As I was leaving the airport this afternoon, I was again reminded of my penchant for grand exits, and how I hate to have to do them over.

I'd met a new friend on the plane, and I walked with her to the baggage claim. I had no baggage to claim, since straight carry-on is my new thing, but she needed help finding it. We finished talking, and I told her how nice it was to have met her, and to have a nice afternoon. Then I whirled on my heels, gave her one last smile, and walked away.

As soon as I left the terminal, however, I realized that I had to use the bathroom, and I couldn't wait until the light rail train got into Portland. Problem was, the bathroom was adjacent to our flight's baggage claim, and I was worried that my grand exit would have been spoiled if my new friend saw me. But I really needed to pee, so I decided to risk it.

Cautiously, I snuck back into the terminal, glancing constantly around as I hurried to the bathroom. Luckily, I managed to get all the way into the bathroom without being seen, and my grand exit remained unspoiled, but I was reminded once again of the dangerous risk associated with such exits.