Just Ride That Airborne Pony for All It's Worth

When the UAL pilot says there won't be a beverage service on the early-morning January flight from SFO to LAX because of rough weather, you know you're going to be in for an interesting trip. That was oh, so true today. Wind and rain, both up north and all the way down south, made for a very lively journey aloft. The roller-coaster at 29,000 feet was in full swing, literally. Not that there was anything resembling a serious problem. There wasn't. But those of us in the white-knuckle brigade needed to find some sort of diversion from the non-stop rock-and-roll. And that's precisely what came to mind: Music. That was the ticket. Snap on the headphones, find some upbeat tunes and just ride that pony 400 miles straight to the plastic wonders of the Southland. After all, it lasted just 55 minutes. How bad could it be? With the occasional Dire Straits and Alabama providing the interludes, the wintry flight, with all of its imperfections, was less than traumatic. Thank you, Mark Knopfler. We'll have one more round of "Sultans of Swing."