Saturday, December 20, 2008

Safe At Home!

We got our boy home last night! Just barely. Thanks to his early TEE's, he was one step ahead of the evil blizzard that crippled travel in the Northeast, and hours ahead of his classmates, all of whom managed to make it out of West Point, only to become stranded at various area airports and other places.

Amazingly enough, even with all the snow and the scare and the delay, M's plane arrived in Austin ten minutes ahead of schedule. We, however, were lagging an hour late picking him up, due to the omnipresent traffic factor of life in the city. (How in the world do people manage to live with this sort of thing on an every day basis? Another rant for another time...)

I felt really bad about that, but as it turned out, there was no need to, because even though he was early, his suitcase was a no-show, and he spent the extra hour in the baggage claim office where he was next in line when we finally arrived at the airport. When we saw him through the office window, the Blue-Eyed Boy exclaimed, "Uncle M looks sharp, doesn't he?" And indeed he did! Out of the mouths of babes....

The baggage man said his suitcase was on the next plane, due into Austin in a couple of hours. They do not deliver stranded baggage as far away as we live, so would we like to wait, or would we like to pick it up later? We would like to do neither, thank you. Fortunately, M, seasoned traveler that he is, politely inquired if they could fly it to Killeen, and whaddya know, they could. Via Dallas. But that well-kept secret is not an option that is volunteered; as is so often the case, it pays to know the right ?'s. So. Providing the luggage actually was on that plane, and providing there was enough room for it on the next two planes, we should hear sometime today that it is waiting for us to pick it up at the airport.

Luckily, the suitcase doesn't contain anything immediately necessary. Just Christmas presents from West Point. Clotheswise, he brought none, but it happens that we have a closet full of clothes just his size, so no worries on that score ;-)

We had plans to go buy a Christmas tree this morning, but at almost noon, M is still sleeping away, and he may sleep the rest of the day away for all I know or care. He apparently has had very little sleep the last few days, so I will not be waking him up today. As for the Christmas tree, my Man will bring one home with him from work shortly.

Tonight we have plans for a Christmas carol party at a friend's house. I will feel compelled to wake him up by then, if he hasn't managed on his own, but meanwhile, M is safe at home, asleep in his own little bed ;-)

4 comments:

Mary said...

I'm so glad he got home ok! I hate traffic, too. That is one reason that I like living here in the upper midwest out in the middle of nowhere.

Speaking of the church there in Copperas Cove, I remember some Wamplers. We used to have potlucks at their Tablerock Ranch. And I remember a lady named Melissa Balusek. Who can forget a name like that?

The preacher there when we were a "cute young Army couple" was Jeff Stafford and his wife, Mary Lou. They have passed away. We got pretty close with them.

We only lived there 6 months, and then went on to ACU. A memory I have of the church there is when an Army officer's wife got caught smoking in the ladies' room! She was reprimanded, and the elders wanted her to "go forward" at the invitation and repent, and she was crying, because she didn't want to, because she saw nothing sinful about smoking, and she wouldn't "go forward". There was a big stink about that! Oh, the things one remembers.

We used to go to the city park with another "cute young Army couple" and said the other guy's toy remote-control boat in the pond and watch the little baby water mocassins' heads bobbing on the water!!!

P.S. You may delete this if you think there is too much personal info in it!

Mary said...

I meand "sail" the toy boat! Oh, yes, Killeen was a rough town back in the early '70's, and Copperas Cove was considered much nicer. Although, the street we lived on was somewhat of an Army ghetto. There were fights and drunkards hollering every night! Hope it is better now! (You can delete this, too, if you want.)

jlbo1981 said...

And the babes were nestled all snug in their beds......

sterling river said...

That is a great report of safe homecoming, and so good he was able to beat the storms.