4 Things To Do Before You Get On A Small Commercial Plane

Flying from Long Island to Philadelphia is a very short flight.  By the time you get in the air and the seat belt sign is turned off, it’s time to put it back on and prepare for landing – it’s that quick.  Quick flights call for one thing (besides a shot of vodka) – small planes!

When traveling it’s wise to spend time preparing for your trip by creating a to-do list including items you need to pack, things you may want to do while on your trip, find local restaurants and places available to eat in the area, maybe a place you can grab a workout or two, and of course, keep track of your itinerary and photo ID.  Here are 4 more items to add to your to-do list, specifically before you get on a small plane:

1.    Apply deodorant.  Let’s do our fellow passengers a favor (and ourselves) and apply an adequate amount of quality deodorant to your under arms before leaving the house.  Small planes = not enough area for foul odors to permeate and dissipate.

2.    Take some Gas-X.  It’s happened to you, I know it has.  You are sitting on an airplane, 3-hour flight, and your stomach is in doing somersaults.  You relax and let it go hoping the faux-leather seats will absorb the odor or that no one will know it was you.  This situation can be avoided altogether by using an old product by the name of Gas-X (or any other off brand will do).  If you know you’re going to be in a confined place for an extended period of time with other people, take some Gas-X – even if your tummy is fine right now.  Chances are it won’t be fine the moment you’re stuck on the plane.

3.    Bring a pillow and blanket.  You’re definitely not getting a free one when you hop on the plane.  Even if there were pillows and blankets available, who would want to put their head on something someone else whom you don’t know has used.  Always be prepared, you’re going to need the pillow and blanket for #4.

4.    Take out a life insurance policy and give your loved ones a hug and kiss.  Seriously, I’ve been on small planes before, but this one took the cake.  I mean IT WAS TINY!!

This flight was by far the scariest flight I’ve been on besides the one where the turbulence was so bad the oxygen masks fell from the overhead compartments.  Sitting in the front row, exit row, all I could think looking out my window for the duration of the takeoff was if the propeller was going to somehow come loose or just stop spinning altogether.  And then we’d go down, and how horrible would that be.  Just this morning American Airlines was on the news again with their seats becoming loose mid-flight.  Rest assured, my seat remained in tact.

Lesson learned – don’t think about things falling apart during takeoff and always fall asleep during the flight that way if something does go wrong…you’re sleeping, so it’s all good or you wake up scared sh*tless.

3 Reasons to Do Morning Cardio

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Getting up in the morning is rough, especially when you know you have a long day of work ahead of you.  Who in their right mind would want to get up earlier than necessary to get ready for work?  I’ve always said, if you want something bad enough, you’ll do what you need to do to get there.  And if that means waking up 45 minutes to an hour early every day for a morning cardio sesh then that’s what you’re going to do.  For those of you that love the snooze button, this article is for you.  Here are 5 reasons to get up before the birds for morning cardio: 1.    Feel the Energy Buzz:

Getting up early and starting with a 30 minute run awakens the senses.  Accomplishing more before 7:30 am than most is something you should feel good about, and the high you get from your run will boost your energy for the start of your day.

2.    Boost Your Metabolism:

Whether you get up and go or have a bite to eat beforehand, any form of cardio will boost your metabolism.  Aerobic exercise in general will keep your body burning calories for hours after you’ve finished your session.  Even if you’re not trying to lose weight, cardio is a great way to build your fitness and stay healthy.

3.    More Time for Yourself:

People often complain there’s not enough hours after work to get a cardio workout in.  Waking up early to get it done gives you the rest of the day to do what you wish without having to worry about when you’re going to hit the gym or the trails.  You’ll have more time in the evenings to lift weights, make dinner, prep for the next day, enjoy some ‘me’ time and see your family.

One way or the other, cardio is a good thing in your life.  If you’re not a morning person, become one – you’ll reap the benefits of a speedier metabolism, more energy for the day, and more time for yourself!

Are you a morning person?  When's your best time to get a cardio workout in?

What It's Like to See People You Know on TV

Every week I look forward to Friday night.  Not because happy hour is two-for-ones at Napper Tandy's, but because Friday is "Brideday!" on the TLC network.  If you watch, which I'm sure you do, you can relate to my excitement of finally getting home from a long day at work and gym to plop down on the couch and turn on Say Yes to the Dress...Atlanta.  Last night was different, when I turned to the TLC channel, the man on the screen was someone I know - Jack Owoc the CEO of VPX Sports - where I worked for almost 2 years at the start of my career.

The first thing that came to mind was, "heh, look at that...Jack Owoc is getting married...to someone other than whom he was engaged to back when I worked for him."  But you know what, good for him, he has found someone he is happy with and I wish him well.

What's strange is running in to someone from your past that you haven't seen nor heard anything about for years.  It really makes you take a look at where you are in your own life.  It's kinda like finding old friends on Facebook and then proceeding to thoroughly browse their page almost as if you're trying to find a hidden treasure.  What are we really looking for?  I'm not really sure how it made me feel to see Jack on TV.  It brought back memories of what it was like to work for him and my personal perspective of him at the time - which was not a one-woman man (though I am not discrediting him now, he may be committed to this woman more than he has ever been committed in his entire life).  Was I passing judgement when I saw him on TV?  Or was I simply forming a general observation based on past experience(s) with this person.  Is this just human nature?  I would imagine so.  Otherwise, what would be the fun of spending countless hours on Facebook, Twitter and other social media forums stalking checking out old friends.

So I ask you this, what's the first thing that comes to your mind when someone from your past reappears?  Is it negative, positive or just a general observation?  Leave a comment below.

And have you ever been watching TV or a movie and someone you know popped on the screen?  If so, who was it?