From MS to NC*

I am here in North Carolina . I arrived very late on Thursday and practically unanimously Jake and I decided to do nothing all day yesterday! My older son drove me to Jackson to get the plane to Charlotte {and then on to Raleigh.) We left right after lunch so got to the airport early. He helped me to get through the lines and then left early enough to avoid rush hour on his long drive home.

The plane ride to Charlotte was very uncomfortable. I have been thinking about upgrading when I travel again. I am neither particularly tall nor overweight but I was squashed in the seat. This was, for future reference, American Airlines who also charge one $25 per bag. Anyway, I got to Charlotte which turned out to be another place to avoid in future.

I can only walk short distances and very slowly without severe pain in my back so I have been used to requesting a wheelchair in advance. This was the first place I had to wait and wait. Then when two wheelchairs arrived, the other person waiting {she had a broken ankle and crutches} got got the only push-person available first. This probably had something to do with the fact that she was young, blonde, beautiful and carrying a Coach purse! Well, the fact that her connection left in 10 minutes probably had something to do with it, too! So, having had a fair amount of experience with transport by wheelchair, I expected to be taken to the gate. Umm, no. I was next driven at high speed close to the gate on one of those high-pitched loudly beeping little train-thingies which swerved wildly around between people rushing to their gates!

My plane was loading when I got there and because I wasn’t in a wheel chair, I had to stand in line. I don’t do stand very easily. When I handed over my boarding pass, the scanning machine beeped ominously and I was asked to stand and wait while everyone else got on first! By this point I was in severe pain and demanded {but politely} a chair. Anyway, it seems that my assigned seat was a middle seat and my boarding pass was coded in some way to let the checkers know I needed an aisle seat! So, I finished up in the rich-people’s section! It was lovely to be able to move around in the seat normally! Unfortunately it was a VERY short flight to Raleigh, but I was able to enjoy some ice water and nuts. And since it was now 11:30 and I hadn’t eaten since lunch, those nuts were fantastic!

Jake was waiting for me even though the plane got in early and we picked up my bag and got to his huge truck. When we got to his house, I had a bagel and cream cheese, took some naproxyn and had an excellent night’s sleep! I rested all day yesterday and today we are going to look at a couple of apartments. I have a list of six I researched before I came but this first one is one he researched for me which wasn’t on my list.

Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) English Poet

Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.

– Oscar Wilde

Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone. ~Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers}