Monday, Monday, Monday! Rainy chilly days and Mondays. Oh Monday brings me to the last day of my vacation here in Michigan. It is always great to get away to see friends. Labor Day brings the last day of summer for some people. It is good to think that summer really does not end until near the end of September and then fall begins. I love fall too.
The time of 8:00 a.m. finds me up and about having coffee. That is unusual - NOT!
Frisbee playing with Sunny to give her exercise. My exercise? Left hand up, drink coffee, left hand down. Fingers clicking on the keys to make words on the screen. Time is ticking down for the time to leave for my flight back to Maine.
Sunny joined Hugh for a trip out to the garden for fresh veggies for the omelet - green peppers, yellow peppers and tomatoes! Kelly made the omelet with theses veggies as well as onion and cheese. Ok, I am going to say it is the best omelet ever especially because it was made with love. She also cooked bacon in the oven. I have never had bacon cooked this way and found that it comes out very crispy. Yummy!
Around 11:30 a.m., hugs are given to Hugh then Kelly and I are headed to the Flint airport so that I can wait for my departure. Many hugs were given before I headed off to check-in myself and my luggage. I head to security hoping for an uneventful passage through to the waiting area. As you know, everyone has to take off any jewelry and shoes as well as take out any bottled products and electronics. This does take time but I am in no hurry.
The waiting game begins for my 1:15 p.m flight to Detroit. The gate area at the airport has been renovated so it looks and feels nicer. There is a bigger bar area on my side as well as a couple of places to purchase other goodies. I am not hungry so I sit and people watch. The flights takes off in 45 minutes so I make myself comfortable and wait for my next adventure to Detroit.
There were two delays to get to Detroit. The first delay was that the airplane had too much fuel for the number of passengers so we had to back out onto the tarmac and let some fuel leave the airplane so that we would all be safe. I had no problem with that at all. Let out all the fuel you want so that we can be safe. That is a great bottom line. The second delay was that Air Force One was getting ready to depart Detroit so that our airplane could not take off from Flint. I would rather sit on the tarmac than circle around Detroit. What made this flight interesting? My seat mate was the Congressman from Michigan, Congressman Dale Kildee. He is friends with our Congressman Mike Michaud. We had a great conversation while waiting for the flight to depart. We waited until close to 3:00 p.m. for our 16 minute flight to Detroit! I am glad that my connecting flight was not until 4:00 p.m. and was delayed for an hour. All worked out well for me.
After a short wait, we were on the tarmac and in the air for Portland. I was so tired from traveling and am always glad to get home. My seat mate was a woman from Poland. She had a Nook as she reads several books at a time. I thought I had a short attention span.
After getting my luggage, I found my car in the parking garage with no problem at all. I had actually remembered to write down the location. In my car and ready to go home! The one thing shocking about getting home is the fee you pay for parking in the garage. I never think of how much it will cost me when I get home. One of these days I will figure in the cost into making a trip. Well, then again, maybe not. It doesn't matter. If you want to get away, you want to get away!
Around 8:00 p.m., I drove in the driveway. My neighor is so sweet that you came over earlier and turned on my outside light to greet me home. Yay!
I hope everyone had a great long weekend! I hope to see you out and about.
Peace out!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
On the Road again (Backyards to Bowling Balls) - September 4, 2011
Another day in Roscommon but it is a sunny day at that. I must say that sleeping in the motor home is not so bad. Yes, I have been spoiled all these years. Stretching is a must after sleeping in those small beds. I just figure as long as I am not sleeping on the ground then all is fine. You just have to figure out what works for you and go with it. Just go with the flow. All is good as long as I am alive and virtually kicking everyday.
Patty makes her coffee weak as she drinks it all day long. I was so glad to be the first one up so that I could make at least the first pot of coffee. This means that 8:00 a.m. found me up and scoping out the kitchen to try to find the coffee and the filters. It took me awhile as I had to go through most of the cupboards. Would you think of looking for filters hanging on the wall? I did not at all. Kelly finally wandered in and then Patty awoke awhile later.
By 10:00 a.m., Kelly and I were on the road back home. As we were starving, we stopped back at Fred's for their breakfast. Okay, I must say that I had one of the best omelets ever - at least one pound of shaved ham, tomatoes and provolone cheese plus hash browns and rye toast. Yummy! We were back on the road around 11:00 a.m. but I soon found out that we had an extra traveler with us. Who was the extra traveler? Well, it was a hitchhiker but not your ordinary hitchhiker. A grasshopper decided to appear on my inside passenger's window. I made Kelly stopped so that I could open the door so that the grasshopper fly on its way.
