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| The Wing Wife and The Hobbit |
Now you'll recall the trials and tribulations The Missus Herself and I had in getting ourselves to Sandy Eggo this last weekend. (And I'm using the term "weekend" very loosely. I was off work from Thursday last to Wednesday yesterday.) That tale was related here.
This past Monday, we all stayed up far too late watching movies on the big screen at Chez WSO. Far too late for The WSO and I because she had to drag me to the airport at Fresno so that I might retrace my steps back to my frozen habitat in New England.
Flight was "scheduled" (those quotes foreshadow something) to depart Fresno at 0830 and deposit Your Humble Scribe in the Bay Area at 0930. (The flight is about 30 minutes, those departure/arrival times are "gate-to-gate." Take that with a grain of salt.)
From Chez WSO to Fresno-Yosemite International Airport is roughly 35 miles. Takes anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes to get there, depending on traffic. So I set my alarm for 0530, allowing myself time to get up and perform the necessaries required in order for us to be on the road by 0630.
I wake up at 0230, 0330, 0430 and finally decide enough is enough and get up. I perform the necessary ablutions, pack up the rest of my stuff and we pile into the WSOmobile. Off we go!
The WSO deposits my ample backside at Fresno precisely on schedule at 0730. After a big hug and a somewhat exhausted but tearful farewell, she heads back to Chez WSO and no doubt another couple hours of sleep.
I, on the other hand, check in with the airline and head down to my gate. Gate 7 to be precise.
I have flown out of Fresno three times. All from the same gate. Not once has my flight been on time. Tuesday was no exception.
I'm starting to think that Gate 7 doesn't like me.
Now bear in mind, originally I had a two hour layover in San Francisco. So there was some "slop" in the schedule, hopefully the delay in Fresno wouldn't cut too much into that slop. But I was not comforted by having the very first leg of the trip be all fouled up like this.
Impatiently I stalked the halls of Fresno-Yosemite, soon enough our flight was called, an hour lost from my slop time at SFO. Ah well. So it goes.
I made it to SFO, fortunately the gate for my flight to Boston wasn't far. Also the flight to Boston was not crowded at all. I had three seats all to myself and (based on the photos I saw of myself at Shakespeare's) I'm getting to need that kind of space. I'm going to have to deal with that sooner rather than later. (Quit smoking they said, you'll be healthier they said. Don't eat so bloody much, they should have added! Sigh...)
The flight back east was pleasant. Though the ride was a bit, shall we say "exciting"? I sat back near the tail of the aircraft where you feel every bump in the air. I don't mind it, reminds me I'm actually flying.
Once in Boston I face the long drive south. In the rain. In the pouring rain with the mist coming off the melting snow, visibility was a bit less than optimal. But I made it.
Hello kitties! Did you miss me?
Why yes, yes they did.
Some more photos from the trip...
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| I think Tuna lives around here... Maybe? |
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| Some of my extended family. No finer people anywhere... |
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| That's one of those "Oh my word I am huge" photos I mentioned. I think diet and exercise are on the menu, soonest! |
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| Three Wise Men... |
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| Looking southeast from Ft Rosecrans National Cemetery |
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| Remembering... |
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| Looking east-northeast from Ft Rosecrans National Cemetery |
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| Flowers for Lex (Placed by his wife and daughters) |
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| Met these folks at breakfast Monday. |
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| Aviator Memorial, NAS Lemoore |
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| Inscription |
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| Wings of Gold (Little Bit and I reflecting, in more ways than one.) |
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| The scene at Chez Sarge, Wednesday AM (We ain't in Sandy Eggo anymore!) |
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| The high temperature today in Little Rhody Wednesday was the same as Hanford (CA) on Tuesday morning at 0500. High fifties. No snow in Hanford that I noticed. Though it was damned early to be noticing much of anything! |
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| Must be Spring in Little Rhody, starting to see the C-130s come out... |
It was a fine trip, one which I will remember until my dying breath. I met with some folks I care for deeply. The folks in those pictures and some who were there in spirit only. They are, in the best sense of the word, family.
