1. Whew! At least I got on the flight. (Sometimes being a stand-by passenger pays off. And I was not looking forward to Plan B, which was a 6.5 hour layover.)
2. I saved some money by not paying for a pre-selected seat.
3. I was close to the restroom. Super-close. Couldn’t-have-been-closer close.
4. I sat next to a flight attendant, who didn’t seem distressed about the not-so-mild turbulence we encountered at one point, so that put me at ease. 
5. I was able to pass the time by judging observing every passenger that walked by me en route to the restroom.
6. The extra steps to/from the back of the plane got me closer to my daily 10,000 step goal.
7. I was still able to see out the window.
8. The seat didn’t recline but sitting up straighter was probably better for my back. 
9. There were enough mini-bags of mini-pretzels to go around.
10. Unlike on the previous flight, there was no super-nervous woman sitting behind me who kept chattering.. And kept chattering, and kept over-sharing about all the anxiety pills she just took and about how she also just drank two beers and about how she now feared she would vomit.
11. No one was able to kick the back of my seat.
12. No one was able to inadvertently injure me while retrieving carry-on bags from the overhead bins. 
13. I didn’t get worked up about people trying to “cut in line” and get off the aircraft before their turns (we’ve all seen this happen, right? Right?) since everybody on board was ahead of me anyhow.
14. Since I was the last to exit the plane, my dropped-off suitcase was already waiting for me at the plane’s door.

Enjoyed: Saturday, September 3, 2022.

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “ Black Sheep Old Fashioned”.

Ingredients: Michter’s Bourbon, Grand Marnier, black walnut bitters.

The occasion: Youngest Son was just finishing week one of a new job. Same employer, major promotion! We were delighted with the news, so we wanted to celebrate over brunch, and to hear all about his new opportunity.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The cocktail was beautifully presented and delicious. Michter’s is one of my favorites, and the splash of Grand Marnier brought the orange taste and sweetness I wanted. No messy muddled fruit needed!

Final thoughts: The Black Sheep, part of a dining/entertainment campus just outside of Manassas,  is housed in a recently-renovated two-story historic dairy barn. Our server told us he thought the renovation cost close to $2 million, and I can believe that–it is a pretty fancy barn, with exposed-beam vaulted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, huge windows, and gorgeous furniture. We were impressed by the rustic-industrial-chic, and wondered (somewhat sadly) whatever became of the former bovine residents.