Our car was filled with rock and roll music all the way home. We were singing and chatting all the way back. There was also construction on the interstate on the way back. People from Michigan say that they have two seasons: the Winter season and the Orange barrel season. Oh, I would say that Maine does have an Orange barrel season too with all the construction going on every summer and into the fall.
Around 1:00 p.m., we arrived back home to find Hugh lounging on the porch with Sunny at his feet. After unpacking and throwing the frisbee to Sunny, we got ready to head to our next adventure.
Hugh, Kelly and I were on the road again around 4:00 p.m. Our first stop? Richfield Bowling! Hugh and Kelly are on a bowling league but I wanted to give bowling a try. I can laugh at myself. So I thought "Why not!" I will say it was amusing to say the least. This bowling alley has only the big balls and no candlepins at all. I had to pick an 8 pound ball as the next one up was too heavy for me to handle. Now the holes were not big enough for my fingers, but I made it work. I started out with a few gutter balls here and there but eventually was able to get a few strikes and a lot more spares. I was so excited to do better than expected. I did not slip and fall as I had on my rented bowling shoes! We bumped fists and slapped hands after each others turn. Now this game you only have two shots at knocking down the pins and not three that I remember. My scores went from 75 to 109 to 122 to 127 in the end. Anyway, out of the four games that we played, I did best on the last one as I gave Hugh and Kelly a run for their money. They were actually worried. Nothing to fear, they were soon ahead of me by the end of the game.
After two hours of play, we headed toward Lucky's in Davison for dinner. Hugh and Kelly come here to dinner a great deal. It sounds like it is always busy. Hugh has a tradition that people bet a $1.00 to guess what color gum ball would come out of the huge gum ball machine. I picked green as it is my favorite color. Kelly picked pink and Huge picked red. Well, red was the ultimate winner so Kelly and I lost. However, we got two gum balls - one white and one red. We sat in the bar area and ordered fabulous meals. I understand that they are known for their steaks and prime ribs. There was so much food that we just had to come home to take a break to relax around 9:00 p.m. and so that Hugh could finish watching the Detroit Tigers. Oh, I must not forget that I had a gum ball for dessert. Well, not actually dessert, but an after dinner choice.
I am calling it a night on here soon. I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend. Peace out!
Patty makes her coffee weak as she drinks it all day long. I was so glad to be the first one up so that I could make at least the first pot of coffee. This means that 8:00 a.m. found me up and scoping out the kitchen to try to find the coffee and the filters. It took me awhile as I had to go through most of the cupboards. Would you think of looking for filters hanging on the wall? I did not at all. Kelly finally wandered in and then Patty awoke awhile later.
By 10:00 a.m., Kelly and I were on the road back home. As we were starving, we stopped back at Fred's for their breakfast. Okay, I must say that I had one of the best omelets ever - at least one pound of shaved ham, tomatoes and provolone cheese plus hash browns and rye toast. Yummy! We were back on the road around 11:00 a.m. but I soon found out that we had an extra traveler with us. Who was the extra traveler? Well, it was a hitchhiker but not your ordinary hitchhiker. A grasshopper decided to appear on my inside passenger's window. I made Kelly stopped so that I could open the door so that the grasshopper fly on its way.
Our car was filled with rock and roll music all the way home. We were singing and chatting all the way back. There was also construction on the interstate on the way back. People from Michigan say that they have two seasons: the Winter season and the Orange barrel season. Oh, I would say that Maine does have an Orange barrel season too with all the construction going on every summer and into the fall.
Around 1:00 p.m., we arrived back home to find Hugh lounging on the porch with Sunny at his feet. After unpacking and throwing the frisbee to Sunny, we got ready to head to our next adventure.
