3/24/12 Departure

Friday night we spent at Neil and Carol's where Carol fixed a wonderful gourmet dinner and Kath surprised me with a outrageous Market of Choice Strawberry/custard/chocolate cake with candles and song thrown in.  We played Mexican Train till my face hurt from laughter and we headed to Kath's for my last night in Oregon as a 62 year old - on to more adventures.

Saturday - We had a fairly relaxing day of packing and light chores due to having the foresight to making the list and living the list.  Emily and Ruben came over and spent some quality time and then Betsy and Robert stopped by to spend time, watch March Madness and spread some birthday cheer my way.  It has been truly heart warming to feel the love.

Max drove us to the airport and we checked our bags.  It was my first time through a body scanner and I do feel a bit invaded - my God, am I really that big.  Things went smoothly up to getting our bags off and heading towards the "Super shuttle" that was anything but super.

There was another couple already there and the driver felt the need to fill in any blank spots with a constant repartee that she hoped would up the tip.  I learned more about Cactus league baseball then I ever thought but did not want to know.  Meanwhile, we are waiting for Mrs. Burns, (no relation to Mr. Burns of "The Simpsons"  Ten minutes go by and Lucille, our driver gives her a buzz and was told it would be another ten minutes.  We wait listening to trivia concerning the Diamondback's new stadium and how the Cubs are threatening a move to Florida unless they also get a new stadium and on and on.  Ten minutes fly's by like the Turtle 500.  Ms. Burn's shows up to inform us that her luggage is lost and it may be another ten minutes.

Now you have to understand, Ms. Burns shops at all the top stores such as St Vinnie's and Goodwill.  Her sense of color and style are unique, she is fashion challenged and that is the kindest way I can describe a Coral blouse with orange pants and flaming pink running shoes - Mesa airport could use her to guide planes in.  This is complimented by a smile where her tooth, lonely that it may be, gamely tries to light up her ruby red lips.

Lucille insists that she can't leave Ms. Burns stranded and there are no Cabs in a 15 mile radius so we wait and hear more baseball trivia as to who is in a slump and who has lost a bit off their fastball.  Time sails by like watching the Dance of the snails.  Thirty-five minutes later, Ms. Burns arrives looking flustered and a bit out of sorts.  She informs us how all of her meds and "a big old jar of money" was packed away in the missing bag and what to do, what to do??  My thought was to just get in the #@%*ing bus so we can get to our hotel.  Ms. Burns did have a carry on so not all was lost, a green, pink and yellow stuffed bear, (looked like the bear shopped at the same stores she did.)  Ms. Burns then regales us with stories from her travel to Louisiana where she had gone on a "Swamp Tour", gee I never knew that there was such a thing and now that I do know, I can cross it off my list of things I might ever want to do.  Being a bit peckish as I haven't eaten in a while, my fantasy's start evolving as to how I can strangle this woman and get away with it - thank goodness for restraint and common sense. 

We get to the hotel at 2:00 A.M. only two hours late.  Every restaurant is now closed but the clerk informs us that there is a vast array of snack food in their 3 vending machines.  We dine on beef jerky, peanuts and some Sun Chips washed down by some 2% milk that the clerk scrounged up when he saw the utter defeat in our eyes, ah, the wonders of travel.