Tag Archives: flying

On The Plane

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As I mentioned earlier, Dan and I aren’t sitting together: rather than being in the center of the row, where you can lower a “wall” and yak and all, we did the left side of the plane.

Wellllll … it is noisier on the sides (although my near-deaf left ear means it’s not too bad), and I am missing chatting with my man. I’m hoping the view we see out the window when it gets light will make this worth the experiment, but I have a not-so-sneaking suspicion that we will go back to our usual center seats on our next big flight. (We only do Polaris when we know we want to sleep, it’s night time, and it’s not SO horribly expensive we can gulp and pay the price.)

Anyway, I miss Dan! But does he miss me? Hmmmm.

Take off was quick and easy and, as always, I accepted the glass of sparkling wine. I managed to get the free WiFi set up (free means I can only text, but I can live without the internet for the time I’m on the plane, I think). Then I spent time reading my book, This is Happiness, by Niall Williams.

Eventually they came back around, offering a drink (Pinot noir for me) and the little cup of warmed nuts. Had I known dinner wasn’t to arrive for a while I probably would have skipped wine and ordered it later, but I didn’t realize that.

Dan and I had pre-ordered our dinner, because then we could choose the special chef-prepared meal. Sadly it was lamb and I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it, but being as it was a special thing I went ahead and did that. Prior to the main they brought a tray with a couple of salads — one with shrimp and one with beets, along with some crackers and an offer of bread (i chose the dark rye). The salads were quite delicious. I realize the image doesn’t look all that exciting, but trust me, it was all tasty! Truly a full meal on its own.

Then the lamb came with some carrots. I can now state that I do not care at all for lamb. I tried a few bites. That was enough. I also had some of the carrots which I found too salty, but maybe better salty than bland?

I skipped dessert.

Really.

No sundae or cheesecake or cheese plate for me. I was too full. The two salad plates would have been plenty.

Then it was sleeping time. I lowered my bed, got the blanket and pillows in place, and fell asleep.

When I woke we had already passed Greenland. Darn. I didn’t get to see a bit of that, and we flew too far below Reykjavik. So much for a window seat!

I spent more time reading: I’m really enjoying my book, but it’s a slow read for me. It’s quite beautifully written and a nice break from my normal mystery books. While reading I could smell food — breakfast — being prepared. I will forever wish that we’d be served meals on the schedule of the place we are headed, but I guess I’ll forever be disappointed. It’s a bit after noon where we are headed. Seems like lunch would be rather nice to get us to transition to that time.

Finally, looking out the window, I saw land! Hello Scotland!

Eventually the breakfast I was smelling arrived. I had placed an order for the salmon which came with potato salad and more, because I thought it might seem more like lunch and, sure enough, it did. Of course I couldn’t come close to eating it all (didn’t even bother to open the yogurt), but I enjoyed what I did eat.

Looking out the window I was surprised to see those big windmills (are they called turbines? Am I making that up?) in the water. It’s hard to see in the photo, but they are there, and there were many more as well neared Netherlands.

And then more land. We flew right over Amsterdam, I think. My map told me it was forty minutes until we land. Time has flown by. (See how witty I can be? And to think I’m just winging it. I’m goofy and simple that way. Just call me plane Jane.)

Then it was time to land. What a quick and easy flight and …

Hello Frankfurt!

We exited the plane and headed toward passport control with only one brief stop on the way. When we got to passport control we did the initial bit where the passport is scanned, a photo taken of one’s face, and fingerprints (of four fingers, right hand) were taken. Mine took a while, as I have very sketchy fingerprints. Dan’s went quickly.

Then we went to the somewhat longer line to get to the actual passport control window where a police man asked questions: why are you here (vacation), how many days in the Schengen zone (40, I think), and a request to see our flight back out of the Schengen zone. Then my fingerprints again took a while. Someday they are going to have to move to something else, I think (iris scan, maybe/). My photo was again taken. Then the whole thing for Dan which, again, went more quickly.

And then we were out and met up with Greg & Jan.

It was, as always, fabulous to see them!

