Hut Hut

I’m just back from Christmas with the family. Things went fairly well, and there were zero - count them - zero confrontations. I was called ‘he’ a few times, but it was no big deal.

I will have to say that this trip was quite positive, and I think the family seems to be taking my transition relatively well.

Anyway, last Friday’s trip was a little entertaining. Unfortunately, due to my flight schedule and the NFL’s schedule, I missed the first two hours of the Packer-Viking game that started at 2pm Central. I arrived in Chicago around 4pm, found my gate, then found the closest TV. (I’d previously asked for game updates on the flight into Chicago, but the powers that I weld do not seem to work on flight attendants...female or gay males, alike.) The score was 24-21 Packers ahead, on my walk from one gate to another, but once I found the TV, Minnesota tied it with a field goal.

As the game went on, the Vikings unfairly pinned Green Bay near their own end zone due to a non-call on what should have been a touchback. On third down, Favre threw a pass that was picked out of the air by a linebacker and returned for a TD. A guy standing near me in the crowd of people watching the game cheered when they scored. I told him, “Hey, you’re rooting for the wrong team!”

As time progressed, people started heading for our plane. The guy I ‘scolded’ also headed for my gate, and as the last few remaining people headed down the ramp, I left the game with 8 minutes left and the score 31-24, Vikes.

As I was walking down the ramp, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be ironic if I’m sitting next to the Viking dude?” Sure enough, when I got to my seat, I actually found him sitting in it. He moved to the window seat when he realized he was in the wrong seat. We chatted for a while about the game and how I would have bet him had the Vikes not scored that one touchdown. Kiddingly, I asked him, “Are you going to be OK when you find out the Packers came back to win?”

He asked me the same question if the Vikes won.

We also talked about our trips into the Midwest. He was visiting his girlfriend who was studying to be a doctor. He was an engineer in Virginia. I asked him a little about his job, then told him I was an engineer as well. Why is it that most people don’t seem to believe that I’m an engineer? Is it because I’m a woman?

He also called me a good flight buddy. I guess guys like it when a girl can talk football and job related stuff.

Anyway, we chatted about the fact that neither of us had friends in the area and that it would be cool to hang out if either of us were bored (since I thought I’d be staying near the city). Since I stayed at my sister’s, though, I never made it into the city. He did give me his number to call him to hang out, but I just called him last night to bug him about the Packer’s win, coming back to score a TD and the game winning field goal while we were on the flight.