Tourettes

Please don't judge me as being sensational. I really couldn't make this stuff up if I tried, and I was on the phone with an old friend who overheard a portion of the following events. I was waiting at the gate of the Minneapolis airport when I heard a dog barking. I looked around, and noticed it was a man, reading a book, with his head down--- absorbed by the book--- barking. It was a highly realistic bark of a small to midsized dog. I was a bit taken aback. A young girl and her mother were seated directly opposite this character, observing him closely.

The barking occurred several times, although considerable time elapsed between episodes. When it occurred, there was no self-consciousness to it whatsoever. The man acted like it had not even happened.

So here is where the story gets truly bizarre: the man started barking. Immediately behind me, I hear more barking--- this time from a real dog in a carry-on doggy/kennel suitcase. The barking man looked around--- almost offended, as if someone were mocking him. Indeed, it was the real thing this time. Very strange.

In the midst of all of this, I was upgraded to first class. Free.