We left early Friday morning. Early. Like before the sun went down the night before- during which, I might add, I won the game of Bang (with help from Georgia)! (We were the renegade!) Our flight to Dallas was uneventful. Our bags shuffled around so that none (mine) exceeded 50 pounds. My carry-on, however, must have topped 3 tons.
Our friends K and G were getting married. Kevin was the best man. That’s how Dallas came up on our itinerary. They are both gamers. Gamers like Kevin. Gamers who just spent the previous week and a half in Columbus at The Gathering. They married like they lived. Gaming. The invitation featured an image from The Game of Life- you know, an image associated with getting hitched. Their program included a word search. Their cake was done up in game bits and topped with the King and Queen (Chess and Hearts). They made sure to pack a game to take with them to the hotel on their wedding night.
Sunday and Monday Kevin gamed. I got to meet three of my cyber friends in person! And, ride for the first time in a convertible with the top down. I verified convertible/top down etiquette before we began and was advised not to expose myself. It was so much fun that the next time I do this- in 45 more years- I may just go ahead with the exposure thing….
Monday we managed to pull Kevin away from waiting for the UPS man long enough to visit the Kennedy museum. I wonder how many people leave there less convinced of a possible conspiracy? A pristine bullet? A 4th shot on tape that the second investigation (FBI) said occurred a minute after the first 3 and was, therefore, unrelated? Creepy and sad and well done. Thinking about a rewatch of "JFK" and "13 Days".
I learned something very surprising at the Dallas airport. It is possible to not know how to use a point and shoot camera. Even with instruction. Even when it looks like from the other side that you’re doing it right.
Ah, and then the ride home. We arrived a little less than 2 hours before our flight departure. Pretty darned good. We were behind maybe 12 other parties. And, in front of us- behind the counter- was one very slow attendant. Another person looking on might have counted 2 or even 3 employees. But the competent blond man was servicing first class and the competent Hispanic man was helping people who had been bumped from an earlier flight to SFO rebook onto our flight to LA. Even though he kept telling them to wait in our line, one by one they cut out and cornered him behind the self check terminal. We waited at least 75 minutes. Then, things got worse.
Our flight was delayed. Not by too much. At least, not until we boarded the plane. Then the door to the luggage compartment wouldn’t close. We arrived in LAX with 30 minutes to make our connection. We ran. We ran from terminal 7 to the international terminal- terminal 2.5. Dodging between people. Slipping past baggage and columns. Fortunately, I picked up an e-z cart on the way so we were not unduly slowed by our copious carry on bags. We made it with 10 minutes to spare. That is, we made it to the terminal. No waiting at the Qantas counter. No real reason to expect waiting as the flight was closed and the last flight for the night was in their final boarding. Fortunately, there were seats on that last flight. Seats to Melbourne.
LA to Melbourne is the longest flight that Qantas makes. There is only one flight longer anywhere. (Where? dunno) 15 + hours. Adding in our layover and the subsequent flight to Brisbane- total travel time was approximately 30 hours. And, that’s a very long time. Very long. Particularly when you’re coming down with a head cold AND a UTI. Simultaneously. No risk of DVT when you’re on your feet hourly to head to the looooo.
Overall, it was a great excursion to the US. Exhausting. Busy- and yet, as always, incomplete. Not enough time with each individual. No time to really relax. I didn’t get any photos of the beautiful wildflowers blooming along the roadsides in TX. I only ate sushi once.
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