"Someone stop me....oh someone please just try and stop me!"
~Katharine Hepburn in Holiday (1938)
Two weeks and one prescient fortune cookie ago, I was waiting to leave Denver. Yesterday, I finally left. It was also my birthday, and I spent it doing one of my favorite things in the whole wide world -- shedding the surly bonds of earth. Even though my airborne adventure came calling in the form of a smelly commercial airliner and was accompanied by the general smashing together of humanity in occasionally uncomfortable primal configurations, I was on my way to a certain kind of human bliss that I'd been missing for quite some time, indeed.
The run-up to these weeks included the manic processing of college coursework for my students in my absence (Student: "can't you just video conference the class in real-time while you're in Pensacola?" Me: "No. Nyet. Negative, Negatory Good Buddy." Then I cackled maniacally which probably made them wish for my early departure. I really love teaching.)
Good things come to those who wait. And wait. On the overheated tarmac of Dallas/Ft.Worth's suddenly overpopulated runway, one hour from my Pensacola destination, our pilot shared some anxiety producing news. We were going to be sandwiched together in our itty-bitty jet with engines running for another hour waiting behind 16 other American Airlines flights before we could be cleared to take off. Actually, I was the only person on the plane cheering. I've waited this long, dammit, I could wait another hour. We were actually inside the plane and queued for takeoff in the rush to outrun an oncoming storm, so Vegas odds ran that the guys behind us by 15 flights might have to go back to the gate -- but we still had a shot. And I was right.
I'm now in Pensacola with absolutely, completely, totally nothing that I have to accomplish in any particular time frame. I have orders to relax, read, rest. Repeat. And my hubby sends everyone his regards, but for the first time in two months that request didn't come via cell phone. It came in person. The simple logistics of just turning my head to talk to the guy I'm crazy about became my best birthday present.
Happy Birthday, Ray!!
Posted by: Noriko | April 03, 2008 at 09:28 PM
Yeah....I'm so glad you guys are together! I love how even sitting on a cramped plane with complete strangers you always manage to focus on the GOOD STUFF! You will live a long and healthy life because of your attitude!
Posted by: Brenda | April 05, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Happy Birthday! Have fun on the road trip and keep us posted with your adventures. Hi back to Rich.
-M,N,andJ
Posted by: Mike | April 07, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Where are you? Hope all is well. Miss reading about your adventures!
Posted by: ginny | June 22, 2008 at 08:21 AM
Hi Ginny! That's so sweet of you to check in....it's been crazy here in Denver -- crazy but we're loving it.
I hope to post soon, and will most likely update it once weekly. I have discovered that I'm feeling less "between random planets" and finally feeling like I'm HOME. I have been in abject wonder at this amazing place that we've landed and it looks like it will be a good fit for quite some time.
Cheers, and hope to post soon!
Posted by: ReyLynda & Rich | June 27, 2008 at 06:34 PM