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| The first adult beverage of the cruise....with an umbrella! |
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| Pulling away from the dock. |
ALA pulled out all the stops for this trip, as will be evidenced in the telling. She thought of everything, handled all the details, and gave me a most spectacular gift. She completely took the sting out of turning Fifty. Heck, Fifty was so great i am no longer afraid of Sixty! I cannot thank you enough, my friend, for the time, the memories, and the renewal of spirit. You know not what you have done. And it keeps on rolling...the postcard from Alaska came yesterday, beautiful, sparkly postcard (where did you find it? i never saw those!) with the message, "The weather is great, the scenery even better. Glad you are here!" Thank you!! i was glad to be there, too!! How cool was that?!?! ALA thinks of everything!!
While i am at it, a big Thanks also to my peeps on the home front that handled my responsibilities in my absence, and let me have a week without concern or worry. Nobody apprised me of sitch-e-ations, and, lo and behold, nothing fell apart, everything got handled, and it was all still waiting for me when i got back! I just like to think i am indispensable, but oddly, the world keeps turning in my absence!! Huh! Whodathunkit?
I would like to make it known, for the record, that i simply adore First Class!!
Everything ALA did for this trip was First Class, including the plane trip. I have never had that luxury before, and probably won't ever again, but it was Oh So delicious!!! I think i liked the reclining seats commodious enough to transport traditionally built ladies comfortably the best (read ya some Alexander McCall Smith to get that one.)
I dunno, i sure like the free flowing adult beverages and the smiling, happy delivery service.
That fresh baked cookie wasn't bad, either!!
I am not much for air travel. After making that trip back and forth across the Pacific several times in my younger days, i feel that i have had my fair share. I am more of a train traveler. In the last 10 years, i have flown twice, both of them with ALA.
ALA is the consummate world traveler. She has spent the last many summers exploring Europe as she studied for her Mozarteum Diplom. In the process, she has refined the art of packing a suitcase and traversing the world.
Needless to say, i have not.
As evidenced by my suitcase.
Let me refer you at this time to the posting of February 17, 2012 titled "Anticipation Is A Good Thing," approximately a quarter of the way down. The part about the camping trip where she took a small backpack and i brought the better part of an Academy Sports store. And a lawn chair.
We have known each other for more than 35 years.
We have traveled together repeatedly.
That which i deem necessary to my personal comfort should have come as no surprise to her.
The plan was to carry on the baggage, so ALA lent me one of her fancy suitcases that has seen more of the world than i have.
Packing was a long, torturous affair. I thought i was being conservative and thrifty in my mental packing (have had months to plan, ya know,) but when i went to load up it was immediately evident that my eyes were bigger than my suitcase.
The first item in was a sweatsuit, which took up a full one third of the suitcase.
This was a problem.
Let's try this again. Pack the unmentionables first, because they are non-negotiable, and we'll work around it from there.
Amazing how much space the foundation garments required at this age will take up.
After several rounds of clothing volume reduction and no less than five phone calls to ALA seeking advise on how to pack with room left in the suitcase to bring back postcards, fridge magnets, and a couple of polar bears (there was stunned silence when advised of the 50 pound weight limit,) i finally managed to get 9 days in a backpack and a train case.
Okay, it WAS a suitcase.
But it was a VERY SMALL suitcase.
One pair of shoes.
One book. *
No purse.
~:~CARRY ON~:~
(*This was only possible because Uncle Boo gifted me with a Kindle for the trip. Woo Hoo!! Thank you Uncle Boo!!)
Get to the airport, go through the fast line (i do so LOVE 1st class) and have my bag tagged and thrown on the belt.
I look at the scale and say, "But it is ONLY 28 pounds!"
The happy, smiling person helping me says, "Yes, but it exceeds the allowable measurements."
I look ponderously at the measuring device and realize what an exercise in futility packing has been.
My weekly book bag to the library wouldn't fit in that device.
Let alone a bag containing little more than my drollies.
Really, if you aren't supposed to use the zip out extensions, why do they even put the darn things on suitcases?
This is going to slow ALA down a bit, but i am not completely displeased, because now i do not have to drag the bag around all afternoon.
We met in a eatery across from our gate and begin our Odd Couple Adventure (her term) with a toast, and proceeded to the head of the line and are seated in the lovely, commodious seats for traditionally built women.
I pull out my knitting and the Kindle, and ALA pulls out ~~from her carry-on~~ a book, a foot stool and a pillow.
Let's make a little bunny trail here, and talk about the knitting...
Did you know that TSA will toss your nail clippers in the trash can, but ALLOWS knitting needles on airplanes?
This makes absolutely no sense.
I probably will never be able to fly again after saying this, but i can think of several ways to cause harm with a knitting needle.
And that whole quart sized baggie thing is just plain wrong. You are only allowed ONE quart sized baggie of liquids and gels ("That C4 is perfectly legal, Sir, my quart sized baggie will still zip.")
I personally think this allowance should be on a sliding scale according to age.
Fine. I will take my personal effects out of my carefully packed carry-on and put them in a dish tub for all the world to see, and TSA to paw through. But ladies of a certain age should at least be allowed a gallon sized baggie--they have more to keep afloat.
The Seattle airport sports some pretty neat artwork. Right where we came in was a huge two piece Rube Goldberg-type contraption by Trimpin, called "On Matter, Monkeys, and The King."
At the helm was a big pink flamingo.
We took this as a good omen.
Fortunately, my bag was the second one off the carousel (!!!) so we quickly scooted out into the grey that is Seattle.
Seattle was lovely and cool. Lovely, cool, and grey. Green and colorful delicate flowers everywhere.
But grey.
I said, "Let me guess. You brought two pairs of pants, one of which you are wearing, and three shirts."
"Pretty much," she laughed, and then showed me one of her secrets. She has a gizzwhizz that you use to fold things to size, then you put them in an envelope thingy. She got five shirts and a pair of pants in less space than a laptop takes. She had another secret that still has me in a state of "oneder-ment," but i better not share that one.
Who thinks of these things??
I gotta get out more.
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