Hugh, Kelly and I were on the road again around 4:00 p.m. Our first stop? Richfield Bowling! Hugh and Kelly are on a bowling league but I wanted to give bowling a try. I can laugh at myself. So I thought "Why not!" I will say it was amusing to say the least. This bowling alley has only the big balls and no candlepins at all. I had to pick an 8 pound ball as the next one up was too heavy for me to handle. Now the holes were not big enough for my fingers, but I made it work. I started out with a few gutter balls here and there but eventually was able to get a few strikes and a lot more spares. I was so excited to do better than expected. I did not slip and fall as I had on my rented bowling shoes! We bumped fists and slapped hands after each others turn. Now this game you only have two shots at knocking down the pins and not three that I remember. My scores went from 75 to 109 to 122 to 127 in the end. Anyway, out of the four games that we played, I did best on the last one as I gave Hugh and Kelly a run for their money. They were actually worried. Nothing to fear, they were soon ahead of me by the end of the game.
After two hours of play, we headed toward Lucky's in Davison for dinner. Hugh and Kelly come here to dinner a great deal. It sounds like it is always busy. Hugh has a tradition that people bet a $1.00 to guess what color gum ball would come out of the huge gum ball machine. I picked green as it is my favorite color. Kelly picked pink and Huge picked red. Well, red was the ultimate winner so Kelly and I lost. However, we got two gum balls - one white and one red. We sat in the bar area and ordered fabulous meals. I understand that they are known for their steaks and prime ribs. There was so much food that we just had to come home to take a break to relax around 9:00 p.m. and so that Hugh could finish watching the Detroit Tigers. Oh, I must not forget that I had a gum ball for dessert. Well, not actually dessert, but an after dinner choice.
I am calling it a night on here soon. I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend. Peace out!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Raining in Roscommon - September 3, 2011
Good Morning to a rainy Saturday morning in Roscommon, Michigan. Kelly and I slept in a motor home in Patty's yard last night. I do not want you to get the wrong idea. There was no electricity and we had to sleep in twin beds. What do people do if they are tall? I guess not to sleep on this side of the motor home. We had a flashlight so we were all set and the beds were certainly better than sleeping on the ground in a tent. I am just going to say we were roughing it since we did sleep outside the house with no electricity at all. I am glad that I did not have to get up when it was dark. I could have tripped on something or tripped over my own feet. I could see it happening as I can be uncoordinated at times.
A friend sent me a Facebook message at 6:15 a.m. I heard the message come through so I tried to find my cell phone as I was curious who sent me a message so early. At least I did not have to get out of the bed to find cell phone as it was still dark here. It is not normally early for me as I am generally up at home around that time. I checked the message and laid back down. The weather was not cooperating as it was raining outside at that time. No reason to go outside yet. Why get wet so early in the morning? I figured I would just wait. Kelly and I finally stirred and got up around 8:00 a.m. We wandered into the house in order to make coffee for the day. Even though I have cell phone service, I have no Internet connection for my computer so I have to use Kelly's computer. We are switching off so that we can both check out what is going on today.
We watched the weather channel to see what Kelly's friends were encountering on their way to New Orleans during the tropical storm. We were going to head up to Mackinaw Bridge area for a variety of activities but the weather may not be cooperating today for that adventure. We do have an option of going to a sports bar that will have the Michigan game on today. We shall see what actually happens. I am sure we will just take it as it comes. Kelly and I are always up for whatever comes our way.
In the meantime, all of us are drinking coffee and hanging out. Oh, I must say that the cheesy bread as toast is absolutely fantastic. It is just like Lay's potato chips - you cannot have just one! I wonder if we have cheesy bread in Maine.
University of Michigan plays Western Michigan at 3:30 p.m.so we headed to The Family Bar to watch the game. This establishment had one entrance for University of Michigan fans (blue and gold) and one entrance for Michigan fans (green and white). The seating was separate to keep the fans apart. The waitress had a hard time keeping up with 12 people at our table. This part of the adventure brought all kinds of characters together in one place. The Family Bar also has a challenge - the 3lb. stadium burger challenge. People evidently attempt to eat the 3 lb. burger with fries. If you fail, then you get your photo on the Wall of Shame. I cannot even imagine attempting such a challenge. I am sure there are quite a few people who do.
The waitress had a hard time keeping up with 12 people at our table but all turned out well. This part of the adventure brought all kinds of characters together in one place. No fights or arguments either inside or outside. I can just imagine what it would be like if University of Michigan was playing Michigan State. There were two rain/lightning delays. Actually, I think they may have called the game so we headed home for a short break before we head out again.
