They may not keep schedules and everything might take a little longer, but New Mexico has California beat in friendliness and hospitality. Nothing illustrates this better than a phenomenon that causes me to literally laugh out loud every time I see it: The Hand Nod.

I've mentioned that there is quite a bit of downtime associated with my particular duties out here. Seeing as how I just floated into another waiting session, I'd like to pontificate a bit on this topic and introduce you to a couple more lessons I have learned this week.

My job this week is to collect data about small chunks of ice that are being shot out of an air gun, hence the irony that I should be showered with projectile water at the airport. If nothing else, the experience has taught me quite a bit about testing procedure and the technical nomenclature that is used in a test environment. It's amazing the knowledge one can glean just from active listening.

I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. All those airplanes, airports, baggage handlers, carousels—it was only a matter of time really. In a way I'm relieved. It's like a rite of passage out of the way. Now I can go to my next swanky cocktail party and, martini in hand and head swaggering ever so slightly, talk about that time I flew in to El Paso, Texas. "I don't know where they sent my luggage" I'll say, "but it wasn't El Paso!". Everyone will laugh. I'll casually sip my martini.