I used 'kerfuffle' in a sentence.

Traveling at holiday time is an intense experience by any measure. I have a personal history of mixed trauma and bemusement stemming from my father's behavior when we used to go away as a family when I was in my teens and early 20s.

My father is a big guy and not afraid to take an approach to life based on intimidation. We used to all ride to the airport together in a hired car and the moment we entered the airport he would turn into a raging lunatic. He would lash out at the slightest provocation and he wasn't choosy about targets, excepting my mother, who he wouldn't tangle with. But the driver, luggage carriers, customer service agents and, of course, us kids, were easy targets.

After we'd arrived at our destination he would relax and we could make fun of his behavior and he would laugh along. And though I was always a prime target, being the smarty pants that I was (but not any more of course), but I did realize after a while that it wasn't about me. I mean, you don't really have to yell at someone for standing 2 feet to the right of where you want them, or sliding a bag a few inches across the floor without being told to do so.

WIth this in the background, I try to moderate my own airport behavior, even though all sorts of things annoy me. I try to leave early to the airport and attempt to keep things calm. Of course, "calm" and "two teenage daughters" are not necessarily the most compatible things.

The main hitch on this trip was when a child who packed late at night and completely independently comes downstairs 5 minutes before we were supposed to leave and asks, "Do I need to pack anything else?" My response, which can be summarized as saying that was a silly line of questioning because I didn't know what she had already packed, was not met warmly. The ensuing kerfuffle lasted about 15 minutes so by the time we left for the airport the taxi meter was already over $10.

The drive went smoothly, but once inside the terminal everything changed. On most mornings, and airline terminal is businesslike, with everyone acting in a directed manner. Today it was a mix of bewildered and frustrated adults and bored and cranky kids all trying to figure out what line to stand in. The lines were ridiculous, and people standing in line with piles of suitcases are the most uncomfortable people anywhere.

The one thing the terminal seemed to lack was airline employees, but I finally found one and asked what line I should join. She said "Right here. There's a sign over there but nobody seems to see it." Well, duh. Have you ever noticed how many signs there are in an airport? There must have been 100 of various shapes and sizes within reading distance. And too many signs is only slightly better than no signs at all.

The rest of the trip was pretty routine. I'll check back in later.