Secondly I sing the praises of Mexican Coke.  This sugar laden confection is available in many places here in the big SF.  Unlike it's American cousin Mexican Coke has the real deal...cane sugar baby.  This has become my personal comfort food that I only enjoy at home.

Misadventures in Modern Air Travel & Mexican Coke 

Misadventures in Modern Air Travel

Please help me to understand a few things.  In this day and age I am still amazed at the number of people who are baffled, bitchy, and bossy during the security and boarding sequences of air travel.  There are no more manners or consideration and that's the passengers.  Plugged in and ignorant most travelers are a real pain in the ass.  Mr. important business man who can't get off his phone to take his seat and continues to talk as if he were mogul, if you were as important as you act you wouldn't be riding coach from Pittsburgh.  Hang up, sit down and shut up, or maybe help Irv and Martha load their pillowcases full of clothes into the overhead.  Oh they won't fit?  Oops that's because now everyone carries everything onto the plane to avoid the $15 fee to check the bag.

Riding in First Class is not much better.  The seats up front are so close together that once seated you can't get get up without grabbing the seat in front of you and pulling on it.  This is fine for you but I was sleeping in that seat, that is until you let go of it and slingshot me forward smashing my melon on the video monitor corner.  Please no worries I do have another eye.  The newest twist I've seen is full figured people being asked to leave the plane or purchase the seat next to them.  Wow,  you'd think you would know if you too big to fit in the seat but apparently even 400lb Fred is in denial.  That has led to some real heated conversations as the gate agent calls them out in front of all the passengers.  Seriously Fred you had to walk sideways just to get into the plane so what you made think that it would be okay to take half of my seat for 5 hours?

On my final flight from Pittsburgh I witnessed two behaviors that actually made me get involved.  I watched as a couple prepared to change a poopy diaper on the floor of the coach cabin.  Excuse me please, excuse me please there are bathrooms with diaper stations.  They were appalled I said anything and it wasn't until I called the flight attendant that they got the hint.  I got the stink eye for the rest of the flight but at least I didn't have to share the cabin with the baby's feces.  Finally on this same flight I watch a woman eat her food complaining about it the entire time but not stopping.  Then after finishing the food she made herself sick in her seat.  Yes she used the bag but she also gagged herself to start the process.  I snapped a picture and that sent her hubby into a huff because I was invading their privacy.  What privacy? You are in the cabin with 160 other people.   Isn't this an activity best done in the privacy of the rest rooms?  In this day and age air travel has become nothing more than bus service at 30,000 feet, only you can't off until the end of the ride.

A family proudly explains how to change a baby on a plane...jackasses

My solution is to raise prices and limit carry on items to a purse or briefcase only.  Introduce a minimum dress code and place cell phone/Blackberry blockers on each plane.  Focus on the flight and talk later.  A little courtesy among strangers would also go a long way to improving on time departures and airline employee attitudes.  Most airline employees are overworked and underpaid so they have less patience than I do.  Instead of acting like they work for you (which they don't), why not just be nice and stuff the "I paid $300 for this ticket..." tirades.  I guess I am officially old because I am about to say...."When I was younger" manners were for the public and temper tantrums (and sweat pants) were for the house.  Now most people treat the outside world as an extension of their personal space, it's not but I guess that genie isn't going back anytime soon. 

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Mexican Coke

Now for something fun and happy.  For the past 20 years or so my favorite drink has been coffee.  I can drink coffee anytime and anyplace, that is until Stacey introduced me to Mexican Coke.  This confection is imported into the US from Mexican Coke plants.  Why you ask?  Well down south of the border the Coke people still use real sugar in the recipe.  Forget that crappy corn syrup we've been trained to think is sugar, the Real Thing is better"er" with the pure cane.  You can really taste the difference.  Normally I hate soda because of the acidic taste and I've learned this comes from the harder carbonation and the use of corn syrup in the US recipe. 

I have also discovered that there is huge segment of the population that also shares my love for the Mexican Coke.  Just check out all the blogs, articles and fan sites that Google yields from the simple search. http://www.google.com/search?q=mexican+coke&rls=com.microsoft:*&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

If you can find it I suggest buying a case.  That brings the price down to around $1.00 a bottle which isn't really that bad.  I don't drink it all day long but instead I keep a few bottles handy when I feel like a cold sweet treat.  I actually feel at home once I hear that hiss and I settle into my favorite chair after a week on the road.  It's also Stacey's way of reminding me how special I am.  She'll bring me a bottle and a comic before she gets on the phone.  That makes me smile and it keeps me from bugging her while she chats with her girl friends.  Everyone wins!

I hate to sound old again but sometimes the simple recipe is the better recipe.  We love to prepackage in mass bulk quantities then try to find the cheapest price point to move product.  Hmmm....sounds like the airlines again.  Anywho perhaps the tipping point is near.  Quality will have to make a comeback one day, won't it?  Mass production is killing us slowly and surely.  Chinese toys, Mexican peppers, and even pet food have all caused deaths and sickness.  For what?  To save a few pennies per unit?  I'd rather pay a little extra and employ a few more people to make my products.  The workers benefit and I do too.  Grab a Mexican Coke, I'll buy and maybe together we can Teach the World to Sing.

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