Departure Was Exigent Not Imminent...

...and I am home already. As it turns out, right after I made my last post to my blog page, I found out my wife had pneumonia. With her already having Swine Flu I figured I had best get on a plane faster than a speeding bullet. So I called my boss at about noon on Friday and told him the situation and he said "get outta here" or something to that effect. I drove into the office, got some necessary job related paperwork done, made a flight reservation, handed in stuff that had been temporarily assigned to me and was off to do some quick shopping before leaving. Shopping included a trip to a store or two to pic up some gifts of chocolates for hotel staff at the front desk and in the kitchen. The staff was great except for the maids, and one higher up. The maids sucked at cleaning or speaking English so no sweets for them. Then it was back to the hotel for packing. That was a whirlwind affair about as wild as a roller coaster ride in a tornado - but I only forgot one thing, a small pair of scissors. I also cleaned up any food I had in the room, and after just about 4 months of staying at a hotel you have as much packed into the tiny fridge as you can, or at least I did; likewise for my pantry or the drawers that served as a pantry. After I was done there it was back shopping, this time at the mall. I was too wired to really shop and did not get a thing for anyone back home. Luckily I had already bought some small gifts but not many. I had been planning on shopping yesterday but that was out. When done with everything I returned the G-ride back to the lot at work. Another agent gave me a ride back to the hotel and since he was remaining on the temporary assignment I gave him my stash of beer. I figure that was about 8 Heinekens, 10 Coronas, and 12 or more Bud-lights (no I do not drink Budwiper of any sort if I can avoid it; they were left overs from a party). Then it was to bed for me. I hit the hay at about 11:15 PM on Friday night and had to get up at 3:15 AM on Saturday. I slept all of 3 hours and tossed and turned the rest.

At 4:00 AM I was off to the airport in a limo/cab. It was really a Crown Vic. The driver was from Russia so that made me feel closer to NYC than I had for months - there is a large Russian population in Brooklyn. Nice guy and when I tipped him he was happy. Check-in was a breeze. No one from TSA even looked inside my shotgun case. (They did look in my suitcase and I do think a K-Bar knife is missing; I have to do inventory tonight.) My flight departed on time at 6:10 Am, and I flew into Atlanta where I connected to another flight to LaGuardia in NY. Both flights got in early. When I landed I called my son - he had not left home yet to come to get me. I told him to turn on that engine and get rolling. As it turned out, just as I got all of my luggage, he called and said he was waiting outside - perfect timing. Julia, his girlfriend accompanied him as did our Chihuahua Pepe. The ride home was nice as was getting there. My wife actually seemed happy to see me and I was happy to see her. may not last long but take it for what it is worth because I am doing so.

Thankfully she is doing okay - not good - but okay. We go to the doctor tomorrow and that is when I start asking questions about why she was not hospitalized after first being diagnosed with Swine Flu, and then several days later with pneumonia.

So as it turns out - I had no choice to make about whether or not to try to hike up to the top of Mt. Wrightson at Madera Canyon or if I should go back to Tombstone instead to see the Courthouse Museum. Something else decided for me what I should do, and I knew I had better get home quick to make sure the Frau was okay.

All the best,
Glenn B