Then the drive to our final destination for the night.

Hello Heidelberg!

Time for wine!

After a bit of time we donned warmer clothes and went on a walk to the Altstadt and just enjoyed the sites (and one sample of “moonshine” which was more like a sweet desert drink to me), the old bridge, and the cool air.

Finally it was dinner time and Greg made a wonderful lentil dish and salad, plus some bread from a local bakery. It was all delicious! Oh … and wine Jan and Greg had just picked up in Alsace.

It’s fabulous being here, and so far I’m feeling rather energized. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. Dan was tired and hit the hay while I typed this up.

So for now … auf weidersehen! (And please excuse typos: I think I need to sleep!)

And Now We Wait

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My sister drove us to the airport (thanks, Carolyn!) and we got through security in less than five minutes. What a breeze that was. Then it was up to the Polaris lounge. We opted to do a light lunch (or shall we call it dinner?) there’s where we began with a but if crab dip, and then I had a squash dish. Quite yummy … and the glass of champagne is sort of a requirement when we start a trip. At least in my little opinion!

Then we found some seats (this place is nearly empty, but I think the entire terminal feels that way) because we had an hour and forty-five minutes to go before boarding would begin.

I’m all for having a ton of time. I’m not one who is comfortable cutting things close so I’d prefer sitting around and relaxing. My kind of travel.

Then it was time to read, rest, and relax. Yep, the three Rs!

Oh … and an update on my capsule wardrobe because I’m sure you are all dying to know — I nixed my black turtleneck and I wore my beige one instead. News you can (or can’t … or won’t) use!

And my backpack … welllll … it weighs more than I had hoped because I decided to bring a somewhat nicer looking raincoat in case I need it when we go to concerts. So it goes. My backpack weighs about nineteen pounds. Some suggest they should weigh fifteen. Maybe next time …?

The sling, too, is heavier than I’d like because I’m bringing my Fuji camera and I put it in the sling bag. I was telling Dan that maybe next time I will only bring my phone. I wonder if I can convince myself to do that, though. If I left my camera at home I actually could manage to get everything into just the backpack if I was careful with packing.

But will I ever manage to do that? Who knows?! (And, perhaps, who cares!)

And then it was time to board. Again, that was quick and easy, and I even managed to get my pack lifted in to storage.

Dan and I aren’t sitting together this time: our experiment of sorts was to grab the side Polaris seats so we can both have windows. He’s in row 5 and I’m in 7. I believe the foot space for the side seats is smaller, but I look forward to looking out the window when it’s lighter out. Right now it’s 6:12 PM and rather dark. Not a great photo, but oh well!

Okay … ready to go! Ciao for now!

September 17, 2026

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Today was moving day. Time to head back home. I have some students to teach, and I’m going to bet Dan will have some garden work to do.

First, though, coffee, showering, packing (easy peasy when you do “COO” — Carry On Only), and a bit of wandering. Our flight wasn’t scheduled until after 5:00 PM.

When we were ready to fly, so to speak (or write), we headed downstairs to see if we could have one extra hour of time in our room: that would allow us to leave our packs there as we spent a bit of time out and about.

Sure enough … one extra hour and we were set! So off we went, in search of “just coffee” where we had coffee and scones. We just couldn’t resist. I was being extra good and had a savory scone. Dan had blueberry. I think that means I win.

After that we thought to wander in a direction we hadn’t gone. We were surprised to see these homes (or whatever they are used for now) among all the skyscrapers and modern buildings.

And then … um … well … we encountered a fire in an alley, some people clearly a bit out of sorts, and some questionable establishments. I suspect if I’d researched I would have found this was an area to be avoided.

After that we just figured we’d go back to our hotel and veg a while. We did more reading and relaxing until it was time to check out.

From there we took the train to the airport. It was a short walk to the station, and once we realized we couldn’t tap on with our watches we managed to get in. Dan used the credit card first (the one we normally use for travel) and it wouldn’t let me tag in with the same one. I wonder if they’ll ever realize more than one person has the same card?! No biggie — I just used our other travel card. We managed to get seats (gotta love the “save for disabled and seniors” seats that were actually empty for once). About thirty minutes later we were at the airport.

