We drove to Houston Tuesday evening and slept at my sister Carol’s. The Super Shuttle arrived at 11:25 Wed morn and swept us to Bush Airport, where we checked in and experienced the usual injections, inspections, detections, infections, neglections, and selections. With plenty of time until our 3:45 take-off, we enjoyed a healthy lunch of turkey sandwiches and wraps, filled our water bottles, and sat watching others gathering for the flight.
We got aboard just fine and on time, but spent a full hour waiting on the runway while more than a dozen other Continental jets preceded ours. At last came that great rush of lift-off, and up we soared, banking northeast across Texas. The route followed the mighty Mississippi for a good while, and, sitting next to windows on the 777’s left side, I could see barges making their slow way in the wide stream. We were about seven miles up and cruising at 600 mph. As evening wore on, the sun got lower and then disappeared, but the horizon never got completely dark.
Before clouds covered the far North Atlantic, I could perceive a distinctively round bay someplace below, but it will take some serious Google map searching to identify it. Between our yummy meal and beer-driven trips to the terlet, I watched Kill Bill one and two, which were hilariously violent. We both may have dozed a bit, but at some dramatic point, the sun was showing itself again from the direction we trended.
Comments
Hey guys—are we there yet? I’m living vicariously…thanks for the ride! Melinda
Hey! Can’t wait to read more! I’ll be there soon—just started making reservations, but we’re going to wing it after Bath. In the last two weeks, we will be in Scotland with friends. So, do you have a packing list that you can email me? How many suitcases didya haul? What’s the weather like? Too bad we won’t be crossing paths…
To Monica about packing: We packed very lightly with only a carry-on and small daypack. Five shirts (long and short sleeve), three pairs pants, undies and socks, one skirt, one scarf for instant respectability, some long underwear to use for jammies or undershirts on cold days (cool here—no need for tank tops or shorts), fleecy jacket, raincoat, good walking shoes (I brought sandals but haven’t used them yet). Wished I had slippers—the floors are cold here for lounging about in the mornings, a smashable sun hat . . . wish I had a beret. Am loving my smartwool socks. Undershirts are wonderful. I will ask Howie to post the packing list he found online.