Our evening out on the town and down to Higgins Lake was uneventful. Higgins Lake State Park was a gorgeous area. There were tons of campers adjacent to the state park. The lake is huge and very calm at dusk. A pitstop was made at the Silver Dollar to watch more college football. Kelly cannot get enough of watching football and I was along for the ride. We then drove around the lake in the darkness of the evening looking for civilization and thought we almost got lost trying to figure out how to get back to Roscommon. I had faith in Kelly that we would find our way back to town. Our last stop of the evening was Fred's that was a restaurant, bowling alley and bar. We watched more college football here and Kelly made out well playing Keno. Her nephew came along and joined us until the Keno games were done.
Phew! We made it back home! Yay!
A friend sent me a Facebook message at 6:15 a.m. I heard the message come through so I tried to find my cell phone as I was curious who sent me a message so early. At least I did not have to get out of the bed to find cell phone as it was still dark here. It is not normally early for me as I am generally up at home around that time. I checked the message and laid back down. The weather was not cooperating as it was raining outside at that time. No reason to go outside yet. Why get wet so early in the morning? I figured I would just wait. Kelly and I finally stirred and got up around 8:00 a.m. We wandered into the house in order to make coffee for the day. Even though I have cell phone service, I have no Internet connection for my computer so I have to use Kelly's computer. We are switching off so that we can both check out what is going on today.
We watched the weather channel to see what Kelly's friends were encountering on their way to New Orleans during the tropical storm. We were going to head up to Mackinaw Bridge area for a variety of activities but the weather may not be cooperating today for that adventure. We do have an option of going to a sports bar that will have the Michigan game on today. We shall see what actually happens. I am sure we will just take it as it comes. Kelly and I are always up for whatever comes our way.
In the meantime, all of us are drinking coffee and hanging out. Oh, I must say that the cheesy bread as toast is absolutely fantastic. It is just like Lay's potato chips - you cannot have just one! I wonder if we have cheesy bread in Maine.
University of Michigan plays Western Michigan at 3:30 p.m.so we headed to The Family Bar to watch the game. This establishment had one entrance for University of Michigan fans (blue and gold) and one entrance for Michigan fans (green and white). The seating was separate to keep the fans apart. The waitress had a hard time keeping up with 12 people at our table. This part of the adventure brought all kinds of characters together in one place. The Family Bar also has a challenge - the 3lb. stadium burger challenge. People evidently attempt to eat the 3 lb. burger with fries. If you fail, then you get your photo on the Wall of Shame. I cannot even imagine attempting such a challenge. I am sure there are quite a few people who do.
The waitress had a hard time keeping up with 12 people at our table but all turned out well. This part of the adventure brought all kinds of characters together in one place. No fights or arguments either inside or outside. I can just imagine what it would be like if University of Michigan was playing Michigan State. There were two rain/lightning delays. Actually, I think they may have called the game so we headed home for a short break before we head out again.
Our evening out on the town and down to Higgins Lake was uneventful. Higgins Lake State Park was a gorgeous area. There were tons of campers adjacent to the state park. The lake is huge and very calm at dusk. A pitstop was made at the Silver Dollar to watch more college football. Kelly cannot get enough of watching football and I was along for the ride. We then drove around the lake in the darkness of the evening looking for civilization and thought we almost got lost trying to figure out how to get back to Roscommon. I had faith in Kelly that we would find our way back to town. Our last stop of the evening was Fred's that was a restaurant, bowling alley and bar. We watched more college football here and Kelly made out well playing Keno. Her nephew came along and joined us until the Keno games were done.
Phew! We made it back home! Yay!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Relaxing and What Not = September 2, 2011
Well, here is my first full day of my vacation after traveling to get here to Michigan. I actually slept in to 7:00 a.m. That is sleeping in for me. I was actually not the first person up this morning. My house is generally quiet until I get up so it was nice to get up and have a conversation with Kelly's husband Hugh. Kelly had made the coffee last night so I just had to add water so I was very happy not to have to figure it all out. You know that having a Keurig makes it easier to not even think about how many tablespoons to put in the filter and then figure out the right amount of water. Yes, I like to have the coffeemaking process as easy as possible until the cobwebs are cleared from my brain.
There is no traffic or noise out here on the farm. There is a great deal of wildlife. Kelly and I saw two deer last night on our way into the farm and I heard some geese this morning. Oh, I cannot forget the frogs and crickets last night when I was trying to sleep. They were so loud that I had to shut my window in my bedroom so that I could sleep. Yes, I guess it is something that you have to get used to out here in the country. I know that some people think that I live in the country in Hallowell, but it is not like here.
