Check or carry-on?

As I pack my bags for a week-long trip to Phoenix, I struggle with the check or carry-on issue. Now that the airlines charge for every bag you check, it pushes people to carry their bags on board. That then leads to less of everything. Less shampoo, less hairspray, less toothpaste and then having to pack your liquids in a plastic bag and run it through the security scanners seperately. How many of you forget you bagged the liquids and left them tucked in a pocket of your carry-on until after you've already been scanned? That's me!

I'm fast at unpacking and repacking my computer. I wear slip-on shoes for easy on and off and I don't wear excessive metal in belts or jewelry that might set of the alarms. Really, traveling by air has become a big hassle. But then again, I'm not big on really long road trips, either, so I deal with the trouble and get on with it.

Essentials in my travel? My computer. I can't go a whole week without access to the internet. It makes me completely crazy. I carry notepads because on the plane I usually get some really big guy in front of me who leans his seat back as soon as the plane takes off. Can't open the computer if someone's laying in your lap. A notepad is fine for those occasions and gives me a chance to just think...about jabbing my pencil into the guy's ear that's laying in my lap. No really, I would never! But I might write a character gone off the deep end by inconsiderate air travelers.

Oh, and since I'm a writer, when I'm writing mystery or suspense, I find that I want to ask questions that aren't appropriate for air travel. Like, How would you hide something the size of an airplane while in flight? Uh. No. Not a good question to ask of the flight attendent. And lord forbid you should mention the H word. You know...the one where you're saying the short form of hello to Jack! Nope, can't ask that question. I can't even spell it in a blog for fear I'll end up on a list somewhere.

So back to the original question. Check or carry-on? Spend $25 bucks to have the airline delay your luggage or pack less and carry-on...The answer I'll leave floating out in airspace. Hopefully we won't run into it on my flight tomorrow. That and dodging geese are my greatest flying fears.