Day Two

The day dawned early, to clouds and rain. More rain. But not cold, and it got points for being not cold. We showered, dressed, gathered our belongings together and headed to the lobby to catch the shuttle to the airport.

Walking out the door, I could not resist taking a picture of the waterfall and pond outside.

Arrived at the airport, without any downpours drenching us – there was actually a few moments of sunshine. All things went as we wished – the Artistic One is TSA approved, and as her companion I was given the same deferential treatment (it’s good to know people with influence it turns out) so security was not the nightmare it can be. I was pulled over so my purse could be examined – uh oh! I did not think about the fact that my handy little gadget I use only for opening stubborn things had a little knife in it. The little gadget that traveled in my purse to Seoul, those years ago. Oh well. Not a big loss.

On the plane, it was raining again.

The ascent to 10,000 feet was bumpy. It was the first time I have ever been nervous during a take-off – usually there is this feeling of elation, a sense of power perhaps – a bit of a heady feeling. Not so yesterday. Once above the clouds however, we were fine. Occasionally there was enough of a break to see land below.

To Atlanta, the flight was uneventful. I become mesmerized by the little map on the screen on the back of the seat in front of me, watching the progress of the plane – noting which cities we passed over or nearby in which I had once lived. Information I’m certain the Artistic One needed. Broadening her horizons, you know. I think it worth noting that Atlanta, Georgia was colder than Portland, Oregon was yesterday. Strange jet streams going on. We did not have time to dally in Atlanta so we grabbed a drink, found our next gate (why are they always forever away from the gate of arrival?) and boarded one more time. We pulled away from the gate, preparing for departure. We hesitated. We stopped. We waited. We went back to the gate. Seems Fort Lauderdale had had a nasty weather front move through with wind, thunder, lightening, rain, even tornado warnings. Seems lots of planes ended up circling for awhile, and when the skies became crowded enough, the airport powers-that-be cried “Uncle!” and advised they would accept no more traffic for awhile. We were allowed back into the terminal, allowed to leave our baggage onboard (there is a god!), found a sandwich and returned to our gate to board. One. More. Time. After about an hour and a half, we were allowed to take off. Oh – Kat, I am loving your little wheeled carry-on bag!

We soared into the cloudy, rain-filled skies, arriving safely and soundly at our destination, where it was moist, breezy, and . . . warm. Ahhhh!

Thank heavens for that opportunity to get a sandwich in Atlanta, because the kitchens were closed in Fort Lauderdale. We called home – my big furry girls have made themselves very comfortable with the Gracious One and her husband – Shasta has found her chair in their bedroom, and Bailey has her bed on the floor of their bedroom, so their nights in their bedroom are quite cozy with four dogs spread about. They have two furry girls also. I had a glass, or two, of wine, the Artistic One had seltzer water, treating her body which is recovering from a cold gently.

We collapsed into bed. It is now morning and soon we will be preparing for a new day. The day of boarding our ship. Off on our adventure!

To all of you – make your day an adventure! Fill your day with enough.