Countdown to takeoff ...

In case anyone reading this doesn't know me that well, I make no secret of the fact that I have an intense fear of flying. So, while I'm excited about my impending trip to the tropics, I am also slowly getting more and more worked up about the prospect of being on an airplane again.

I'm also starting to freak out about the fact that I only have 45 minutes to catch my connecting flight in Atlanta. I had a bad experience with being stranded all day in an airport in Puerto Rico after missing a connecting flight, and that's an experience I'd prefer never to have to repeat again. But I guess I'm a pessimist because I just have a feeling that it's going to be San Juan Part II on Sunday.

And, to top it all off, my flight to Atlanta leaves at 6 a.m., which means I won't be able to hit the airport bar before boarding. Normally, I handle my fear of flying by going to the airport bar and getting tipsy off rum/coke or screwdrivers (depending on the time of day) before getting on the plane. Hopefully I'll be so tired at that time that I'll feel drunk anyway – it's been known to happen if I'm tired enough.