I'm writing from the President's Club lounge in Denver International Airport's A Terminal, awaiting departure of Lufthansa Flight 447 to Frankfurt. We've made it through security, but not without extra scrutiny over the wifi antennae in my carry on. It was too big to fit into one of the four boxes we checked on, each weighing in just a smidge under the 23 kilograms allowed per bag by Lufthansa, so it ended up in my carry on. Seems the TSA agents had never seen one before. Emily waited patiently just in case any items were bounced by TSA. We blew kisses and waved goodbye once cleared through.
The last couple of days have been a whirlwind. One hundred souls made a lively scene at the "3 for 1 Recession Special" party Saturday evening. Kevin and Claudia were fabulous hosts for the Bon Voyage/B-day celebration (our trip, plus Kevin & Claudia's Alaska cruise, plus Kevin's silver anniversary of his 29th birthday). Loads of drink and merrymaking, a thunderclap dinner bell, and a Socka music dancefest by the late crowd highlighted the evening. So many good wishes expressed by so many good friends made it a send off to be remembered. Oh What a Night!
Jocelyn and I crashed in an alcoholic haze (or perhaps I should just speak for myself) around midnight, but managed to respond to a 5 am alarm setting the day in motion. We loaded Maya and blasted up to Guanella Pass for a final dose of Rocky Mountain High before leaving for sea level. The morning was clear and bright as we started up the trail, Bierstadt swathed in snow above 12,000 feet. Several other peak baggers ambled along with us as we slowly ascended. Jocelyn befriended two CU coeds who acknowledged that this was their first attempt at summiting a 14er too. This little bit of sorority lifted Jocelyn's spirits as she hit a wall or two during the ascent. She donned her "yak traks," mini rubberized crampons to help her footing, when we hit the snow. By 11 a.m., we were on the summit of Mt. Bierstadt, Jocelyn's first 14er summit (and Maya's!). Clouds thickened and snow showers blew in, hastening our descent, which included some glissading down the snow fields. By the end, Jocelyn experienced all the joys of mountaineering, including altitude sickness, fatigue, and sore feet, all more than compensated by the exhiliration of the summit.
Back in town by 3:30 p.m., we stopped at Barnes & Noble to pick up a present for Kevin. His actual birthday is June 14th. In conversation, Jocelyn learned Kevin had never read the Diary of Anne Frank. He and Claudia are visiting a friend in Amsterdam later this summer, so the topic came up. So we bought him the book as a gift. We dropped it off at Kevin's and said goodbye one more time while picking up some party supplies. We also helped Claudia return a few items neighbors had loaned her for the party.
Finally home (exhausted!), we set ourselves to final preparations before departure. My main task was to mothball the Prius. This involved changing the oil & filter, inflating the tires, filling the tank and adding fuel stabilizer, and disconnecting the 12V starting battery in the trunk. I also washed the outside of the car and cleaned the inside. Then I parked it in the Weatherport and put a car cover on it.
Also on the car front is the small problem of the "Check Engine" light on the Taurus. Murphy being who he is, this "idiot light" always comes on when you can least deal with it. I learned from Kevin this week that Auto Zone will scope your computer chip for free. So Emily and I stopped by the neighborhood Auto Zone before the Bon Voyage party on Saturday for the test. The failing code indicated that the first cylinder was misfiring. The store clerk said that it could be for any number of reasons. I had noticed that the engine was running a bit rough at idle, especially when cold, so this diagnosis confirmed my suspicions. I instructed Emily to take the car to Gary at Wheat Ridge Auto for a tune up before she leaves for Utah. (She is invited to my sister's annual bash at her ranch outside Park City in July.)
A few final chores, and we retired for the evening.
The next day -- Departure Day -- dawned clear and mild. Jocelyn set off for a nice breakfast hosted by Daryl and Marianne, her most important clients for her accounting business. I handled a few final matters associated with my dad's affairs before finalizing the packing and loading the car. I made my goodbyes to Maya. Sarah dropped by to wish us well, and we all had a "family hug" before driving away at 12:43 p.m.
Our first stop was to the Walgreens to make sure the HSA debit card worked. Emily will need it to by malaria pills for her South America trip. We then headed downtown to a barber recommended by Shawn Fowler. I decided to get a "Shawn Fowler Special" haircut in honor of Daddy Jack. I also call it the Daddy Jack Memorial haircut. This in honor of the haircuts he used to give me with the dog clippers in our basement at 221 Gulf Creek Road, Radnor, PA, when I was between 3 and 10 years old. The haircut also simulates the buzz he must have gotten when he signed up as a Naval Aviator more than 50 years ago. It turned out that Shawn's barber was booked until 2:30 p.m., so we found a Great Clips on the 16th Street Mall. My stylist's name was Candy. She was a large, well painted, tattooed lady who seeme competent enough. While I waited a few minutes, the guy in front of me sat down in the chair served by Candy's associate and requested a buzz. So when Candy asked me what I wanted, I said, "A cut just like his." She said, "A Number One?" I said, "Yes., Number One." She then asked five times, "Are you sure?" and I said. "Yes" each time. Candy then proceeded to cut off all my hair with her clippers, with Emily photodocumenting the entire process.