Security was a breeze. Global entry made things easy too. Then we went to the Maple Leaf Lounge and … surprise, surprise … we lounged. And ate. We had at least two hours to take it easy.

After a bit of food (a chicken wrap, cole slaw and guacamole … yes, a bit of a funny mix) I busied myself with reading and searching for that perfect sling bag (realizing the one I am using is just a bit too small).

Dan had thought he saw someone eating ice cream so I went to look around. Nope, saw no ice cream at all (probably a good thing) but I did see Nanaimo bars. (Probably a bad thing.) Being as those are Canadian I think I was obligated to try one. Begrudgingly, knowing I owed it to Canada, I took one to our table. And I ate it. All. Because I’m good that way.

But YUM.

After a rather long time (getting to the airport was so quick) we went to the elevator to then get to our gate. As we were in the elevator we received a text: we had an hour and five minute delay. So back to the lounge we went, and had something for dinner.

About an hour later and off we went. Then we had the joy of waiting longer before they boarded (they had said 5:50 boarding and we didn’t board until 6:05. Clearly these people don’t know about me and TIME!!

When we got to our seats we were pleasantly surprised: while we were in the first row of our section and thought we’d have no under seat storage, we actually did. Nice!

When we finally started taxiing (close to 7 PM) it was quite a long journey. On the way I saw two coyotes out in a small grassy area quite close to the plane. Then I spotted a heron. Apparently this airport is known for some wildlife.

Our flight was pretty uneventful. It was nice to be able to see outside for a change, so I took a few not-so-great iPhone photos.

And then we were over the Bay Area.

Back on the ground it again took a bit of time to taxi to our gate, and then we were asked to wait if we didn’t have a connection to make because forty-seven (I think) people did. I think nearly everyone — perhaps even 100% — who had no connection waited while others raced off the plane. (I’m always happy to have direct flights and we are fortunate in that that is nearly always the case.)

Then it was the drive home, hitting one extremely slow spot due to the five lanes narrowing to two, but home did eventually happen. No unpacking tonight (it’s just too darn late!), but it’s nice to be back in our big bed. Sleeping on smaller beds is a challenge for me. I’m picky that way.

Goodnight!

Thursday, June 18, Part Two

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We are in the first row, in the Polaris lay flat seat area. Yes, we chose row one. Some suggest it is better to be further away from the kitchen, but I like being here: it’s quick and easy to get off the plane, and we are close to the toilet. (Except at certain times when they don’t allow us up there — I think it’s when they are serving the pilots or something. What I do miss, though, is a window seat. We’ve talked about maybe giving that a go next time. It means we won’t be next to each other, but we don’t do a lot of talking on a plane anyway.

I had ordered a special meal for this flight because I’d read you often get better food that way. What I didn’t realize when I ordered the “healthy, low salt and low sugar” meal was that I was getting the diabetic meal! And no, it wasn’t special or better. So next time I either go back to the normal menu or I try something different like perhaps the Asian or kosher meal. But, really, United doesn’t do great food. So it goes. These two images show all the food I was served. Doesn’t it look … um … oh never mind. And no, I didn’t eat it all.

After getting my “healthy” meal I was asked what I wanted for dessert. Well … duh … the ice cream sundae! I’m guessing they were wondering about me at that point.

I read for a bit and then put the seat down and slept. Time has no meaning on a plane: there is no day or night. There just … well … is, if you get my drift. You just spend 10+ hours being.

After a bit of a snooze I started reading some more, and eventually some food was brought out. Because of my (foolish) food choice I was given some sort of wrap full of eggplant and I don’t know what else … I took one bit and Dan offered to switch so I got his grilled cheese sandwich and chips and he ate my eggplant whatever. He said it was pretty good.

Then back to reading mixed with resting mixed with doing nothing.

At about 2:00 PM PST the lights were turned on in the plane. Shortly after we were handed our warmed towels and a flight attendant passed by saying “Morning!”