And I love them.
BTW, while you had the chance, did you ask why Neptunus Lex has not been brought back to life yet? Inquiring minds would REALLY like to know!
ReplyDeleteDidn't have the chance to ask. Because we found the following, didn't find it necessary...
Deletehttps://web.archive.org/web/20120319000918/http://www.neptunuslex.com/
Contains the full site.
Gee, How long has it been up there? Shows you how incurious *I* am... (Not that I'd have known where to look :) )
DeleteGot it bookmarked! Been on it today reliving old moments and friends..
The old link didn't work, I just recently got the link to the wayback machine from a friend on Facebook.
DeleteAnd I know how you and Buck are about Facebook. I find stuff, or am pointed to stuff and I try to pass it along.
I was at the old place yesterday, it got very dusty at times. Must be an archive thing.
Great photos and prose, OAFS. A hasty greeting to VX!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dust.
DeleteThose connecting flights into SFO are notorious for being late.
ReplyDeleteThat is one ...and only one ...of the reasons I don't fly from my local.
It doesn't offer any alternative to connecting in SF.
Even when one does make the connection, there's no guarantee the luggage will.
Not the first time I've had that happen. That's becoming the rule rather than the norm at most, if not all, airports.
DeleteAir travel isn't what it used to be. More's the pity!
Sounds like a super trip. Glad you made it back safe and sound.
ReplyDeleteLove the "Wings of Gold" pic!
Thanks Shaun. I didn't notice the reflection until I got home Wednesday.
DeleteMade the picture even more special to me. My granddaughter is getting to the age where she asks a lot of questions.
One she asked a lot this past weekend was, "Why did your friend die?"
While I know the how and why, I still don't understand the question "Why did he HAVE to die?"
'Tis to weep.
Thanks for making us a part of your extended family. I'm sure that most here wish that we too, could meet and greet with those whom we know by our "cyber I.D.'s".
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave. Glad to have you all here.
DeleteSomeday we'll have to get together, all of us.
When I was working on the Lex tribute that hangs in Shakespeares, I wanted to put more than there was room. I decided to put an 'Easter Egg' unseen but there none the less behind the picture. What I decided was two things, one was the post he did titled Ulysses, 14 May 2008 and the other was what I titled "A Toast to Lex" which is the One More Roll you pictured above. Not sure where I found it, I didn't give credit to CDR Coffee. I wanted some words unseen and unspoken that everyone who enters 'in search of Lex' would subconsciously think as they savored a mug of Strength.
ReplyDeleteNice!
DeleteApparently you had a great trip on your "French" (Thurs - Wed) weekend. Those are always the best. From what we've heard about the New England weather
ReplyDeletethis winter, you're lucky you drove home in rain instead of snow.
Loved the "One more Roll". Hope you don't mind if I borrow it.
Concur on the "lucky it was rain and not snow." THAT would have been an adventure.
DeleteBorrow away my friend!
Glad you're home safe. I see you've taken the 5 to the 210 route to get around LA! By the way, you can also cut through San Dimas to make it even quicker. I've taken that same La Tuna picture, but refrained from posting it so I wouldn't look too narcissistic!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of making that road the address of our corporate headquarters.
DeleteWhen we get a corporate headquarters that is.
5 to 210 to 57 to 71 to 91 to 15, 50 is the Mike, Omaha, Omaha, set HUT HUT.
Or something like that.
We did go that way. Sucked bad on the way down, was perfect on the way back.
Our timing was really bad on Friday. I blame the airlines for losing our bags.
Yep, sounds like you got the gouge. That dam stoplight in the middle of the 71 blows.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I loved that stoplight. First you get a sign "Freeway Ends" and you're thinking "WTF"?
DeleteThen you get the stoplight. Soon enough the freeway is back and you never left the highway. Jeebers!