The Friday Five is back!

[magnetic_pole]

I've been thinking that I want to post here more often in 2018, because I truly enjoy keeping up with those of you who post regularly. I don't have much fannish content these days, and I'm not always good about updating on my own life, but two weeks ago alisanne suggested just the solution: thefridayfive, a DW community with weekly prompts. An excuse to get me writing when I'm enjoying the boring routine of everyday life and finding little to post about.



1. Where did you go the last time you took an airplane ride?

Hm. Cleveland, OH, for a professional conference. Direct flight, hurrah! I fly out of a smaller airport (DCA, the smallest of the three DC-area airports) because it's so close to me, but the price of that convenience is that I take a *lot* of connecting flights. (Like connecting in NYC between DC and Boston. It's all a little ridiculous.)

2. Are you a nervous flyer or a comfortable flyer?

Comfortable. Driving strikes me as dangerous--I've been in multiple car accidents myself, as have most people I know--and yet I've never known anyone to be hurt on a flight.

3. Window seat or aisle seat?

Window! never miss the chance to look out and see the city. Night flights are especially gorgeous. During a daytime departure, if the flight path's right, I can see my apartment building as I take off from my local airport.

4. What is the worst experience you've had flying?

Honestly, I haven't had many. Lots and lots of delays of course, but nothing overnight, so I can't complain. I suppose the worst was when I took sleeping pills on a trans-Pacific flight and didn't realize passengers would need to disembark on the way home. (Not sure why this was--it was billed as a non-stop flight, but there was a crew change in Bangkok.) I stumbled through customs and boarding feeling ill and completely disembodied before we all got back on the same plane and continued on.

Like I said, nothing to complain about!

5. What is the best experience you've had flying?

Getting there! A few years ago, the subway extended service on one of its lines up to my part of the city, so that I can now walk fifteen minutes, get on the subway, and disembark twenty minutes later AT THE AIRPORT ITSELF. So convenient.

By the way, I challenged my quieter flisters to post 17 times in 2017, and I think some of you met that challenge (and more) and now are entitled to a drabble. I'll follow up on that this week. Ready yourselves with prompts!

Also, I just discovered that DW has not been cross-posting my posts to LJ in months. (Sorry, LJ folks. I thought you were just being unusually quiet.) Has anyone else had that problem?

Comments

[write_out]

Well, I know I'd love to see more posts from you. :) I love the idea of weekly prompts too. Sometimes you need that extra bit of inspiration to post.

I'm glad you've not had any truly bad experiences with flying!

How do you occupy yourself during a flight? Do you read, write, or watch a movie? Or maybe just take the time to zone out and let your mind drift?

[magnetic_pole]

I usually read on flights--watching movies or tv always makes me feel vaguely sick. (Sorry, TMI.) Are you a reader, too? It amuses me to think about all the flights I took going back and forth to college--I was so sleep deprived that I was out more or less as soon as I got my seat belt buckled. Now I sleep occasionally, but it's hard--I'm not one of those people who can easily maintain polite upright posture while dozing. I'm always afraid I'll wind up in my neighbor's lap.

I'm so lucky not to have had bad experiences flying! Because I know some folks have. (And heaven knows, these days armed guards are part of some of those bad stories.) I should knock wood to maintain my luck.

And I do need prompts! You're so good about just massaging what you're doing or thinking into something interesting. As I was saying to secret solitaire above, I'm always feeling bad i don't have more fannish content to post, though intellectually I know 1) I can post things other than fannish content and 2) this is my free time, and I shouldn't be feeling badly about it, regardless. *sigh* I have my issues. But thanks for saying you'd be interested in seeing more posts! I feel as if those of us who are still here on the journals are people who enjoy chatting as much as I do, and I should just embrace that and not worry so much. M.

[write_out]

I mostly read or zone out, but I do sometimes like to watch movies if they're in the seatback (I refuse when it's the old school one-screen-for-ten-rows set up) and I don't have pay extra. I'm not able to sleep on planes- anywhere in public, actually- so I envy those of you who can nod off. It would certainly make the flights go by more quickly!

Did you create your journal for fannish reasons? If so, I can see it being difficult if you've built a space based on fandom and then end up moving away a bit. I wholeheartedly agree that you can post whatever you want- fannish or not- but like you said, intellectually knowing that is one thing... I hope you can find a balance with that as well!

[magnetic_pole]

I created this journal (well, the LJ version of it) back in 2006 when I was reading and writing a lot of HP fic. (I was pretty prolific [for me, not generally!] back in 2006-2008 and again around 2010,) The book series and movies hadn't come to an end, so fandom was still fairly active, and I'd usually update with a fic or a rec or some other fandom news. Now I read sparingly and almost never write, and so when I post I'm always reminded of how not-active I am these days. Which shouldn't be a problem, as I said above, but still makes me feel a bit bad. Issues, clearly! :(

The paying extra on the plane is such a headache, isn't it? Ugh. M.