I am about to make a confession I am sure to regret. And yes, it will show me in a horrible selfish light. But the recent arrests in Britain and the grounding of all those UK domestic flights? Its practically my ideal scenario.

See I am going to the 'rents for the holiday this year. The H and the blessing are going to get tickets (if I can ever get Continental Airlines to sell me a ticket. Don't even ask me how much their website sucks, how bad their customer service or why I hate them) but as I will also head westward for some time in So Cal, I am going to fly stand-by on a buddy pass. I've done this before. It always goes horribly wrong (I've been taken off planes, been told its too hot and that the plane can't take the stand-bys and their luggage and then there was the time that the caters refused to deliver any food to any delta flights in atlanta) and well in order for me to get on a plane, there needs to be empty seats. So, I thought, a nice terrorism attack, involving planes, and the US and no one gets hurt! Well, then people get nervous about flying, more seats on planes and the next thing you know I am wandering around Sephora buying nail polish I will never use.

So I wonder, what it have been better to happen in November (people have short memories, they could be flying all over the place by December) or now so that they sort out the new security arrangements. I mean, how am I to travel without a couple of novels? And well, if you go stand-by you need a change of clothes and hair brush,. Cos gues what? you may not get on that flight and you are spending the night near the airport (yes, I have that story too). Let alone, how do you keep the Blessing entertained for 17 hours of travelling. This may be the last trip to the states for a long, long time.