Hmm. In London it would be late at night. In California it’s mid-afternoon. I’m not sure what “Morning!” would be about.

Soon my next “special meal” was delivered, along with sparkling water. Too. Much. Food. They called it lunch, but it was more than I would normally eat for dinner at home. It wasn’t exactly an epicurean’s delight, but it sufficed.

When we landed it was a bit of a bumpy bit and my water bottle fell and rolled over to where the flight attendant was sitting. Made me laugh. After landing it took a while to get to the gate because another plane was still in that space. Then the person (or persons?) who were driving that thing (Dan told me the name but I’ve forgotten) that connects to the plane that we walk through to get into the terminal was having difficulty aiming things correctly so we had a bit more waiting. But finally, out we went! And out went my brain. I forgot to take any more photos at all.

My sister picked us up (thanks, Carolyn!) and we then had the wonderful joy of being welcomed back to the Bay Area with a lot of traffic. But so it goes. We got safely home, opened all the windows because the house was quite stuffy, and started to unpack, make up the bed, and do all the things one has to do.

And yes, I’m fully unpacked and the suitcase is put away. But I still have much to do: the house is quite dusty, and we have piles of mail. (Oh Jan and Greg, you should see your stack of mail!)

But now? It’s 8:10 PM our time and while I feel a bit dazed I don’t feel tired. We’ll see how I sleep.

So that’s that. We had a great trip. We are home. I am grateful.

Monday, May 18 — Moving Day

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We woke at 6:00 AM. Too early? Well, for some reason it seemed rather easy to rise, perhaps because I knew we had a flight to catch.

We checked out and got our taxi easily, and then drove to the airport. I was surprised by the expense, but Dan said it was what he expected. The driver was quite nice and we understood most of what he said. There were times, though, when I was at a loss!

Getting into the airport there were a lot of people in lines. Many were school kids — we are guessing high school. They were all in matching sweatshirts with their names on the back. I wondered if they would all be on our flight. I also wondered how long it would take us to get through the line we saw since we did have to check our bags. Thankfully Dan asked at the help desk and we were told that our line was further up and there were only a few people in front of us. One of those in front had a very very red baseball cap on with someone’s name on the back of it.

For the first time on this trip we encountered a maga hat. Dan mentioned to the woman at the desk that it was the first time we had seen one and that we weren’t a part of that group. Her response? “I’m glad.” She was very friendly and clearly relieved that we weren’t maga folks. It just made me sad to see the hat. Even if one is maga it seems as if they should be savvy enough to avoid announcing it. Most countries aren’t too thrilled with the United States at the moment. Ah well.

We got through security in absolutely no time at all, and found a spot for coffee and a sweet roll. We had tons of time to wait. I’m always okay with that!

When we walked to the area where our plane was probably going to be (still not posted on the board), all those kids were there as well. I finally could see their sweatshirts and there was the name of an Aberdeenshire school, Westhill Academy, and “Valencia ‘26”. I didn’t manage to find anything else about it at the time, but I did see they weren’t going on our plane.

Finally it was time to board. This was one small plane. That group of kids probably wouldn’t have fit on to it!

We were in the second row and poor Dan’s knees were right against the seat in front — and then the young man sitting in front of him leaned his seat back. At least it was a very short flight!

I took a couple photos and Dan made a video for me since he had the window seat.

You can really see the bright yellow canola from the plane.

I pretty much spaced out and even snoozed a bit. We were on an Aer Lingus flight and even water would cost money, so never mind any drinks or food. Not that we needed them in any case.

And then we arrived.

Greetings, Ireland! Hello Dublin!

Our taxi driver was very chatty and gave us a lot of information abut the area. I could even understand most of what he said.

We arrived early to our hotel, so we dropped off our luggage and went on a walk in search of lunch. And not “not lunch” but real lunch which was fine by me since my earlier sweet roll was quite burnt. (Darn!)

