Winging Westward

We push back from the gate on schedule, taxi straight to Runway 18L and roll for takeoff without any delay. Nice.

I pull out my headphones in preparation for the in-flight movie, which according to the website will be Cars 2. I saw it in the theater when it was first released, but I’m looking forward to seeing it again. Harold & Kumar is not quite our typical movie fare, so Cars 2’s G rating will help counterbalance the R-rated content to come.

Well, apparently the website is wrong – the flight attendants announce that the movie will be Mr. Popper’s Penguins. I have not seen that one, but I’m also less interested in it. Still, it will pass the time. It is over a three-hour flight, after all.

When the movie starts, the audio for my headphone jack is not great. There’s a high-pitched whine along with it and the movie audio is soft, so when I crank up the volume to hear the dialogue, the added whine becomes headache-inducing. So, no Mr. Popper’s Penguins for me.

Well, hey, I carry modern technology. I pull out my Android smartphone – in airplane mode, of course – and peruse the video selections I’ve acquired. Hey, I’ve got The Producers, and I haven’t watched it in quite a while. We’re going to be immersed in show biz this evening, so it seems appropriate to watch a Hollywood movie based on a Broadway musical which itself was based on another Hollywood movie which was about producing a Broadway musical! Plus it’s hilarious. I’m able to wedge my phone’s “kickstand” into the tray on the seatback in front of me, so I’ve got my own personal hands-free entertainment system.

Becky has decided that the best way for her to pass the time is with some shut-eye, and she fades out fast enough that by the time drink service arrives she’s mostly asleep, and only nods when I ask if she wants a Sprite. I set the can and cup of ice on her tray in front of her, and she does not stir.

Less than two hours later, we’re over southern California, Becky’s still asleep, with her Sprite unopened and her ice melted. Since my apple juice is long gone, I drink her melted ice water.

I shut off The Producers with over thirty minutes left in the movie so I can watch the scenery and enjoy the descent and landing. Becky stirs just as we approach Palm Springs and is wide awake before we land. Her unopened Sprite can goes into our bags for later.

LAX is apparently landing to the west, so we descend over the city and land straight into the airport. We’re here!