Thursday Travel Day with Snow

I finished Thursday at my home, crawling into familiar sheets in clean PJs and soon closing my eyes in my bed and soon oblivious to the world. It felt good, but a teeny bit lonely. I slept the night without interruptions and woke early about an hour before my usual. I rolled over, and the sunrise woke me.

I returned from church in the early evening. Corwin was taking a day off, and his dog Hank was here. Corwin played video games using my excellent bandwidth and cooked bacon. He was finishing up his near-disaster laundry issue. He left it in my brand-new washer for a week, but my washer recovered, and the sanitize setting helped. I will make no further comment.

The new flooring was wonderful, and the reorganizing of stuff was not too bad. I could find things. I sorted my mail and opened my new TTRPG (i.e., Table Top Role Playing Game), The Laundry. I was disappointed by the over $350 price for four books and one (only one) signed by the author; his signature was just a blog. Hmmm. Though the price tag is about right if ordering the signed and limited editions. I think I will curtail any more investments in TTRPG releases. It was two years late, too. Interestingly, I have the first version, and it looks like this version covers less than what I had before. It is a favorite topic and setting for me, and I’m glad to see the materials finally delivered.

Corwin headed out, and I read for a while, more of The Fourth Protocol, an old Cold War novel I picked up in Salt Lake City (SLC), and an interesting 1987 movie. I had some bacon as a snack. I started the first load of laundry.

Before this, I rushed to church, being thirty minutes late. My plane was about 45 minutes late (instead of ten minutes early). SLC surprised us with a snowstorm, wtih the snow making it impossible to see the mountains. My plane needed to be de-iced. The pilot then told us that the winds at SLC International Airport meant that they were using different runways and there was a line. Next, we had to pull over, a new experience for me, as our plane’s brakes had overheated and we needed to wait for them to cool. Hmmm, my thoughts were simple, “Take your time to not set the plane on fire or have no brakes landing at PDX.” I should have ordered a drink at that point, but everyone was seated for takeoff. We took off and landed without incident.

I watched the other half of Rental Family, a brilliant movie about life and the illusions we hide behind, and I did cry and laugh at the end. Highly recommended by Deborah, and I would say an excellent film. I had coffee and a cookie (dipping the cookie in the coffee). I managed to ignore the landing (there was nothing I could do about the brakes) and watched Mulan, the cartoon version. I almost made it to the end. I had four minutes left when the plane doors opened, and it was time to go.

I found my way in PDX as usual and took the strange right to the corridor that gets you out. The construction is now done in the terminal, and it looks even better. Wow! I helped some lost people who were confused about the difference between the baggage check-in walkthrough and the baggage claim. I agree it is a bit confusing. My bag appeared moments after I arrived at the baggage claim. I rolled my large new bag (now with a few scuffs) to the MAX train, scanned my phone to pay ($2.80), and boarded the light rail car. It is about a ninety-minute trip, but it is far better than the traffic and the $80+ for an Uber.

Corwin picked me up in Air VW the Gray with Hank, unhappy to be alone in the back. But he did not make a mess. I was soon home, pointed out some food that Corwin could make (he selected the bacon and left me about 1/2 cooked in the fridge; I had some for Friday’s breakfast). Then drove after the garage door wouldn’t close (I used the manual version and later fixed it using Deborah’s advice).

The service was dinner, followed by a foot-washing service (I selected my hands as an alternative), and we sang and heard many New Testament scriptures. I was too tired and distracted to enjoy it much (also, I am not much of a fan of washing services). Still, it was nice.

I left as I was getting tired. I arrived at the house, pushed and pulled on the cameras for the garage door until it worked again, and then sat and talked to Corwin. That takes me full circle.

From the start of Thursday, in Salt Lake, we had a lovely breakfast with a wonderful waiter, and he arranged for Deborah to assemble this ad hoc breakfast for a better price. It was a cold and wet day, and it seemed time to head home. The drive to the airport and the return of the car were easy (though I almost went into the wrong lane).

Thanks for reading!

Deborah’s plane was late as the pilot was missing, and they waited for a replacement. Then there was the de-icing…She made it home safe.

I am leaving for Michigan next week.