Gator Country

Tuesday: Going Home

Everyone is up early on Tuesday. Carol’s getting Josh ready for school, and Rick is getting ready for work. I say my good-byes, and Rick shows me where to hide the key when I leave. Then I am alone.

I take a walk outside, enjoying the peace and quiet. The horn of a freight train in the distance breaks the silence. Across the lake, I can see a small boat, someone out fishing. A cormorant is standing on the dock, wings spread to greet the morning. I take a few pictures of the scenery with my digital camera, then pack up my suitcase and hit the road.

I drop off the rental car and hop the shuttle to the terminal. I get to the airport early, but the check-in line is terrible, for some reason. I end up with a high numbered boarding pass, but manage to find an aisle seat anyway. I’m next to a young oriental couple, the woman tells me they work for Disney. They’re headed to Las Vegas on vacation. They’re not really into talking much, she’s studying a text book, her husband is listening to his CD player. I put on my headphones and pop in a tape, shut my eyes for a while.

At Albuquerque I change planes. I have a short layover, time enough to grab a burger and coke. The second flight is not as full. I sit with a woman who is returning from visiting her family. She’s reading a Harry Potter book. Her husband and kids are going to meet her at the airport; he’s in the military.

After the plane lands, I get my bags and walk out to the shuttle stand. It takes about twenty minutes before a shuttle headed my way comes along, but I don’t mind. We make another loop of the airport, and pick up a woman headed up to PV. I tell the driver he can drop her off first, my place is closer to the freeway. I get to talking with the driver on the way down the hill. He is from India, still owns a small farm there. Someone in his family is running it for him now. As soon as he saves enough money, he’s going to go back there to live. (How anyone can even make enough to live on by driving a shuttle is amazing to me.)

The driver unloads my bags, and I tip him a five. I drag my suitcase onto the porch, greet my wife and son. I unpack, give them their gifts, souvenirs of the trip. Then I pop open a cold beer. It’s good to be back home.


Epilogue: Well, it’s been over three months since I took this trip. The world is now a different place than it was then. Things have changed. Now we have war, terrorists, and anthrax to deal with.

I’m glad I took my trip when I did, If my flight were scheduled for the end of September, as I originally was thinking of doing, I probably would have cancelled. I will fly again, but not for a little while. Probably in the spring, I will go back to visit my family. That’s provided I still have a job, of course. (Things are slow at work right now, it looks like we will have layoffs before Christmas.)

Unfortunately, the pictures I took with my digital camera were ruined. In fact, the camera was ruined. I think the airport x-ray machines messed it up, but it was a cheap camera anyway. Next trip I'll probably just use a disposable camera, and leave it in my suitcase.

So, what happened with the ring? I haven’t taken it to a jeweler yet, but I’m 95% sure it’s a CZ. Still, it should be worth a hundred bucks or so, maybe more if I sell it privately. I’ll just hang onto it for now. Some day I might really need the money, I’ll sell it then.


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- DL