We ended up in the Temple Bar area. Clearly tourist country. Our driver had told us it was a place to visit during the day even while drinks were more expensive than in other areas. He explained that there was live music and the extra cost was due to paying musicians. I’m okay with that! In the later hours it gets a bit wild and crazy (I’d already read about that as well, and one had to be careful about theft and all.)

We randomly chose a place and went upstairs (where we couldn’t hear the music at all) and ordered our meals. I had soup and Dan had fish ‘n chips. I neglected to take photos but no one really needs to see those — just use your imagination! Instead here’s a photo of Dan and his beer!

From there we did more walking in our typical random way. (The first shot is of the restaurant for lunch.)

We ended up in a shop with tons of gorgeous Aran wool sweaters as well as other wool items. Oh how tempted I was! I know it’s all about the tourists, but honestly the prices for such beautiful sweaters didn’t seem at all unreasonable and they were 100% wool. There was one long one that I drooled over. (Not literally, you’ll be relieved to read.) Still, I resisted. I wish I’d taken a photo of the green one I loved, and the men’s purple — a color I wished they’d had for women. I only took these two photos. One of the jackets and vests and the other of the fishermen’s sweaters. And who knows … maybe I’ll cave and return to buy something. They do say they are made in Ireland, and they are just so doggone beautiful.

From there we just ambled a bit.

I think we were both a bit weary from the early wake up. In addition the bag Dan was carrying was rather heavy (full of his photo gear, I think). Due to all of that we went back to the hotel to get our keys and luggage and up we went to our room. The room is spacious, and the bed is the first truly king size bed we’ve had, I think.

I looked outside our window as well.

A bit of snoozing may or may not have taken place. Just guess!

Eventually we decided to head out in the rain in search of a light bite. I did find one spot we passed rather humorous.

I had done a search on restaurants, and then pubs, but finally I realized the best way to search was to plug in FOOD. That way I’d see even more suggestions. We walked to the closest place but it was burgers and that didn’t grab us. Then we walked a bit further to a small pub but it was so crowded and we didn’t see that they served any food at all. Another place, just a short walk away, was nearly empty and looked okay, but Dan said the one he saw on my map that was only a block or so further down was rated higher so we went to check that out. And that was the spot! It was incredibly noisy, but it seemed more like a local place and we really wanted that. They had all of one food option: toasties. Well, that was something I wanted to try in any case, and it was the small bite kind of thing we were hoping for. PLUS the prices were much more reasonable. The place was full of, primarily, younger people — perhaps college aged. I’m certain we were the oldest people there the entire time! The video I shot doesn’t really show the crowd so much: many arrived just after we did, and some of the slightly older guys had left. (Older as in older than college aged, not nearly as old as us!) You might want to turn your sound way down!

Then it was time to make our (short) way back to our hotel. I did have to stop for this little guy, though:

I mean how very encouraging is that?!

We aren’t sure what’s up for tomorrow. Maybe the immigration museum. Maybe a Guinness tour. Maybe something else. So check in tomorrow to find out! I’m really hoping we get a day without rain, but I’m going to bet that won’t be the case. S’okay — we are having a great time no matter!

And now …

Oíche mhaith!

If what I just read is true, that is pronounced “ee-hah wah” … I don’t think I’ll be speaking Irish any time soon.

It means “goodnight”!

A Different Kind of Travel Adventure

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Nearly two years ago (March 5, 2024 to be exact) our older son and daughter-in-law had to leave their home due to a fire. We are all thankful no one in the co-op, including Brandon and Lia’s cats, were injured, but it was much worse than we knew at first. There is a video (that even shows our son at the start) about the fire. (They live on the 6th floor, and the fire start in the place right below them.)

I flew to New York to visit shortly after the fire happened. I was pretty horrified!

WHAT a mess, right?

They are still not back in their home.

Even getting start on the repair work took, if I’m remembering correctly, over a year. Or at least close to that.

While the whole family was here in January (celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary!), I mentioned to Brandon that I’d be willing to help paint when things were ready. And, lo and behold, we flew there on the 11th to get going on that.

