Time to head to the Airport

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

5:54 AM Arizona

Did not sleep much last night = anxious about getting to airport on time.  You would think that after eight years this would be a piece of cake, but no!  Will head over to Mark’s home where I will leave my car and he will take me to the airport.  I’m still really bummed that he’s not going to be able to make the trip this year.  Sometimes I've had this picture in my head of us doing The Camino together, not sure why.  Well if not the Camino at lease riding around for a bit through England and/or France.  Flight leaves Phoenix at 11:25 am and arrives in Dallas/Fort Worth at around 3 pm.  There will be time to get a bite to eat before leaving for Heathrow at 5:30 pm.

The tomorrows weather in Salisbury is supposed to be 59 degrees and cloudy with a chance of rain, Portsmouth 59 degrees with a chance of rain.  The weather in Le Havre on Thursday is supposed to be 66 degrees with a chance of rain and Paris is to be 69 degrees with a chance of rain.   It has been raining in most of Europe for the past month, but it looks like Lisa and I will have some nice weather in Paris. At least until we leave for St Jean Pied de Port on Sunday.  The weather is also looking good for the first week of our Pilgrimage with a chance it could hit 80 by the time we get to Roncesvalles which is something to look forward to.

 

I am at my son Kevin’s house where I woke up at 3 am, on the computer for a while, then readying the clothes I will be wearing for the next two days.  Elizabeth comes out around 5 am to start getting ready for school, then its Tyler’s turn.  It is now 6 am, Kevin and Jean are up getting ready to head off to work, and it is time for coffee.  Claudia calls to see if I've relaxed yet, we talk and laugh, then it is time for a shower.   Time to call Mark to tell him I am on the way to his house, due to my anxiety about getting to the airport I have to make sure he is up and ready.  Say my good byes and off across town; dam slow drivers.  I’m climbing the walls that it is taking so long to get to Mark’s house.  Finally, at Marks house, with plenty of time left to get to the airport, he loads my pannier bag into his car.  “How much did you say your bag weights?” he asks.  “The scale said it weighs forty two pounds!”  I reply.  “It feels heavier that that!”  He says and we head off to the airport and a little breakfast together before I leave.

After parking, we proceed to the ticket counter where I place the pannier bag on the scale.  “Fifty-four pounds” the attendant states.  I am perplexed, as I had weighted the bag several times at home.  “How much will that cost” ask I?  “$60” says she.  $60 dollar for freaking 4 lbs. you have to be kidding, think I.  Mark and I take the bag around the corner to begin looking for things that can reduce the weight.  Mark makes a few trips with the things I have picked out as “unnecessary” to weight on the scale as we laugh a bit about having to do this.  We find around 5 lbs., its back to the scale that now registers 49.5 pounds, good to go.  We chat a bit over breakfast then he hands me a sealed envelope.  OH, OH!  “You can’t read it until you are in the air,” he tells me.  We get a guy to take a picture of us before I head to the gate.  As I head for the gate, I am starting to tear up at having to leave him behind.  We have flown out together for the past three years; this year I fly alone.  In the air, I open the letter and read the words of my friend.  It is a beautiful letter filled with good wishes and advice.  Tears run down my cheeks and I look across the aisle wanting to find him there, but he is not.  Mark and I have been friends for about 26 years.  We have been though a lot in that time, ups and downs, great happiness and deep sorrow; he is truly what friendship is all about.  I had really hoped we would do this Camino together as we have done other things in the past laughing, arguing, and finding our own wondrous thing to point out to each other.

Buen Camino!