We've made it to the Frankfurt airport and must now catch our connecting flight. More later...
The last couple of days have been a whirlwind. One hundred souls made a lively scene at the "3 for 1 Recession Special" party Saturday evening. Kevin and Claudia were fabulous hosts for the Bon Voyage/B-day celebration (our trip, plus Kevin & Claudia's Alaska cruise, plus Kevin's silver anniversary of his 29th birthday). Loads of drink and merrymaking, a thunderclap dinner bell, and a Socka music dancefest by the late crowd highlighted the evening. So many good wishes expressed by so many good friends made it a send off to be remembered. Oh What a Night!
Jocelyn and I crashed in an alcoholic haze (or perhaps I should just speak for myself) around midnight, but managed to respond to a 5 am alarm setting the day in motion. We loaded Maya and blasted up to Guanella Pass for a final dose of Rocky Mountain High before leaving for sea level. The morning was clear and bright as we started up the trail, Bierstadt swathed in snow above 12,000 feet. Several other peak baggers ambled along with us as we slowly ascended. Jocelyn befriended two CU coeds who acknowledged that this was their first attempt at summiting a 14er too. This little bit of sorority lifted Jocelyn's spirits as she hit a wall or two during the ascent. She donned her "yak traks," mini rubberized crampons to help her footing, when we hit the snow. By 11 a.m., we were on the summit of Mt. Bierstadt, Jocelyn's first 14er summit (and Maya's!). Clouds thickened and snow showers blew in, hastening our descent, which included some glissading down the snow fields. By the end, Jocelyn experienced all the joys of mountaineering, including altitude sickness, fatigue, and sore feet, all more than compensated by the exhiliration of the summit.
Back in town by 3:30 p.m., we stopped at Barnes & Noble to pick up a present for Kevin. His actual birthday is June 14th. In conversation, Jocelyn learned Kevin had never read the Diary of Anne Frank. He and Claudia are visiting a friend in Amsterdam later this summer, so the topic came up. So we bought him the book as a gift. We dropped it off at Kevin's and said goodbye one more time while picking up some party supplies. We also helped Claudia return a few items neighbors had loaned her for the party.
Finally home (exhausted!), we set ourselves to final preparations before departure. My main task was to mothball the Prius. This involved changing the oil & filter, inflating the tires, filling the tank and adding fuel stabilizer, and disconnecting the 12V starting battery in the trunk. I also washed the outside of the car and cleaned the inside. Then I parked it in the Weatherport and put a car cover on it.
Also on the car front is the small problem of the "Check Engine" light on the Taurus. Murphy being who he is, this "idiot light" always comes on when you can least deal with it. I learned from Kevin this week that Auto Zone will scope your computer chip for free. So Emily and I stopped by the neighborhood Auto Zone before the Bon Voyage party on Saturday for the test. The failing code indicated that the first cylinder was misfiring. The store clerk said that it could be for any number of reasons. I had noticed that the engine was running a bit rough at idle, especially when cold, so this diagnosis confirmed my suspicions. I instructed Emily to take the car to Gary at Wheat Ridge Auto for a tune up before she leaves for Utah. (She is invited to my sister's annual bash at her ranch outside Park City in July.)
A few final chores, and we retired for the evening.
The next day -- Departure Day -- dawned clear and mild. Jocelyn set off for a nice breakfast hosted by Daryl and Marianne, her most important clients for her accounting business. I handled a few final matters associated with my dad's affairs before finalizing the packing and loading the car. I made my goodbyes to Maya. Sarah dropped by to wish us well, and we all had a "family hug" before driving away at 12:43 p.m.
Our first stop was to the Walgreens to make sure the HSA debit card worked. Emily will need it to by malaria pills for her South America trip. We then headed downtown to a barber recommended by Shawn Fowler. I decided to get a "Shawn Fowler Special" haircut in honor of Daddy Jack. I also call it the Daddy Jack Memorial haircut. This in honor of the haircuts he used to give me with the dog clippers in our basement at 221 Gulf Creek Road, Radnor, PA, when I was between 3 and 10 years old. The haircut also simulates the buzz he must have gotten when he signed up as a Naval Aviator more than 50 years ago. It turned out that Shawn's barber was booked until 2:30 p.m., so we found a Great Clips on the 16th Street Mall. My stylist's name was Candy. She was a large, well painted, tattooed lady who seeme competent enough. While I waited a few minutes, the guy in front of me sat down in the chair served by Candy's associate and requested a buzz. So when Candy asked me what I wanted, I said, "A cut just like his." She said, "A Number One?" I said, "Yes., Number One." She then asked five times, "Are you sure?" and I said. "Yes" each time. Candy then proceeded to cut off all my hair with her clippers, with Emily photodocumenting the entire process.
We've made it to the Frankfurt airport and must now catch our connecting flight. More later...
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