October 2007 - Janelle's Blog

The extraordinary access we have to information on the internet has opened a new world to users. Through the internet we can follow trails of information that increase our knowledge, but we also have access to enter worlds outside of our own.

While watching a documentary on internet games the other night, my eyes were opened to the intensity of gamers. Fantasy games are taking over some people's lives. One couple had met each other through a game of fantasy creatures. Over a period of time, they enjoyed their fantasy encounters so much, that they made arrangements to meet in person. A romance began and they married.

The Meeting

"May I help you?" asked the clerk at McDonalds.

I had no appetite. "Only a drink, please," I answered.

My meeting time was not for another 30 minutes, so I sat silently observing the people. They walked through the door, women with small children, an occasional man on a work break. Mix-matched clothes, dusty feet, disheveled hair. They were so poor.

"I used to live in this city when I was a small child", I thought," but I never remembered the poverty."

Flying High

The American Airlines Super 80 flying into San Francisco started its descent. Startled people pointed through windows on the left side of the plane. I was on the right side, but had a clear view of what was causing the stir.

Flying parallel to our plane, 200 feet apart, was a United Airlines plane. I wasn't sure how to react, but all of the movies I had seen about plane crashes momentarily flashed before me.

Since the pilot and crew were calm and self-assured, people around me started joking about it. I later found out that San Francisco has parallel runways due to the high volume of traffic.

When we landed, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, that's about as close as you will get to another aircraft."

Exercise for Good Health

To work my way into good health, I started a rigorous swim routine at a health club several times a week. According to the National Cancer Institute, physically active women have up to a 40 percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

Forget Fashion

On this particular day, I had the entire over-sized pool to myself. Since no one was around, I bravely donned my flowered shower cap and took off swimming. It wasn't a fashion statement, but it kept my naturally blonde hair, provided by my hairstylist, safe from the pool chlorine.

If you're going to enjoy life, you sometimes have to be on the look-out for things to laugh about, especially when everything goes wrong.

Travel Delays

According to the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the nation's 20 largest airline carriers reported nearly 30% of their flights were delayed in August. This is the second worst on-time performance airlines have experienced.

I rode on one of those not-on-time airplanes last week. My flight was four hours late followed by 2 ½ hours of flight time on a small regional jet of a well-known airline.