Are you for REAL???

#1 - Plane from DFW to Mpls, the guy sitting next to me was spilling over his seat, was sweating because he'd been at the wrong gate, smelled of stale cigarettes and within less than two hours consumed two vodkas and two. Budwiesers. And even though I had the Bose on he kept trying to talk to me.

But this one takes the cake:

#2 - 

Background: Any airplane into Mpls today had consultants on it. Some had lots of consultants on them. We all recognize each other because we're wearing company logos or carrying totes from previous events or from our product line. And when we meet, we gab.

"Oh! Where are you from?"

"Is this your first convention?"

"Who's in your unit?"

We're very friendly people and personable as a rule. From Dallas onward today, this has been my traveling life - in airports, on planes, on shuttle buses, even in the World Headquarters of Le Tarjay.

Except for HER!

I had been on the shuttle bus, chatting with a lady from Denver here for her first convention. When SHE and her friend got on the bus, SHE sat next to me. They'd flown in from Charlotte, NC. 

Remind me not to go to Charlotte. Ever.

As we very briefly chatted, I coughed.

See, I live in Southern California. I have a persistent post-nasal drip. It's called: Allergies. Sitting all day in dry airplanes and airports doesn't help. 

SHE said to me something about "Oh! You don't sound like you feel so good?" (It was a question even though it didn't sound like one.)

I replied "I'm from California. I have allergies."

And SHE said "Well, I'm sorry but I'm not talking to anyone who is coughing."

And with that, she pulled out a piece of gum and her sandwich size ziplock baggie. She doused herself with anti-bacterial gel and said not another word to me, turning away from me for our entire bus ride.

I did what any red-blooded American Perky Mommy would do: I pulled out my travel journal and began to take notes about her.

It's at times like these that my desire to exert the power of my ovaries comes into conflict with my belief that Cute and Perky People are sometimes snarky but really try not to be outright RUDE to others.

I felt like coughing some more. You know, move the congestion a bit.

Maybe even scootch a bit over into my seat closer to her.

Oh - I coughed without covering my mouth as well as I should have, once.

Listening to her talk, it's people like her who amaze me in their success in this business. She is NOT gracious. She and another girl were talking about people who attend her business meetings and she doesn't even bother to learn their names if they're not on her computer list (i.e. she doesn't make money from them directly but she has committed to the company that she will help train them and in turn, other leaders will help train her team members who live away from her.)

I didn't want to match rude for rude. So I didn't.

But I wished I might need to sneeze before the bus ride was over.