We’re baaaaack! We’ve been baaaaack for over a week, actually. Whenever I take time off work, it takes twice as long as I took off to catch up. It’s been a crazy week and looks like it will continue to be for a while. Yech.
How was our vacation, you ask? Well, let me start with a brief disclaimer. Anyone who knows me at least enough to recognize me in a lineup knows that I have trouble with the whole concept of time and it’s relation to me being anywhere at any given point. It’s totally annoying and rude and makes everyone seethe with anger. Unfortunately, my inner clock is a few cuckoos short of normal and it’s just the way I am. It’s been that was since I was a child and received “N”s (Not Satisfactory) on grammar school report cards in the box next to “Uses time wisely”. I’ll issue a blanket apology now that is good through eternity to anyone who I ever need to meet at a specific time. I am very sorry for my lateness.
My brother, who estimates that everything takes 5 minutes, no matter what it is (Our cuckoos were installed by the same manufacturer.), drove us to the airport. We had some time to kill (Warning! Danger, Will Robinson!), so we went to get some Sunday breakfast. Jon is a perpetually early person. Loves to be early, that guy. As we waited for our check, I was teasing him because he was getting anxious about being late. “The airport is just 5 minutes away!” said my brother reassuringly.
Yadda yadda
They wouldn’t let us check in our bags as it was just 25 minutes until our flight. To me, 25 minutes seems like puh-lenty of time, but whatever. Apparently the only other flight to Miami that would get us there in time was booked and the nice lady at the desk offered us standby. I imagined the horns of the Love Boat sounding as they took off, people throwing confetti at us as we missed our cruise. But I stayed calm and the nice lady finally worked out a connecting flight to Baltimore, then Miami that would get us there in the nick of time. Hey! I love the nick of time!
Yadda yadda
They lost our luggage. Fast forward through the stressful wait in the line to talk to the emotionally void staff who talk to pissed-off people about their long lost luggage all day. I won’t bore you with the details of our conversation, just know that I explained a number of times that we had to catch our cruise boat in an hour, only to be asked “So where will you be tonight?” I could only tell the truth as I knew it. “Middle of the ocean.”
Yadda yadda
Tuesday night, we were finally reunited with our luggage as we pulled out of Cozumel. It flew out to meet us, how thoughtful. By then, the change of clothing we had packed in our carry-on at Jon’s suggestion (thank you, Jon) were at peak ripeness. So happy were we at the reunion, we cheered. Then Jon welcomed the big suitcase in such a special way that I think he and it are legally wed in some countries.
The rest of the cruise was delightfully uneventful, despite the fact that it was spring break and our boat was crammed with drunken college students. We lounged, we sipped cocktails, we watched cheesy onboard entertainment, we dined frequently. It rocked.
And the burning question: Did I finish my Chickami in time to wear it in the cruise???
Nope.
But I got close. I finished the straps on the plane home and haven’t even attached them yet. But I’m pretty pleased with it. It only started pooling at the top where it gets separated into two pieces. I never did get to the Koigu. At least I had something to look forward to post-vacation.
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And here is the hoodie, blocking and preparing itself for seaming.
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It’s good to be back. It’s better to be on vacation.
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Welcome back! My dad has an interesting technique for dealing with airline employees – he gets very red, the veins in his forehead throb, and he shouts. It’s very convincing (and quite alarming the first time I saw him put on this act), but they are usually very quick to accomodate him and give him freebies. Glad the vacation turned out well, despite a rocky start.
June
http://www.twosheep.com/blog
Like June’s dad, I have my own personal way of dealing with the whole travel experience. It’s called Atavan. One of those, and I reach a place that must be something like what it’s like to be what you represent to be you in the same situation. Deprived of my beloved Atavan, I barely manage security check free of assault charges, and I leave gouges in the upholstery during take off. Go for breakfast before staking out my personal spot in the departure lounge? I’d rather eat seven packages of Ritz Stix and call it a meal. Get on a cruise ship without my luggage? I have no such faith in the system.
I have learned something today.
julia fc
de mothheaven
LOL! I am John and my husband is you (in our relationship). Graphic designers are notorious for hating deadlines, so I (the manager) get saddled with making sure we get where we need to be on time. My family figured it out about 15 years ago and tell us to be there about 2 hours before we’re supposed to show up. Hey, it works!
Glad the rest of the trip was good. Welcome back, we missed you.
Oh, yes. The dreaded blank face of the “I’ve lost more important people’s luggage than yours and I’ve only been here for 2 hours”.
Glad you’re back! Get to work on the next MOKS post!
I had to laugh as you wrote about the time thing. See, it’s an ADHD thing…I view clocks and calendars as mere suggestions…and often, inappropriate ones. Time’s an artificial construct, and anyone who wants to get with you will have to move into your sphere of in/action. That’s my story, and i’m stickin’ to it.
Your brother is correct…just off a bit. You can actually get anywhere in the world by car in 12 minutes. I know this to be a fact.
Thanks for keepin’ it real….really funny! Welcome back!
Hi,
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Just saved your feed in my reader, have a nice day