The Really Big Pinata and Other Odd Things on Planes

I was standing just inside the airplane doorway
in Merida and tried not to let my jaw drop open.
"That's a really BIG pinata." I said with
what I hoped was a friendly smile since I was thinking,
"What was she thinking?!"
The young brunette held it higher and said,
"Can you put this in the closet?"
The main body was the size of a round laundry basket
and the bright yellow points on the miniature sun
stuck out all over making it roughly the size of
a washing machine.
Even the 747 didn't have closet big enough
for this bad boy and we were on a little 737.
I walked out into the jetway and reached for the loops
at the top and assured the young lady it would
be safe down in bin one.
I zipped down the stairs and enjoyed the look on
the rampys' faces as they admired what was
possibly the biggest pinata ever made.

"Yes sir, let me show you to your seats
and I'll get the seatbelt extension for your tiger."
The little white and black Siberian tiger cub case
was snugly belted in and I got to pet him after take off.

"The captain is expecting you, please follow me."
I said to the medical courier with a small
Igloo cooler full of body parts. Couldn't help
but wonder what was in there as I had coffee in the
cockpit after we finished the service.

"How on earth did you get through security with
that plant?" I said to the teenager in the Grateful Dead
tie-died tee shirt out of Missoula connecting to SFO.
"When my room mates dropped me off at the airport they
said it would be nice to give my aunt in Berkely
this little tomato plant for a hostess gift."
Some room mates, sending a kid with a
pot plant on a commercial flight!

Our 737 landed in Houston and I gave the greeting over the PA,
opened the door, and had the First Class flight attendant
say our good byes as I dashed down the stairs for the
world's biggest pinata. I was holding it up for
the nice lady as she came out the door and
she was so happy.
Nearly thirty years later I still wonder where
that little sun ended up and more importantly,
how much candy did it hold!