a bad idea, really. There's a good plug-in station for laptops in Concourse B and this empty place at C is great if you have a long layover and want to spend your time in a quiet place. My gate, D77, was by the end of a moving walk. After today, I've decided that one version of hell would be where the only thing you hear all day long is "Caution, moving walk is nearing its end."
Oh, a good thing. A nice woman I spoke to while languishing in line was waiting, too, after we got off in Newark to pick up our gate-checked bags. She asked me if I was going to make my flight. Me: No, no chance. She: I can get you an employee rate at a hotel I used to manage. Me: How sweet, thank you so much! Quick phone call and its done, though I cancel shortly thereafter since Continental has the voucher thing right and will put me up for "free." (Funny coincidence, same hotel chain, Crowne Plaza). But what a really lovely random act of kindness.

Colors

We've been in a deep freeze for the past couple of weeks here in Western Pennsylvania, with temperatures in the single digits up  to the teens and low twenties. The good news is that the days are getting longer. The late day light has a longer slant and tonight -- I got  home around 5:14 -- the dogs and I were able to take our evening walk in dusky light. As we came back down the street out of the park, the sunset was fading from cool slate to clear gold to brilliant coral on the horizon. The horned owl hooted above us in the park, then flapped away to a distant tree.

Color has been a lot on my mind lately. My living room is painted a deep Oriental red and decorated with various framed paintings of birds, mostly cranes, that I've inherited. Over my fireplace is a screen depicting a stand of bamboo and a lone sparrow done in black on gold that my dad's mother bought in Japan in the 1960s on a round-the-world tour with the Congressional Secretaries Club. I love the red and have been trying to figure out good complementary colors for the adjacent dining room, which is small and houses a Mid-Century Modern teak dining table (minus its two leaves) and chairs. The set was purchased by my parents at a PX in France when we were stationed there in the 1960s. The chairs originally had seats covered in a nubby cool chartreuse wool, with tiny flecks of brown and flax. They're presently covered in deep teal and the two captain's chairs in deep lavender. My choices. I thought they were good at the time, but I now want to get back to the warm smoky chocolate and cool chartreuse/lime green scheme. The room will be painted in the warmer deep smoky brown below the chair rail and a pale smoke above with the chairs in a kind of warm-ish chartreuse. Hmmm... Sounds almost too 70s. But they will fit nicely with the red of the living room and the celadon planters I have there. I could also do them in a nubby wheat fabric as well. 

Colors. Speaking of, the NYT had an article today about the Obamas and redecorating the White House, specifically focusing on the re-dos that Jackie Kennedy implemented with the help of favored designers.

The article is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/opinion/21needleman.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

I remember seeing, not live on tape but many years later, Jackie's televised tour through the updated White House. I don't get the sense that Michelle Obama is that kind of behind the scenes person-- personality and the times. But, about six or seven years ago, my Mom and sisters Elizabeth and Mary drove down to D.C. from Pittsburgh for an exhibit of dresses Jackie wore as first lady, for trips she took, and for parties she planned. She looked fabulous no matter the occasion but the memory I carried away was the huge reproduced photo of the gathering of Nobel Prize winners that the Kennedys sponsored at the White House during JFK's first term. Brains and style on display. This was in the Dubya's first term and was particularly poignant because it had become so clear by then that brains, discourse, engagement and humor were among the least of the 43rd president's interests.
Well. We now have a president -- I was going to say leader, but I truly do not believe George W. Bush was a leader -- of a different color. Good luck Mr. Obama. You will need it, but I don't think you will wait for it.

Turning 180 degrees... or even further...
I am going to India in March to visit a friend and former co-worker. Never would have picked Indi on my own, but its a hard invitation to turn down. Kim, my lovely friend, has been posted in all kinds of places because of her husband's work and I am happy that she has offered to be a tour guide for a week.