Mile-High Writer's Club

So, we’re in the air. During take-off JG and I discussed the incident at ticketing. But, I left off at Macy’s 50% off luggage sale. We bought two new large suitcases with four wheels each. Black, of course. They barely fit in the Prius with all the other luggage. I checked three suitcases on my way down – plus I had the backpack. JG had checked two suitcases and carried on his laptop case.  As you can imagine it was a tight fit. We decided we’d repack the luggage at the rental drop off.

We were still about 10 miles or so from the airport when we stopped to get gas. I was bored and pulled out the instruction manual for the car. The futuristic control panel had a fancy display for the ‘hybrid system’ but it wouldn’t really explain where the bars needed to be to show that you were driving ‘eco-groovy.’ I was trying to figure out if we were going to burn too much gas in those last 10 miles and would need to fill up again. For a hybrid we had for four days I was shocked we went through an entire tank of gas.

I discovered we were only using the ‘hybrid’ features if the box above the meter read “ECO” – please note this word never came on between there and the airport. I found out the prius has an 11.9 gallon tank. A few miles into the drive back to the airport I got so annoyed “ECO” didn’t show up on the control panel – if it’s a hybrid how come it isn’t doing it’s eco groovy cheer? So, I thought that if the cruise control were activated it would do it automatically. Upon my insistence, JG tried using cruise control but it was broken.

JG was annoyed I was only interested in the car a few minutes before we turned it in.

So, we get to the rental car place, cleared the car and began the repacking process. It took longer than I thought it was. We ended up leaving two of the old suitcases next to the trash can. We timed it just right to catch the shuttle before it departed. I turned back with a bag in each hand to tell JG that my crutches were on the chair. He didn’t hear me. This comes after me telling him in the car that we could leave them , that if I needed then again they’d give me new ones. I guess JG didn’t hear me because at the airport he asked where they were.

So we get to the airport. There’s a line of ten people. There are at least three electronic check-in terminals open. No one is moving; they are oblivious. I swoop in at the one on the end. JG and the dude behind the counter give me a hard time for cutting. (We ended up getting in line … eyeroll.) The conversation JG and I just had on the plane ended with me saying “I’d rather be rude than stupid.”

His bottom line? “The people in line were waiting to be called. And you cut.”

Granted, they probably were, however, each attendant was working two terminals. It’s not like they were being pro-active in the middle of checking one person’s bags to make sure maximum efficiency was achieved by having the next customer get their boarding pass.

Besides, the next person in line was a gaggle of 10 young people traveling together. The amoeba was ruining it for everyone else.

JG got me a wheelchair. That was fun. I got rammed into the doorway of the elevator, a woman’s bag rammed into my bad leg as she entered the train, and I got felt up by security because JG insisted I ride the chair through security instead of walking the few steps through the scanner.

I’m sure another eventful something will happen before we make it through the front door. Tomorrow morning will be an early morning for us. Zachary has his first tutoring session at sylvan. Edward is getting a free evaluation.

Aunt Heather was nice enough to watch the boys while JG came to Colorado Springs for my graduation. He got in the day after I injured my knee. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The graduation ceremony last night was a killer though, up down-up down-up down without being able to put my leg up. Both times I used the restroom I sat for a few minutes in the power room with my legs up in an ottoman.

JG looked handsome in his mess dress. The last time he wore it was for the wedding. Speaking of, we got a call yesterday from the best man. He and his kids are coming out in July to visit for a week. I’m really looking forward to hanging out with other people who like to camp and hike as much as I do. JG has already warned me we’ll be playing a 24-hour session of a Star Wars role playing game.

There -  I think we have it all covered now – the French toast, the Air Force Academy and the Crutches.