Seattle Trip, Part Two

My sister drove over from Springfield, IL, a day ahead of time to accompany me on our adventure to Seattle.  She packed and re-packed, having not flown since before 9/11, and hardly knowing what to take because the climate in the Pacific Northwest is...well...just different from the Midwest.

The first leg of our flight was to leave for Chicago Midway at 7:00 AM, which meant that we needed to be at the airport by 5:30 AM.  Ugh!  I had booked a cab, but my neighbor volunteered to take us in my vehicle since he claims he is always up by 4:00.  Fred calls himself my nosy neighbor.  He and his wife have lived in their house across the street for far longer than I have lived here.  He has a key to my house and does so many little things to help me out...and this was one of them.  Saved us close to $30 in cab fare and tip!  We only live 10 minutes from the airport.

Fred was on time.  He dropped us off at the curbside check-in for Southwest Airlines and drove off. The Skycap took one look at our itinerary and said he had to take us inside to the ticket counter.  I was confused because that hadn't happened to me before.  After the fact, he informed us that Midway Airport was closed due to bad weather in Chicago.  We were re-ticketed for Kansas City, which wouldn't leave for quite awhile.  That meant that, instead of arriving in Seattle before noon, we would get there late-afternoon.  It also meant that we didn't have to arrive at the airport so blasted early in the morning!

The rest of the trip went without a hitch.  Our baggage arrived in Seattle with us.  We had no problems with security.  And when we touched down, my family was there to meet us at the baggage claim area to take us home to their house in Bothell, WA.

Of course, our bodies were still on Midwest time.  Megan (my daughter) knew we would be hungry since their clock didn't say the same time that our stomachs did, so she had a spread of hors-d'oeuvres, from shrimp cocktail to crackers and spread, nuts, snacks--you name it.  And then we had an early supper of hot soup that was just what the doctor ordered.

Meg and Den had also thought of every detail in setting up a room for my sister and I.  Our bedroom was actually what would normally be the living room--the first room in the house when you enter the front door.  They had brought down my grandson's single bed with brand new bed linens and had made up the futon for me.  They had put the TV and clock up high where both Shari and I could see it and arranged a table for us to have back-to-back computers, and two night stands together for our matching nebulizers.  There were boxes of tissues everywhere and surfaces on which to put our luggage.  They had a matching Christmas stocking with Shari's name embroidered on it hanging from their mantel.  (I already had one.)  There was even a Santa Claus candy dish with candy in it and tissue boxes scattered all around for my miserable nose!!  It was all just really special and showed how very much work they had done just to provide for two old ladies who would reside with them for 15 days!

To be honest, I had worried for weeks that Shari would not be able to sleep well in the same room with me because I don't sleep well...and I snore...and need the TV on all night.  If I can believe what she says, that never became a problem.  She says she slept very well and was never bothered....nor was I...with our differing sleep patterns.  It worked out.  Hallelujah!