The flight was uneventful and we were greeting at EWR by colder weather and a bit of snow. Then we took a car to our hotel. Our hotel with a tiny room and no place to hang anything up. But hey, it was less expensive than others, and after a 15 minute walk would be a direct train to Brandon and Lia’s.


Before starting our painting adventure we were able to celebrate my “Brooklyn brother’s” birthday (to differentiate between him and my “Germany brother”). We met up first a jazz club, much to his surprise. (It was fun to see his face when he saw us there!).

We then dined at a lovely restaurant. With Timothy and Margaret. FUN FUN FUN!

The next morning we (somewhat leisurely) headed over to Brandon and Lia’s to see what we were in for. First it was cleaning up and prep day. I neglected to take any photos I guess (Funny that I thought I had!) and Dan got only a few. But we vacuumed. Dan did a ton of masking. Brandon and Lia worked on getting the floors (which are beautiful!) covered, along with more and more cleaning. Sorry you only get these three pictures, though.

From there we headed to our hotel, catching a bite at the noisiest restaurant ever. We even texted each other at one point!

The following day Brandon and Lia both had work so we decided to enjoy a lunch at Red Rooster, being fans of Marcus Samuelsson. We had a delicious meal. Dan spent some Dick Tracy time talking to his watch. And yes, yours truly even took a photo of the floor in the bathroom. Because. Of course when I saw Bernstein I had to take a photo!

From there we wandered, with our final destination being the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

We had learned that Jameson and Meghan were going to be at the Cathedral that evening to hear the Gesualdo Six sing. The concert, however, was sold out. BUT … we get to the Cathedral and hear singing. How ‘bout that? They were rehearsing. So we got to enjoy them as we wandered the building.

Toward the back there was a quilt exhibit. You can read about it as well.

More wandering …

And more quilts …

… and wandering …

From there we took a train down to meet up with Brandon and, when she was done working, Lia.

We had some drinks and dinner and then headed back to get some sleep.

On Saturday morning it was work time! I only took a few photos … I guess I was too busy edging and rolling and all that …

For the evening the four of us went to celebrate our hard work and Valentine’s day at an Albanian restaurant in the Bronx called Çka ka Qëllu.

VERY yummy and such a nice way to relax after a day of work.

Our Harlem hotel room looks out here:

Back to work … and look at that beautiful tile in the bathroom!

The above is the kitchen. That’s right, no cabinets, no appliances … nothing. Yet. But soon ….

For dinner we (finally!) got to meet up with Jameson and Meghan as well. Fun times!

Our breakfasts are enjoyed downstairs at our hotel. For me it’s just coffee. (I had a pastry the first morning and was reminded that eating before doing a physical activity gives me the shakes!).

Back to the subway we went for yet another ride up to Pelham Parkway North!

This was our final day of painting. We managed to get a lot done.

The kitchen floor is lovely. (So is Lia!)

The happy painters … and Brandon being Brandon. 😉

Sadly, we had to head back home on Tuesday. But so it goes. We had the first row of Premium Economy … HUGE leg room! Gotta love that.

And hello Bay Area!

So here we are. Back in what is now a rainy San Jose.

Do you wonder what we’ll do next? It won’t involve painting, just so you know. (Although I’d go back and help more in a heartbeat if we had the time and money to do so.

The Rest Of The Story

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After packing was complete, Dan went to buy a couple of croissants. We both wanted almond croissants, but quality control must have been missing this time: one looked lovely, with powdered sugar on top and one was browner than it should have been, which no powdered sugar at all. Strange. I ate the latter one, but actually couldn’t finish. Not because it wasn’t any good, but these things are just so huge! We finished up breakfast, spent some time on the 27th floor since we had a lot of time, and eventually wound up back in our room where I checked out of the hotel.

Downstairs we simply hand in our keys and that’s that. This hotel seems to prefer no hands on: you can check in on a kiosk (although I couldn’t figure that out when we arrived) and you check out online. No personal touches there if they can avoid it!

Dan called a car and we waited outside for its arrival.

