Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Good thing I listen to my husband even though I hate how strictly rigid, organized and anal he can be, these qualities can be a GODSEND to the laidback softer side of me. We are a push and pull kind of couple. I might be too relaxed for him, he might be too busy for me but we really do balance eachother out. He pushes on me to be quicker and more alert (and I really thought I was til I met him). I pull on him to calm him down and see silver linings. I keep telling him his negativity is going to be the death of our marriage. He smiles, squeezes my hand and tells me he loves me and is glad I am a positive person.

Anyway, good thing I listen to him. He is pretty anal about his traveling. He has to be, he travels weekly and he has it down to a science. He can be in 3 different places in one week. He needs to know exactly what he has, where he is going and how many minutes he has in between. I HATE it! But I ADMIRE him for his ability to be thorough, responsible and punctual. He is early for everything, I'm usually late but together we are right ON TIME.

Today of all days was a great time for me to decide to follow his advice. He always allows himself at least an extra 30 to 60 minutes when getting to a flight. If he knows he has to be gone by 11:30 he will plan to be gone by 10:45, 11:00 at the latest. So he is off and running by 10:50 lets say. He gets to the airport and if I can't take him he parks in the short term lot. He parks as close to the terminal as he can. If he has just missed the most recent shuttle bus he turns toward the terminal check ins and carry ons in tow and he hoofs it all the way in! CRAZINESS I say! I'd wait for the next shuttle. It WILL be by in less than 5 minutes. My dude hoofs it in. Checks in through the "medallion" line cuz he is this crazy frequent traveler. They get him right through.

There are two lines to get in at security. Have you noticed the one line on the left is always a cattle call line? The one on the right is bascially empty just looking like a ghost town? Well, my guy steps to the right and walks past the cattle line. He steps through, gets screened and here is where I think it gets funny and he could just do without this part. He gets slowed down in his travel ritual right here, or at least he used to. For years he has worn thease steel toed shoes. Looking at them you'd never guess it but he has had some crushed toes in his life time and these shoes are wise to have in his line of work. Before he discovered NEVADOS he wore these shoes. Since 9-11 they come off and go through their own screening process, the steel would get detected and 9 times out of 10 he would get pulled to the side and physcially searched even though physically walking through the screening his body produced no bells or whistles. Those steel toed shoes are flagged as suspicious therefore he must be up to something!

After this slow down he races on to the crown room where the high and mighties like him can find a clean toilet, sit in a nice comfy chair, read a paper, browse e-mail, check fantasy soccer and cricket scores all while having a cup of coffee. Even doing these things he rushes through every second of his 30 minutes he has allowed himself to be there. He gets up in enough time to stand at his gate for about 5 minutes then with his medallion status he boards the flight first. Sits in his seat and hopefully no one is next to him - he has such long legs (for which he once got himself deported from BRAZIL for causing an inflight disturbance no lie, not kidding, another story to tell). He sets himself up with his papers and reports and enjoys his flight.

Oohhh but wait the story isn't over yet, because this is about MY trip to the airport, not his. I left home at his customary 30 or more minutes early - er - no - wait, I meant to and I was ready to go out the door. I pass through the kitchen with my bags to go through the garage to get to my car and what do my eyes see? I had just spent all morning checking and rechecking that I had everything I needed and wanted for my little trip to visit my sister. I had to see the cats (2) food and water dish was empty. The girls had forgotten to feed the kitties. So - hands full I run out the door and deposit the milk bottle in the box, garbage in the trash bin, get my luggage in the car and warm it up. I notice the porch light is still on as well. I then run back into the house and be the good and graceous mommy and animal owner that I am and grab the kitty food. I spill half of the kitty food in the water and I think, would I still drink my water with my dinner spilled into it? NO so I pick it all up and clean it all out and set clean and tidy dishes back on the floor, race to the front room to flip off the porch light and head to the back door once again. I stop for a "potty check" Thank heavens for mothers who taught us to do potty checks at the door instead of halfway down the road!

I finally get to my truck and my neighbor, whom I dearly love and rarely have time to sit down and have those long girlfriend chats with, comes up to my window, I'm thinking, "darn! I haven't chatted with her in....forever!....I would so love to talk with her right now but as it is I'm behind my husbands schedule." I decide we need to have a short exchange before I rush off meanwhie my brain is shouting, "TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK!" Crap! If I didn't just love those kitties! I told her I was on my way to the airport and I'd get back to her when I returned.

