Traveling 🧭 Is Rough!

All things considered the long journey to Los Angeles went okay. We had a flight delayed from Chicago to LA, but we didn’t mind that one as it gave us a chance to grab a $25 burger in the airport.

It was getting on that initial flight that was a little hairy. We left the house a tad late because one of us was leisurely about leaving. As I drove to the airport it dawned on me that we were going to have a hard time checking our bags and getting through security in time.

I pulled into the lot like Mannix and said, “Okay, you just gotta get to the gate. I need to get these bags checked in.”

I sprinted away, pulling two bags and wearing a backpack.

“You had 30 seconds to spare,” the nice counter guy told me. “Literally, 30 seconds.”

I was out of breath, but we still needed to get through security and I felt like a jerk for leaving Kathy to make the long jaunt alone.

I was panicking a little.

“Just gotta have faith that she makes it,” I thought, as I stepped in line.

I was scanning the mass of people, and then, there she was, just entering security. She was seated on the walker and going backwards to the line.

Ten minutes later we were on the plane. Southwest was unbelievably accommodating to a disabled passenger.

“Oh no,” Kathy said. “I left my purse and meds at security.”

I held up her bag.

“This one?”

“Where’d you get it?” She asked.

“I saw you leave it behind.”

We spoke to 4 kids, about my boys age, who were heading to LA to party. They were great, and after we got through the Bills talk, they were thrilled that they knew a Buffalo author.

And then we landed.

“We need to get to the uber station,” Kathy announced.

I spotted a bus that said uber on it. I ran ahead (running at nearly 61 years old isn’t ideal) and the bus driver opened the door, noting me and Kathy on the walker.

“If I take you around to the uber station it will take about 40 minutes. It’s just a two minute walk in that direction.”

I went back to break the news.

“Two minute walk it is,” Kathy said.

She was moving backwards, as I lumbered ahead with my three bag trick.

I walked for a while, and then turned back. She was WAY back there.

“This isn’t going to work,” I thought.

So, I headed back to get her.

‘Two-minute walk, my ass!’

I navigated the three bags while also pulling the walker…

…for about two miles!!!

We settled into the uber (driven by a man who did not know a single word of English - which was fine by us) and we headed for the hotel.

“How did you manage that?” Kathy asked.

“You forget,” I said, “I’m a beast.”

Here we are.

It’s early here.

Sleeping in the hotel where Marilyn Monroe lived for a long while.

“I’m going to tell everyone we stayed in the room that she stayed in,” I said.

“Of course you are.”

We have a day to relax.

Ceremony is tonight.