I can't believe I forgot to post this...

So I left for Louisiana on a 8am flight from National. Which means I got up a 4:30am, double checked my luggage, took a shower, emptied my pockets of all extraneous metal, found a small lighter to try and smuggle through security, acquired my backup matches, packed my XBOX (it was being used in the film, I don't have time for fun on these shoots,) and trudged my way to the Silver Spring Metro in the pre-dawn darkness and blistering cold.

After a short concern that the yellow line would never arrive at Gallery Place, I got to National with about 1 hour and 15 minutes to spare. Of course, I had problems with Continental's express check in, but the service woman set me straight - Jonathon was just lucky that I was in line ahead of him, or it would have been him get the early morning mocking.

So after a flawless trip through security (yes, I get the lighter on the flight) I made my way to concourse A. It's always a longer walk than you think. I checked in with the producer and the crew, 45 minutes to go and no problems, kind of unique, so it was now coffee time. Which meant a walk all the way back to concourse B.

At the junction of A and B, I encountered a Newt. Newt Gingrich. The devil of the 1990's himself, and his third wife. What does a rabid liberal due when faced with the conservative speaker of the house that wasted millions of tax payers dollars trying to remove a duly elected president of the united states? Well i was wearing sunglasses, so I stared him down and acted superior to him. Then when in line for coffee I called my producer and told her he was coming her way - she spotted him just then. That's more a sighting than a story, but wait there is more.

Coffee in hand I returned to our get as boarding began. Producer says to me, "I think he's on our flight." "Bull shit," I replied. "It too early for that..." "I don't know..." she countered. We moved on more coherent and pertinent subjects as we boarded.

Son of a bitch if the Newt isn't the first thing I see when walking through first class on my way to the back of the "air" bus. So now I have to do something right? What can I do , I have to get to Louisiana, and walking isn't an option at this point. So I let my XBOX back nudge him, he looks up, and the best I can do is give him a uninterested and unimpressed, "speaker."

And that was it. Aside from a long as flight to Houston, and throw back to the 50's jumper flight to Alexandria, LA. Really the first time I wanted to kiss the ground after a flight. The second was on the jumper back to Houston a week later, but it was Texas, and ain't no way in Hell I was kissing the ground in Texas. I went with Grip Steve to the "presidential lounge" and drank free Bloody Marys instead. Much better choice. Though, in retrospect, I now wish I had taken a picture of myself with the bronze statue of George H.W. in the Houston airport. But who has time for such things when the alcohol is free.