It is so rural here that I have no cell phone service and can only use a Verizon stick for Internet access. The thing with my new computer is that I do not have a CD holder to download the software and I cannot get on to their website because I have no access. I am thinking that when we leave here and I have access to service, then I can download the necessary software. In the meantime, I am using Kelly's computer to check in and blog.
It is 9:30 a.m. now and we are in no hurry to do anything at all. We have not even thought about breakfast yet. However, I could always get some leftover pizza in the refrigerator if I was actually hungry but I am not yet. In the meantime, we are all sitting outside drinking our coffee and catching up on things. It is like I never left here. The last time that I was here was in May 2010 for her son Danny's 21st birthday party. Every time that I come to Michigan it is a different adventure.
After having several cups of coffee and having thrown the frisbee to Kellys labradoodle Sunny, we are on our way to the first leg of our adventure to her sister Patti's house around 11:00 a.m. The rock and roll station was streaming through the air as well as the cold air from the air conditioning. Yes, Renee, we put the air conditioner on in Kelly's car so she is not like me in this way. Several stops were made along the 2-hour trip to Roscommon along the back roads.
Our first stop? Wilson's Cheese Shop in Linwood to partake in their great variety of cheeses. You walk in the door and are hit by the aroma. They had little bits that you could taste test. I tried the pepper jack, horseradish and smoked swiss. It was so creamy and good! What did we get? Cheese bread and Smoked Swiss as well as a cheese knife! Their cheeses are just fabulous. I am sure we will partake in some before we get to our final destination. Oh and still no cell phone service. I hope no one is looking to get in touch with me.
Our second stop? A small casino in Standish called Saganine Eagle's Landing was on the way so that we just had to stop. It just pulled our car into the parking lot even though there was a long detour to get there. You must know the magnetic field that was just along the way. Before we knew it, the log cabin building was in our sights. Some of you know that the Wheel of Fortune is my favorite slot machine to play. I avoided the $1.00 game for a short while but was pulled back to it again and again. I finally played and was up in just a few spins. It was so exciting! I so wanted it to happen again but it did not. I even tried a few more games with not much success but I did walk out of the casino with a profit. I decided that I am going to start a travel fund. Why not? I hope it makes its way back home with me. Kelly played longer than I did so I watched her play some of the other games. We were on the road around 3:30 p.m. and still no cell phone service.
We found our way to the highway to head further North. I have no idea where we are and Kelly does not have GPS. Kelly just knew to head North. I would need my MapQuest and eventually I will get a GPS. I keep saying that anyway. One of these days I will do it. There are just other things that I want to purchase first. About 30 minutes into the next leg, I realized that my cell phone is on airplane mode. No wonder I was not getting any cell phone service. Duh! I clicked the airplane mode and all the messages and voice mails came through. Yay!
Roscommon was finally in view. As we had not eaten much today, we stopped at the grocery store to get some goodies for dinner. What did we get? Cheeseburgers with green olives, onions and tomatoes as well as broccoli salad and potato salad. After several turns, we took a right onto the long dirt road to get to Patti's house about 2-3 miles off the beaten path. We were so happy to get there. Patti and Dennis have a great house on the river with such a wonderful view.
After socializing and eating dinner, it was time for the Michigan State football game at 7:30 p.m. You cannot come to Michigan and not watch the football game. It is not allowed. Kelly's son just graduated from Michigan State so we still had to cheer for them even though she was originally a University of Michigan fan. She even turned me into a fan mostly when I am here in Michigan but I do have some blue and gold shirts and a hat. I think that she will be a fan of both teams now.
I know that it is 8:30 p.m. now and some of my friends are at Easy Street Lounge for the big transition. I am sad that I am missing the big event but will catch up to hear about all the changes coming our way to our fair city.
Well, it is time to shut off the computer and watch the game. Have a great Friday night all!
Peace out!
There is no traffic or noise out here on the farm. There is a great deal of wildlife. Kelly and I saw two deer last night on our way into the farm and I heard some geese this morning. Oh, I cannot forget the frogs and crickets last night when I was trying to sleep. They were so loud that I had to shut my window in my bedroom so that I could sleep. Yes, I guess it is something that you have to get used to out here in the country. I know that some people think that I live in the country in Hallowell, but it is not like here.