It is not inexpensive to get a car to Newark, but we simply didn’t want to deal with the train this time. It did take a while to get to the airport, but checking our luggage was as speedy as can be, as was security. So to the lounge we went. We both had second breakfast (I was sort of craving eggs). And then a lot of hanging out since we had over two hours before we would board the plane.

OH … and when we were walking through the airport we could see if was absolutely pouring outside. I don’t know what it’s like in New York now, but we did notice it got terrifically dark in New Jersey.

And speaking of NJ: as we drove to the airport the billboards were nearly all about personal injury attorneys, and there were lots of “injured in New Jersey?” mentions. Hm. I guess people are likely to get injured in New Jersey? One wonders.

Okay … we are now home … nothing much of importance happened on the plane aside from horrible food and service from United. They need to up their game or we need to switch airlines. We shall see.

When we picked up our backpacks mine had been opened and they sent along an explanation. TSA selected my bag for inspection. Fine. They didn’t take the chocolate so I won’t complain!

Now, my cold is in full swing and I’m thinking it is more than a cold so I’m going to bed to recover. At least it waited until the end of the trip.

I’ll try and write more tomorrow if I find the energy. Thanks to all who followed along!

Home

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Our flight was a bit bumpy (the pilot had warned us before we even took off), but otherwise uneventful. Toward the end he told the flight attendants to go to their jump seats and told us the final service wasn’t going to happen. That really was no biggie since I’d already decided I would tell them I didn’t want anything.

And so we landed. Got outside. And met up with my sister. (THANK YOU, Carolyn, for picking us up!)

Once home I did my typical unpacking. Has to be done immediately or I don’t rest well. Things got put away, and then mail was opened. I don’t open everything, but I open personal mail and packages, and that meant mostly Christmas cards (and even one birthday card), a book about Maria Callas (sent for free so I can read and review), and a few other things.

Dan wasn’t feeling great, so he hit the hay early. I’ve now managed to stay up until 10:35 our time and, to be honest, it does not feel like it’s 1:35 AM, which is what it would be in NYC. So I guess that’s a good thing. Maybe I’ll adjust easily.

So it’s over ‘n out for our wonderful adventure.

I guess it’s time to plan the next. 😊

Many thanks to readers who went along on our journey!

Goodbye New York, Goodbye Vacation

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We had a ton of time to get our breakfast downstairs and come back and pack. Nothing exciting there. Then we decided to opt for a car rather than deal with our luggage, get to the Penn Station, and get a train to the airport. Maybe it was wimping out, but at the end of a trip I’m just not up for any stress and lugging these wheeled cases around is a nuisance. I look forward to using our packs next time if at all possible!

The start of security was a breeze: no ID necessary, but simply a scan of our faces. Then it was time to put our luggage, bags, and coats in the trays. But there was all of one line for that, so all lines (1K, Premier, TSA Pre, and the rest of the travelers who have none of those) merged into one. It’s just not a busy enough day, I guess, for them to bother to have more of the conveyer belts running. Since we were so early for our 4:30 flight it wasn’t a problem. I was just surprised by that one line.

As usual, we had a lot (too much?) time for the lounge. I’m absolutely fine with that, though, since I stress out if I’m not early. (Will I ever learn to relax about getting to airports? I doubt it!) I had the vegetarian chili for lunch, and I have to say it was actually very good. (Some people suggest skipping food on the plane entirely and just filling up on lounge food, due to the questionable quality of some plane food. I can understand why, but eating on the plane makes things go faster so I still go for it.)

The lounge was fairly quiet, unlike any other time I’ve been here. Finding seats was no problem at all, and it was nice and quiet.

It is now 30 minutes to boarding so I will close this out and post it. (The lounge has since filled up, and it’s not as quiet any longer. People are walking all around to find a seat. I guess I can be glad we got here when we did.)

When we get back home I’ll write (most likely something very short) about the rest of the journey and then I’ll also be blogging about things I want to do differently (probably tomorrow). In truth I think this all went very well, but there is always the “Why did I bring that?!” and the “Next time remember to bring this!” stuff.

So bye for now!