Is it Ironic

I'm feeling a bit giddy today after spending 3 days ALL BY MYSELF with my bff in Ohio! I have a lot to say about the weekend but I'll start with a little story about getting my trip started. The weekend commenced with me flying ALL BY MYSELF to Columbus. I hadn't been on a plane solo since I worked (so like 8 1/2 years ago) so I was a bit nervous flying - I don't love, love flying. But once I got to the airport and really realized I had NO children to entertain it was all good. Me, magazines, books...all set. I was on Southwest and I had a stop but then onto to Columbus. Since I didn't have to change planes I didn't really pay attention to the itinerary so I didn't realize until I was boarding that we were going to Tampa first. Yes..Tampa FL then to Ohio. Seriously. The flight was fairly turbulent and we ended up not getting drinks because it was so rough. Needless to say I was happy to touchdown in Tampa.

We get to Tampa and I decide to move seats. I sit in the second row then leave the plane to get some much needed caffeine before the next leg of the journey. When I get back I find an older lady sitting in the window seat. She seemed nice enough but chatty. I find out in about 30 seconds that this was a. her first time flying in over 30 years. b. she was moving from FL to Ohio to live with her daughter and her 4 grandkids c. she's never left FL before and d. she needed to take some meds at 11:30am. Ooookayy. Then the flight attendant tells us to hold the middle seat for a "UM." A UM?? That's when I see the little girl being escorted on the plane. UM = Unaccompanied minor. And she's who we were holding the seat for. Nice. She was pretty chatty and very generous (she gave me stickers, offered me a lick of her lollipop and one of the 3000 Little Debbie snack cakes her grandmother had packed her). I learned she was 7 and had been at her grandmas for 3 weeks. She was going home to start school and her older brothers called her names. I also found out that 7 years olds in Ohio and 7 years old in NC pretty much like the same things: sparkles, peace signs and iCarly. She asked me all kinds of questions about my kids but I think the one that takes the cake: "What cloud does God live on?" Finally the flight attendant brought her an activity pack that occupied her for about 45 seconds and then she mercifully fell asleep with about 30 minutes to go. Me, solo flight, chatty grandma, chatty 7 year old = irony.