So here I go, when I started out I had an extra 10 minutes on top of that 30 now where did it go? Had to stop off at Starbucks, they are closing soon so I toast their closure nearly daily. I mean come on! They have fed my addictions for a while, whats a few more days gonna hurt? Their leaving is bittersweet so I get my drink and who can have a drink without a sweet? Not me. this is all coming to an end soon, really, PROMISE. Then I stop at a local drug store for some contact solution that is flight legal. I walk to the back having no idea where I am going. I see two barely out of highschool teenagers and ask first if they work here - cuz they were sitting on the floor playing with the make up (typical?) I then ask where the mini-travel items and contact solutions are stocked. They take me down an isle for personal hygiene then another isle for baby items. My mind is again shouting, "TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK!" I do mention that I need to get on my way to the airport and one young lady on the edge of hysteria admits she's new here and "doesn't know where anything but the make up is". So I go down a main cross isle in search of my item while she runs off to find someone with knowledge. Then a "seasoned" employyee comes walking around the corner and guides me to the contact solution and gesturing tells me where the travel items are. AH HA! travel size solution staring me in the face. I snap it up and follow the employee to the cash register. Solution in hand I get back in the truck and head for the freeway. Looks like I'm nearly on my own regualr schedule instead of my husbands by now. I think I've got 10 minutes before I slide past "on time". If I could just hurry on down the freeway now.

It takes about 35 minutes to get to the airport from my house. I am hoping to zoom back into "early" status. Ten minutes down the road those hopes were dashed so to speak. I realize that the traffic is suddenly slowing down. I'm thinking, "tick tock, tick tock, I can't have this right now! Wonder where the accident is?" As the freeway widens for a passenger lane some of the traffic is able to move thorugh. Finally I see this baracade of moving vehicles with flashing lights. It's not an accident, some huge monstrocity is creeping down the freeway and I'm behind the darn thing! What the heck is that thing? From my point of view it looked like a half a house was moving its way down the freeway at 20 mph. Davis County's finest surrounding it. I got closer and used my cell phone to take a picture. It wasn't half a house, it was a bucket that looked like half a house. It goes on one of those huge dump truck or digger thingys (what's the right term here?) that is the size my house. I was in awe at the size of the thing, to imagine the size of vehicle this thing fits on! BRAIN is back again shouting TICK TOCK but I have nowhere to go that would take me directly to the airport. I didn't have time to get off the freeway and go through the maze of cities ahead to find it. So I found a good spot and slowly followed. I kept thinking, "any exit now and it will be out of my way." The entourage kept taking all the exits I needed to take to get to my destination. "Hmm? do I really need to go on this trip? will my sister forgive me for missing my flight, will my nephew forgive me for missing his last home game? after all this is the real reason I'm going. Is this trip doomed? Should I just get off at the next exit and go home and make the necessary phone calls?.........NO! I will keep going until the gate is closed" So I patiently followed. I clicked on the radio and who do you know is singing to me? my favorite band of all time. RASCAL FLATTS. I love these guys! I'd really like to go to one of their concerts. I've never been to this kind of concert before. I had planned on being at the next one next time they came into town. But guess when that next concert is? TONIGHT! Wonder if my nephew will appreciate the magnitude of of this sacrifice? When I could be staying home and playing in my own back yard I plan a trip to play in his. Nope! he is a teenager.

The digger/shovel/bucket thingy-ma-bob finally exits off at the divide of the freeway and the airport exit. It goes left and I go right. I pull into a full parking lot and am guided to the far end for "additional parking". I quickly steer my way back to the aera where my dear hubby likes to park. (The things I do for him!) As I drive I notice the place really is FULL. is there really going to be a spot for him on his favorite row?I finally arrive at the lane he favors and there 3 spaces down a glorified empty spot waiting just for my dear hubby's truck. YEAH!!! my heart lept. Maybe there is hope for this trip after all?

I was getting out of the truck when I realized I was missing the shuttle. TICK TOCK. Stupid me, I turned to look at the terminal. NOPE! not hoofing it! I went to the shuttle stop and wouldn't you know it, another shuttle hardly one minute behind the last one. Once inside the airport I was able to step right up to a kiosk to print out my ticket. I hurried upstairs and there are those TWO lanes. Which to take? the cattle line or the medalion? Knowing better I stepped into the cattle line behind the miles of people ahead of me. I do get to go through the medalion line when I'm with the frequent flier but he wasnt by my side right now. In fact he had just arrived into town and was on the other side of security waiting for me to tell him where his truck is parked. With every step I hesitate to move forward and get lost in the sea of cattle. The medalion line was completely empty ...just calling for someone to walk through. I look back, no one is coming. Behind me people are stepping into line already. I have at least 20 minutes before I can even get to take off my shoes at security for screening. (yes, I wear NEVADOS, those slip on suede shoes, I love em) I kept looking between the two lines. " Do I really have time for this?" I turned to see if anyone was coming. I ducked under the partition rope, "yes! I jumped lanes" and decided I WAS a medalion! I walked right up to the front of the line, got my ticket and ID checked and thought I was homefree! Nope! They had to check a machine I was carrying but they got it back to me before I had my shoes back on and carryon back in order. SWEET! I turn around there is my GUY! Hugs and kisses later he takes me into the crown room to freshen up then before we part ways I tell him where his truck is parked and what the girls have been up to and kiss him goodbye. How fun was that? A secret rendavous with the hubby at the airport? It felt almost scandalous~! =0)

I rushed off to my gate which was at the furthest part of the airport from the front entrance that you can get. I stopped to pick up a bottle of water and a bagel and made it to the gate with 12 minutes before boarding call. YES! I love my husband AND all his craziness! His middle name should be tick tock!