Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Take a Seat

airplane interior

I was going to do some blog posts this week about my amazing, incredible, vintage finds.  You see, last Saturday we took a road trip to the mother of all antique malls- about an hour’s drive from our home.  Shockingly, after browsing for more than that same amount of time, I came up empty handed.    That never happens to me.  I always find something.  Not this time.  Let me just say that the use of the word “antique” in this case was a little misleading. Actually, the word “vintage” would have been misleading too. What I mostly saw was a lot of used stuff.  Not old stuff, just used stuff.

So as those best laid blog post plans went out the window, I found myself shopping for a little inspiration instead.  I was thinking about all of the choices we have to make in life.  Paper or plastic?  Cat or dog?  Scrambled or fried?  And I thought about flying, and the strong preference some people have over the seat they are assigned.  Window, or aisle.

For me, it doesn’t really matter.  There are pros and cons to each.  Window seats are nice if you like to look out at the clouds, or observe take offs and landings.  Once, on a flight to Denver, there were already two people  in my row by the time I boarded the plane.  I had the window seat, but I told the two-seated on the aisle and in the middle-that they could just scoot over.  I didn’t mind.  But they sure did.  No way, I was told, were either of them  sitting by the window.  They were both terrified of flying and did not want to have to look out and see how high off the ground we would soon be.

The aisle is convenient.  You don’t have to climb over anyone else if you need to get up and out of your seat, which I always do.  But on a flight to Honolulu, as I sat in my aisle seat, a woman needed something in her suitcase, which was in the overhead bin-over my head, and I was showered with trail mix.  I spent the entire flight picking peanuts and raisins out of my hair.

So window or aisle? 

Do you have a preference?

8 comments:

  1. I hate that about the aisle, being the innocent victim of trailmix dumps and also that you are often in very close proximity to people's bottoms if they are standing in the aisle. But on the other hand the window always makes me feel trapped, like I have apologize profusely if I need to get up and use the facilities. I don't mind flying for the practical reasons but prefer the comfort of the minivan if I'm going to be honest.

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  2. Window, every time! I like to look out.

    Has your Goodwill raised it's prices? Mine has gotten a little ridiculous lately. It's making me grumpy.

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  3. Window. I usually get on a flight with the intention of not getting up. I just want to sleep. I dont like the aisle because of being bumped into by people walking by.

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  4. Definitely window! I like to look out too and I hate to be climbed over.

    As far as your antique mall trip, we have noticed quite a change in the antique malls around our state. Many people have rented the spaces (not cheap!) to sell what you would normally buy at a garage sale. Some of the antique malls/galleries we frequent have started getting after renters for "junkiness"--jumbled wares, stuffed stalls so people don't even go in. Lately our favorite places have improved where the management is diligent.

    The other thing we have noticed since the financial downturn is how some people use antique malls/galleries to sell items they would sell on eBay or they had to abandon a store front shop because they couldn't afford the rent. So, they rent a space at an antique mall and sell that way.

    Most of the non-gift shop items seem more "vintage"--although, if an items is 50 or more years old, isn't it an antique? I can't remember the designations I knew so well in my eBay days.

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  5. I haven't flown in years and years, but the last time I did, it was window. And I'd choose window again. I liked looking out at the sky, and did take photos of that view.

    As for antiques, the photo of the lamp on my blog today was taken in a local antique shop about 2 years ago. (If you look closely, you can see the price ticket on it). This particular shop is really nice, and I actually took quite a few photos in it that day. If you see any antique/vintage shots on the blog, that's where they came from.

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  6. Kim-yes, those close proximites...I prefer the aisle too, because I always have to get up. It wasn't a problem when the three of us were seated in the same row, but lately, we aren't seated together. I really hate flying. A minivan would be a much more comfortable way to go:)

    Lisa-the prices have gone up a lot at my local Goodwill too!

    Ms.G-true-the bad thing about the aisle is getting bumped-by the drink cart too. I've always wished I could sleep on the plane. I get a little hyper instead:(

    Mary-garage sale was exactly what comes to mind about this place. It was terrible!!

    Joanne-I do love the views. I remember my first time arriving in Honolulu. I'll NEVER forget what a thrill it was to look out and know that I was coming in to Hawaii:) And I still love that lamp! Sounds like a nice shop:)

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  7. Window, definitely! Whenever I fly, that's what I always request. I think it's the introvert in me. I can look out at the window to avoid conversation with whoever is sitting beside me. ;-)

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  8. Melissa-I've been seated next to a chatty Kathy or two myself ;)

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