Wednesday morning, we got up at 5:00 and took a taxi to the airport at 5:30. After I checked my suitcase, I bade Harry farewell and went through security. Unfortunately, Lufthansa does not have a club at Madrid's Barajas Airport, so I just had to wait in the terminal. The good news is that it was relatively quiet. The flight to Frankfurt went well, and once there, I waited in the Lufthansa club - very modern and with plenty of food and drink.
The flight to Chicago was on a United Airlines plane. I slept some and worked some reviewing the Assessment of Prior Learning portfolios for Friday's Advanced Standing Committee. In Chicago, the longest wait was to access the four Global Entry machines (one was out of order), but once done there, it was basically walk through everything else in less than 20 minutes - I did remove my winter hat, scarf, gloves and a long sleeve tee shirt from my suitcase before rechecking it with United. TSA pre-check went fine, and then a working period in the United Club - I started working on my blog that I had not been able to do because of slow internet.
The flight to Burlington went well, except for one thing - my checked luggage did not arrive. It apparently had been sent to Albany, NY. I was very glad to have my toiletries, a change of underwear and socks, and my coat, gloves, winter hat and long sleeve Bridgette and Mike's. I got the shuttle bus to the Thrifty Rental car office, got my Chevy spark and then drove to the . Mike was still up, but I only chatted briefly with him as I had been up and traveling for 24 hours.
Thursday morning, I awoke to a couple of inches of fresh snow on my rental car - I fortunately remembered the South Burlington rules on overnight parking and had parked in the driveway. This worked out well as the plow came about 6:30.
Since my suitcase had not arrived and I did not know when or if it would arrive (since it went to Albany even though it clearly was marked for Burlington), I went shopping and bought a new suitcase, underwear, socks and a long sleeve shirt, and also a card and anniversary gift of Peche Imperiale for Bridgette and Mike. Their 16th Anniversary was Friday Feb. 6.
When I filed my lost luggage claim with United, it promised me an update every six hours on the search for my luggage. One came during the night and one while shopping.
I then went to the Red Cross for platelet donation. Everyone was glad to see me and asked about Dr. Ben - they all miss his visits to the pheresis center.
After dropping stuff off at Bridgette and Mike's, I ran some more errands and checked the United Website for lost luggage - it still showed as unable to find my luggage. This was strange, since last night it showed as going to Albany but then appeared to have disappeared into thin air. So I went by the airport and asked. Apparently some 90 bags had been sent to Albany and then trucked to Burlington - that is why they did not show up in the system. Had they been traveling on a plane, they would have been scanned and shown up online - but since they were on a truck, they were lost (or at least not found) according to the system. I got my suitcase and went back to Bridgette and Mike's. Even on Friday, the system was showing as still looking for my suitcase.
Thursday evening, we had late dinner at Bridgette and Mike's home and all was right with the world - I had my luggage, and I was spending a pleasant evening with my friends.
Friday morning, I drove to Montpelier. I visited briefly with my friend Erin. She had gone to high school with my son Ben, and after her masters degree, went to work for CCV in Winooski. For several years, she was the coordinator for classes that included my Constitution class there. She has since gone on to CCV Montpelier where I met her and we updated each other on family changes. I also got to visit with Valerie, the director of the External Degree Program through which I teach all of my JSC classes.
Beginning at 9:30, I was one of four faculty who had reviewed portfolios. Under the guidance of OEP director Gabrielle, we went through the eight portfolios and decided which (if any) credits to award to the adult students.
By the time we finished, it was snowing again so I decided not to go to Massachusetts to visit my brother Gary. He had been diagnosed with cancer in December, and I had hoped to visit him - but with snow and cold and a rental car, I canceled the visit and instead chatted with him on the phone. It was for the best - he had his first chemo session the day before and was starting to feel the side effects (I later found out that he had a rough weekend because of the chemo).
I went to Waterfront Dive Center for the 6:00 p.m. meeting for the Grand Cayman dive trip. Much to my surprise, I met Tom there - he is married to Mariah, daughter of our longtime friends Bob and Marianne - Tom is going on the trip with us. I had a chance to visit with our old friend and owner, Jonathan, as well as with Wade, the dive instructor who will be leading the trip (and who we know as a Burlington Police Officer).
Friday night, we went out for dinner to celebrate Mike and Bridgette's anniversary - it is hard to believe that Patty and I had been at their wedding 16 years ago. Time flies.
Saturday morning, I got up and shoveled the driveway and sidewalk, then went to the South Burlington Post Office to mail a package to Portland. While there, I met our friend James and chatted briefly with him. He had been in the Air National Guard with Ben and I had gotten to know him through his full time job at the post office. He has now retired from the guard and seems much happier - and he now sports a nice beard.