It is so rural here that I have no cell phone service and can only use a Verizon stick for Internet access. The thing with my new computer is that I do not have a CD holder to download the software and I cannot get on to their website because I have no access. I am thinking that when we leave here and I have access to service, then I can download the necessary software. In the meantime, I am using Kelly's computer to check in and blog.
It is 9:30 a.m. now and we are in no hurry to do anything at all. We have not even thought about breakfast yet. However, I could always get some leftover pizza in the refrigerator if I was actually hungry but I am not yet. In the meantime, we are all sitting outside drinking our coffee and catching up on things. It is like I never left here. The last time that I was here was in May 2010 for her son Danny's 21st birthday party. Every time that I come to Michigan it is a different adventure.
After having several cups of coffee and having thrown the frisbee to Kellys labradoodle Sunny, we are on our way to the first leg of our adventure to her sister Patti's house around 11:00 a.m. The rock and roll station was streaming through the air as well as the cold air from the air conditioning. Yes, Renee, we put the air conditioner on in Kelly's car so she is not like me in this way. Several stops were made along the 2-hour trip to Roscommon along the back roads.
Our first stop? Wilson's Cheese Shop in Linwood to partake in their great variety of cheeses. You walk in the door and are hit by the aroma. They had little bits that you could taste test. I tried the pepper jack, horseradish and smoked swiss. It was so creamy and good! What did we get? Cheese bread and Smoked Swiss as well as a cheese knife! Their cheeses are just fabulous. I am sure we will partake in some before we get to our final destination. Oh and still no cell phone service. I hope no one is looking to get in touch with me.
Our second stop? A small casino in Standish called Saganine Eagle's Landing was on the way so that we just had to stop. It just pulled our car into the parking lot even though there was a long detour to get there. You must know the magnetic field that was just along the way. Before we knew it, the log cabin building was in our sights. Some of you know that the Wheel of Fortune is my favorite slot machine to play. I avoided the $1.00 game for a short while but was pulled back to it again and again. I finally played and was up in just a few spins. It was so exciting! I so wanted it to happen again but it did not. I even tried a few more games with not much success but I did walk out of the casino with a profit. I decided that I am going to start a travel fund. Why not? I hope it makes its way back home with me. Kelly played longer than I did so I watched her play some of the other games. We were on the road around 3:30 p.m. and still no cell phone service.
We found our way to the highway to head further North. I have no idea where we are and Kelly does not have GPS. Kelly just knew to head North. I would need my MapQuest and eventually I will get a GPS. I keep saying that anyway. One of these days I will do it. There are just other things that I want to purchase first. About 30 minutes into the next leg, I realized that my cell phone is on airplane mode. No wonder I was not getting any cell phone service. Duh! I clicked the airplane mode and all the messages and voice mails came through. Yay!
Roscommon was finally in view. As we had not eaten much today, we stopped at the grocery store to get some goodies for dinner. What did we get? Cheeseburgers with green olives, onions and tomatoes as well as broccoli salad and potato salad. After several turns, we took a right onto the long dirt road to get to Patti's house about 2-3 miles off the beaten path. We were so happy to get there. Patti and Dennis have a great house on the river with such a wonderful view.
After socializing and eating dinner, it was time for the Michigan State football game at 7:30 p.m. You cannot come to Michigan and not watch the football game. It is not allowed. Kelly's son just graduated from Michigan State so we still had to cheer for them even though she was originally a University of Michigan fan. She even turned me into a fan mostly when I am here in Michigan but I do have some blue and gold shirts and a hat. I think that she will be a fan of both teams now.
I know that it is 8:30 p.m. now and some of my friends are at Easy Street Lounge for the big transition. I am sad that I am missing the big event but will catch up to hear about all the changes coming our way to our fair city.
Well, it is time to shut off the computer and watch the game. Have a great Friday night all!
Peace out!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Pre-Flight and Flight Activity to Michigan - September 1, 2011
Well, I am off for another adventure. Boy, do I love adventures. There is nothing like traveling. I am heading to Michigan today for the long Labor Day weekend to visit my friend Kelly. She is like my other half. We do have some adventures. If you haven't read my earlier adventures with her, you can always find them here. I should say not all adventures are on this blog as I did not start this blog until a few years ago. Of course, there is also my adventure to visit my other BFF, Renee, when she was in Austin, Texas.
