Aug. 20, 2002 - 21:34 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Getting Ready

Oh, no . . . . We overslept ! We'll miss our flight !

We don't operate by those rules anymore. On our upcoming trip to Eugene, Oregon from September first till September eightenth inclusive, our son will pick us up and take us to the airport in plenty of time. Barring an accident on the way we will be there safely and in plenty of time. That is if Sanctified Security doesn't suspect that I, by some stretch of their imagination they suspect me of once being near a camel. Thus putting me in trouble.

Yeah, I was near a camel once -- at the Pyramids - - - - ssssshhh -- don't tell.

No longer will I have to operate as I had to, once upon a professional time. I remember some Travel Fun I once had. I also remember a time or two running like mad from one satellite at LAX to another to catch a flight.

It frustrates me that I can no longer rise to the occasion and have to rely on being pushed around in a wheel chair. Heather having to take care of details instead of me doing what I used to do so well. At least I think I did well.

We once lived about five minutes from our airport here in Denver. Now we have to make it past the entrance to the old airport and catch I-70 East and go four or five miles to the DIA exit and then fifteen miles to the terminal, Tent City.

We will be there plenty early, praying that we won't get held up in some ridiculous security bottleneck. Then go sit and read a book until boarding time comes, hoping that none of the prospective passengers including us get held up for a full body search.

Some 983 miles as the crow flies to Eugene, I should be able to hold out on oxygen till we are met by daughter who will have the oxygen bottle, regulator and cannula waiting for me there. My intention is to double the liters per hour of oxygen consumption from the time I get up until time to leave for the airport. That I hope will oxygenate my blood sufficiently that I won't get draggy on the way.

We are laying out clothes to pack and all that special stuff that a person won't travel without. Can't take a nail file, nail clipper or any kind of scissors, no jackknife anymore or anything that might show up on x-ray looking sharp and pointed.

I spend half hour each day trying to practice looking harmless and innocent, never had much luck looking that way when I went to school. But I am straining my face muscles and working on body language, hard.

Whatever trouble it takes, it will be more than worth while to us. Being able to be with our distant arm of the family is a crying dying need for Heather and I.

Can't go all weepy about it, but it adds zest and verve to life for us. And it is nice to be west of the Cascades where it is warm and a bit moist compared to droughty Denver. Think the forest fires there are all East of the Cascades.

So, for us packing is not something we do on the spur of the moment anymore like we used to do. Lots of pre-thinking, list making and above all crossing stuff off the list and trying to not overpack.

In a way this prolonged preparation adds to our enjoyment somehow.

I figure the ladies will be running around shopping till they droop and then coming home in time to be with the kids while supper is being made. I already have plans on what I will do with my spare time while there. They now have two computers and two printers, but unfortunately only one phone line. Son-in-law is tied in from the university and also can't reach anyone at home if I am on the net. Then, I am sure that grandson has a project he will want help with. He and his sister usually have a group of stuff that they want grandpa to fix, some of it is fixable and they accept the fact that some of it is hopeless when I say so.

Then there will be Scrabble, Up Word and Rummy sometimes, usually on Friday and Saturday nights. Other nights they have home work. In between times there will be quiet visiting between daughter, Heather and I, that is while the kids are in school and if the two ladies happen to be home. I am sure there will be at least one night that we will go to Marie Callender's for dinner. Both women and granddaughter like to go there and as long as we get fed we men can tough it out, the women don't make us wear neckties so that is to the good.

Both kids are into sports now, so expect we will watch them in a game or two while we are there.

The excitement builds in me like steam in an overfired boiler. And this protracted packing is a part of the fun of Getting Ready . . . . . . . .

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