on the way back from our weekend family visit to t-bay, doug and chaeli sat across the aisle from me. it was a small plane. simply because flying back to and forth from toronto to t-bay, you don’t really need a very large plane.
no one really goes to t-bay unless they are visiting family or actually have a business trip there.
anyway… as i was saying, it was a very small plane. just 2 seats on either side. very narrow and of course, unlike porter, air canada did the maximum row allowance. porter at least takes out a row or two and spaces the seats out so that you actually have decent leg room.
so i was sitting on the aisle seat next to this pretty, young blond. she had her chihuahua in one of those carry-on dog bags that fits under the seat in front. and i asked if she wouldn’t mind putting her chihuahua closer to the window (she had her purse by the window and the carry-on dog bag drifting more on my side). it wasn’t that the dog offended me. on the contrary, i didn’t mind at all! but due to the cramp-ness that is air canada, i was really afraid of accidentally kicking her dog. all it would take is a small adjustment and i might land my toes right into the dog’s head!
as i stood up to put my backpack in the overhead bin, she commented, “wow… you must have lost a lot of weight recently!”
with surprise, i responded, “how could you tell?”
“your pants are just hanging off of you!”
okay… must stop here to point out that yes, i was wearing a pair of my older pair of jeans. it’s a little baggy but not crazy-baggy. so long as i wear a belt, i can still pass it off. so i really don’t think the average stranger would take notice.
i responded, “well, yes, i have lost weight. but over the course of 2-3 years. i just still wear these jeans when i travel. it’s comfy!”
we got into talking, because she asked, about what i did to lose the weight.
then another peculiar thing happened. she commented on how ‘skinny’ my legs were. i don’t have skinny legs – muscular and therefore actually bulky, but not skinny. it would be one thing if some one who knew me when i was overweight to comment that my legs look skinny – only in comparison. but i think that the average stranger wouldn’t think this of my legs at all.
third point to insert here – when she talked, she had a really calming effect.
we talked about where we were going – i told her we were just visiting t-bay because of family and she mentioned that she was on her way home to chicago with a stop over in toronto. and that she was in t-bay for business.
finally, my last point… business? on a holiday long weekend? and she mentioned this was her 8th business trip in a month – she always took her dog with her. if she was going somewhere that could not accommodate her dog, she just wouldn’t go.
i didn’t press for more information. i later told all this to doug and he said it just as the idea was formulating in my thoughts, “might she be in the entertainment business?”
“that’s somewhat the feeling i got.”
i told him how she noticed things about me that normally strangers wouldn’t at all, “i mean, it IS part of her job right? she’s use to sizing up her clientele right from the get-go. it’s basically a skill she has to have if she’s good at what she does.”
well, one of the skills she has to have.
i’m not judging. but i was curious. she’s either an adult entertainer or a hell of a good sales person.