Of course, I am leaving today and have not packed everything yet. I had to go to the bakery to get coffee so that I can tackle this matter with a clear head. I suppose if I forget anything that there is always a store close by or I could borrow something from Kelly. I am sure she wouldn't mind. I am not sure what the weather will be so I am packing a little of this and a little of that. The most important things are my new Gateway netbook, my cell phone, reading book (The Woman in White) and all the chargers that go along with the electronics. You just have to have those electronics. Well, I do anyway.
As my birthday is on the 4th of the month, numerology says that the 1st day of the month is a lucky day for me. I am so glad to know that fact. This bodes well for the starting of this adventure.
Well, it is 9:15 a.m., so I have to finish packing and head to the airport. I really hope I do not forget anything. "Oh well", is what I will say if I do. If it is not the end of the world, then everything is always fine. This means that everything is always fine when you wake up in the morning and head out for the day!
The adventure starts with getting gas at J&S as well as a few provisions for the trip. My car was filled with gas but I had a momentary delay. A young guy on the way to classes at UMA needed a battery boost. I was glad to assist in this matter. Nothing went wrong and he was on his way and so was I.
I arrived at the Portland Jetport around 11:15 a.m. for the 12:30 p.m. flight. After checking and slightly disrobing for the entry to the waiting area, all is fine in the waiting area for the flight. Our flight is on time. I wonder where people are going. Everyone is doing their own thing. We have people using their computers as well as talking on their cell phones for work. In addition, people are either reading, talking to others beside them or not at all. We are all just waiting. Waiting is good as you get time to slow your life down. It is good to do once in awhile.
Well, it is almost none so I am going to shut the computer down and see what else is going on here. Maybe I actually know someone else even though I have not spotted them yet.
Stephanie was my seat mate. It was great to have a pleasant conversation for the trip to Detroit. She is in the car racing business and also travels. Do I wish that was me? It sounds exciting but I wonder if it gets old traveling. I suppose if you love what you do it shouldn't matter.
We arrived 30 minutes early so I had 2.5 hour layover in Detroit. What to do? My first stop was to find the only entrance outside to get some fresh air and to take a little walk. The way back into the airport was an adventure. Check point beginning good. Checkpoint security slow. Ok, step over here, wait in line, walk into the scanner, hands above your head just so, wait for scanner to work, step outside and wait. Note to self: Do not wear a skirt with snaps. All put back together and computer in bag to head back close to the next flight.
The next stop? The Martini Lounge for a glass of Cabernet and a pannini. I am hungry! No free wireless here. I couldn't remember my Boingo account so I had to sign up again. The bartender sure can talk and talk and talk. Oh well. She can be entertaining.Well, it is 4:20 so I should head to the gate. I do not want to miss my flight.
Another seat mate was just as interesting to talk with during the flight. He and his family are from North Carolina and are on their way to Millington for bike races. His 15 year old son does quite well at this sport. They travel all around the country participating in various events. Their son is even enrolled in a training school for quite a bit of cash. His son hopes to go pro. It sounds like he may have a good chance at succeeding at this goal. He has been riding and then racing since he was 4 years old. Dedication is key for sure. Our 20-minute plane ride was uneventful and filled with great conversation.
Kelly was at the gate waiting anxiously for me. While she was waiting, a military man came through the gate before I even did. She had walked up to him, thanked him for his service and gave him a big hug. Kelly's son Adam is in the Marines and in Afghanistan right now. When I got through the gate, a big hug was waiting for me too! It was so great to see her. After getting my luggage at baggage claim, we were on our way to the car to head outside of Flint on our way to her house.
Well, I should say that we did not go straight home. Our first stop? The Eagles Club, of course. Kelly and her husband Hugh have made some very great friends who were extremely friendly. Kineo is Kelly's favorite game so we had to play some games. We did not break even but we were close. After a nice break on our way home, we decided that we were hungry and need of food. A pizza was ordered. I was so hungry. You talk about a large pizza. This pizza was huge! Ham, pepperoni, green pepper and onion. Yum!
Hugh was home when we got there. We were also greeted by Sunny, their dog. I had forgot that they had a dog. She was so cute and friendly. After eating and many hours of socializing, I headed upstairs for a long and needed sleep. It was a long day but a very good day overall.
Peace out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
