Close Call

I've already thanked my mom for preparing my life-saving first aid kit in preparation for Mt. Kili. Now, it's time to thank my dad. Why? Because Wednesday August 9 was his birthday. Normally, every year I give my dad a birthday card (he's partial to Hallmark's Shoebox collection, as am I), and write "Happy Birthday", "Thanks for everything you've done for me", etc. This year, since I was in Africa, I didn't have a chance to get him a card. So when I decided to cut my trip short since Shashank is an ass-kissing glory hog who can only say no to his girlfriend and his friends, but not his boss, I decided to leave on Tuesday night, therefore arriving in LA on Wednesday afternoon, in time to say "Happy Birthday" in person. Contrary to most decisions I've made over the past 26+ years, I woke up Thursday morning thanking my lucky stars for my, well, good luck.

I'm sure you've all by now seen or read news reports of the supposedly huge terrorist threat authorities in the UK broke up yesterday. If I remember correctly, 24 suspects (f'in Pakis), 18 or so of whom have been caught. What's interesting/scary as hell is that the primary target of the attacks appear to have been trans-Atlantic flights originating in London and destined for the U.S., i.e. the same type of flight I took Wednesday morning from Heathrow to LAX.

So, with that, I say, "Thank You dad." Had Wednesday NOT been his birthday, I very well may have delayed my flight by a day or two. And, frankly, I already had enough close calls in my final 24 hours in Nairobi - from some drunk Kenyan threatening to put Boylan and I "in a cemetery" because Boylan was, well, being Boylan; to two cops hassling us for our passports and Kenyan visas, clearly hoping that we didn't have proper documentation so they could swindle us out of a few thousand shillings so they could make rent or get drunk on Tusker and threaten to put some unsuspecting souls in a cemetery.

Fortunately, the authorities seem to have stopped the plot before it could be enacted, but who knows what might have been. Best-case scenario - I would have probably been delayed by several hours (or more) and maybe lost a small fortune in hair gel, sunblock, and maybe even my camera, iPod, etc., since I heard they weren't allowing electronics on board UK-US flights. Worst-case scenario - well, I'd rather not think about that, but let's just say you guys would probably be fighting over said gel, sunblock, camera, iPod, etc. That brings me to a random thought. When I craft my will (which I've been meaning to do but putting off for ages), I think I'll leave all my gel and hair-care products to Smitty. He'll appreciate that.