I retrieved all my stuff from Bridgette and Mike's, said my goodbyes and headed to the airport for my flights back to Phoenix. I had a nice lunch at the Skinny Pancake and comfortable flights back to AZ - and my luggage even made it with me.
The flight to Chicago was on a United Airlines plane. I slept some and worked some reviewing the Assessment of Prior Learning portfolios for Friday's Advanced Standing Committee. In Chicago, the longest wait was to access the four Global Entry machines (one was out of order), but once done there, it was basically walk through everything else in less than 20 minutes - I did remove my winter hat, scarf, gloves and a long sleeve tee shirt from my suitcase before rechecking it with United. TSA pre-check went fine, and then a working period in the United Club - I started working on my blog that I had not been able to do because of slow internet.
The flight to Burlington went well, except for one thing - my checked luggage did not arrive. It apparently had been sent to Albany, NY. I was very glad to have my toiletries, a change of underwear and socks, and my coat, gloves, winter hat and long sleeve Bridgette and Mike's. I got the shuttle bus to the Thrifty Rental car office, got my Chevy spark and then drove to the . Mike was still up, but I only chatted briefly with him as I had been up and traveling for 24 hours.
Thursday morning, I awoke to a couple of inches of fresh snow on my rental car - I fortunately remembered the South Burlington rules on overnight parking and had parked in the driveway. This worked out well as the plow came about 6:30.
Since my suitcase had not arrived and I did not know when or if it would arrive (since it went to Albany even though it clearly was marked for Burlington), I went shopping and bought a new suitcase, underwear, socks and a long sleeve shirt, and also a card and anniversary gift of Peche Imperiale for Bridgette and Mike. Their 16th Anniversary was Friday Feb. 6.
When I filed my lost luggage claim with United, it promised me an update every six hours on the search for my luggage. One came during the night and one while shopping.
I then went to the Red Cross for platelet donation. Everyone was glad to see me and asked about Dr. Ben - they all miss his visits to the pheresis center.
After dropping stuff off at Bridgette and Mike's, I ran some more errands and checked the United Website for lost luggage - it still showed as unable to find my luggage. This was strange, since last night it showed as going to Albany but then appeared to have disappeared into thin air. So I went by the airport and asked. Apparently some 90 bags had been sent to Albany and then trucked to Burlington - that is why they did not show up in the system. Had they been traveling on a plane, they would have been scanned and shown up online - but since they were on a truck, they were lost (or at least not found) according to the system. I got my suitcase and went back to Bridgette and Mike's. Even on Friday, the system was showing as still looking for my suitcase.
Thursday evening, we had late dinner at Bridgette and Mike's home and all was right with the world - I had my luggage, and I was spending a pleasant evening with my friends.
Friday morning, I drove to Montpelier. I visited briefly with my friend Erin. She had gone to high school with my son Ben, and after her masters degree, went to work for CCV in Winooski. For several years, she was the coordinator for classes that included my Constitution class there. She has since gone on to CCV Montpelier where I met her and we updated each other on family changes. I also got to visit with Valerie, the director of the External Degree Program through which I teach all of my JSC classes.
Beginning at 9:30, I was one of four faculty who had reviewed portfolios. Under the guidance of OEP director Gabrielle, we went through the eight portfolios and decided which (if any) credits to award to the adult students.
By the time we finished, it was snowing again so I decided not to go to Massachusetts to visit my brother Gary. He had been diagnosed with cancer in December, and I had hoped to visit him - but with snow and cold and a rental car, I canceled the visit and instead chatted with him on the phone. It was for the best - he had his first chemo session the day before and was starting to feel the side effects (I later found out that he had a rough weekend because of the chemo).
I went to Waterfront Dive Center for the 6:00 p.m. meeting for the Grand Cayman dive trip. Much to my surprise, I met Tom there - he is married to Mariah, daughter of our longtime friends Bob and Marianne - Tom is going on the trip with us. I had a chance to visit with our old friend and owner, Jonathan, as well as with Wade, the dive instructor who will be leading the trip (and who we know as a Burlington Police Officer).
Friday night, we went out for dinner to celebrate Mike and Bridgette's anniversary - it is hard to believe that Patty and I had been at their wedding 16 years ago. Time flies.
Saturday morning, I got up and shoveled the driveway and sidewalk, then went to the South Burlington Post Office to mail a package to Portland. While there, I met our friend James and chatted briefly with him. He had been in the Air National Guard with Ben and I had gotten to know him through his full time job at the post office. He has now retired from the guard and seems much happier - and he now sports a nice beard.
I retrieved all my stuff from Bridgette and Mike's, said my goodbyes and headed to the airport for my flights back to Phoenix. I had a nice lunch at the Skinny Pancake and comfortable flights back to AZ - and my luggage even made it with me.
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