Thursday Travel

Thursday was a travel day. I had an 8-ish hour direct flight from Detroit (DTW) to Portland (PDX). I had to return Air Hyundai Red. I had one bag to check (for $35 on Delta), and I did not have a cheap seat, thus enabling me to have a seat assignment before I checked in for the flight the night before. I again pre-paid for the bag charge, avoiding pulling out a credit card at the bag tag process. I would hate to lose it or find I lost it at the last moment. I might become so discombobulated that I could put the card in my pocket and have it fall out (I have done that before), forget my phone, or leave my hat somewhere. I want my bag tagging to be as smooth as possible. I find that transitions are the most likely to cause you to forget something. Deborah has a Delta Credit Card, and her bags are free. Others I know who travel often have expensive credit cards to get various services and freebies while travelling. I am retired and cheap now, but I am tempted.

I was mostly packed and soon made coffee in the room. It had been cleaned the day before, and I had some coffee packs available (not a pod machine) for the machine. I finished the packing, more like throwing things in and sitting on the case to close, and then descended to the lobby to finish writing and partake of the industrial breakfast. The Fairfield Inn on a Thursday closes the breakfast at 9, and I was there after eight, getting much of the dregs of the earlier risers, but the staff, whom I thanked again, had added a few fresh items. It was still good and filling.

I use my HotSpot rather than the local WiFi. I do not trust that the hotel has good security, and I update my Quicken accounts daily. I am not interested in seeing how good my laptop encryption is versus some likely bored young person. They have all day, like squirrels raiding a bird feeder, to break in and get something. Instead, my phone creates the connection, unless the connection is poor.

I wrote a short blog post and published it. I went back to room 222, got my bag, computer, and suitcase, and put on my hat and coat. I had checked multiple times that I had everything and knew my dress shoes were already squished in my bag. I checked out, “yes, you email me,” and got in Air Hyundai Red and headed south in Lansing.

I thought about calling friends or family, but it is hard to enjoy much as the clock is ticking and I need to feel safe early at the airport. It was late morning, so I decided to see the fantastic farm/grocery store in Lansing: Horrocks Farm Market. My first impression was that it is almost out of Lansing near Holt. I found easy parking and walked in. It reminded me of many markets I have been to worldwide, but it smelled better, and there was just one vendor (and I could read the signs and understand the price without math). It brought back my recent memories of Eastern Market and the Olive Pit in California. I enjoyed walking through it and thought that next time, I would have to consider the hotel with a kitchen!

Deborah contacted me and suggested we meet for lunch at her work, which is in the general direction of the airport. I agreed. Nav sent me to Detroit through the city and back North to Deborah, making a kind of check-mark-like voyage.

I was surprised when Nav sent me off the highways and through the lovely town of Howell, as Highway 96 was blocked for construction and some incident. I had not been there, not that I remember, but I thought it was quaint and lake-filled. Soon, Nav had me on 4 and 4-lane fast-moving highways. Following the navigation, I had to switch to secondary roads as the highways were still being reconstructed.

It was nice to see Detroit again. Except for the construction incident, it was a great drive (mostly over 75), but soon, I was with Deborah, parking next to her Blue Mini. I was presented to various friends and co-workers playing the role of boyfriend. Deborah told me earlier I was being “inspected.” I was not in my dress shirt and vest, and was worried a floppy sweater over a T-shirt was not enough.

The folks smiled and thanked me for making Deborah happy, and I answered, hearing a few snickers, “My pleasure.” I passed inspection, and soon we headed to Leo’s Coney Island nearby.

I was tempted by the Greek-styled items but went with the plate of hot dogs, drink, and fries. The dogs were not microwaved but boiled, the buns steamed, the chilli thick and full of crushed beans, and the onions fresh. The French fries were well-made. All with a Diet Coke, as I had some problems with depression before, and it’s best not to self-medicate. Deborah had a spinach and cheese omelet.

Next, we scanned the area for game stores, and GOB (Guild of Blades) self-reporting as Michigan’s largest comic and game store was just a few minutes away. Deborah found two used games (the store uses a consignment process to sell unwanted games for store credit), and I marveled at the prices for some of the old Dungeons and Dragons stuff, now collectible, on my shelves.

‘Tick tock,’ and it was time to begin my travels home. Deborah and I said our goodbyes, and we were not ready to return to a long-distance relationship again. We were just in California for two weeks and will have to wait until June to see each other again. I boarded the Red Car, and Nav had me soon checking my rental back in, managing not to forget anything (transitions are always sudden when traveling, and so easy to miss something important). Next, I was off on a bus packed with no seats available (like last time) to Delta’s big hub terminal in Detroit.

I took the escalator up, and this time, my tags were printed for my bags. All the processes were working, and soon, I checked my bags. Today, there was a change of flow. The upstairs security check, previously only for pre-checks for TSA and a security partner, CLEAR, was now open to regular customers, with a short line.

Aside: CLEAR is a traded company, symbol YOU, and charges $199, plus $119 per year for more people (a couple would be $199 + $119). I watched as CLEAR terminals were used to validate people, and then the CLEAR-using customers were walked to a TSA agent by a CLEAR agent to finish the official process. It appeared that you were buying with CLEAR a faster line and with folks there to help you than with TSA PreCheck. I thought reselling TSA PreCheck, a $85 service, was a capitalistic wonder (reporting a net profit of 50% and a near 2% dividend).

I passed through security, using the shorter lines upstairs, without any issues, and remembered everything. The more chaotic lines downstairs were for folks who were not checking bags, had checked in, and had boarding passes. I’m not sure it would ever be faster that way. I took the escalator down to the main floor and found my gate.

Another Leo’s Coney Dog was next to my gate. They did not have Greek food at this one. I walked five gates to the Mezze, Mediterranean food, and got a large Sam Adams summer ale and a plate of starters (it is actually called a mezze when I order it in Turkey). I ate, drank, and wrote the blog. I talked to Deborah a few times on the phone. We are a bit sad to start the long-distance calls again, and we were just happy to talk while we were still in the same time zone!

The men’s room was ten gates away. I used them just before boarding. I was in 29F and group 5 and seemed to board before most (I suspect we had many cheaper flyers for Easter). I used my camera to make a video of the take-off. A new reel for me will soon be on Facebook. I watched two movies. Puss in Boots and John Wick 4 were good. I thought the films had an unusual connection to my thinking about existing politics.

I had a coffee without spilling it. The guy next to me did manage to dump his water on me, and I was damp for a bit. The plane landed without issue. I was dry, found my suitcase, and boarded the MAX, Portland’s light rail, to return to Beaverton. I waited thirty minutes to leave. A security guy was having a phone call, on speaker, that was about family issues and loud. It was annoying as nobody wanted to hear it, but we all ignored it, and soon he stopped.

I helped another passenger find his way, but his phone worked, too. I got off at Willow Creek and waited twenty minutes for an Über to show up. No issues, and I was soon home. The house was clean (I cleaned it before I left, but it smelled slightly stale; I used Febreze), and soon, I was in bed sleeping.

Thanks for reading!