On The Road, Again

I'm on my way to Chicago for Little Cuter's bridal shower.  My-friends-who-love-her are putting it on; all we have to do is show up and smile.  I have a new dress.  It's one part of the wedding planning over which I don't have to stress.  Collecting the addresses for the invitations was onerous enough.  

We are under the 100-days-til-it-happens mark, and there's a greater sense of urgency to the planning.  There are more vegetables to be tasted and desserts to be considered and I have a few tricks up my sleeve that require some attention.  It's hard to keep smiling when the bride is hundreds of miles away.  

We are rectifying that situation this weekend.  

I didn't even check the weather in Chicago.  I packed 4 sun dresses in addition to my fancy-schmancy outfit and a pair of shorts and a top or two. Somehow, what should have fit into a cloth bag which hung off my shoulder morphed into a roller bag.... albeit one without the expansion zippers unfurled.  Shoes and toiletries seem to take up more and more space as I age.  Of course, my usual summer footwear would be flipflops.  My damaged self won't allow that as an option; sneakers are much bulkier.

I've gotten over feeling foolish wearing my Chucks with my dresses.  I just mutter to myself that I make these things look good as I admire my reflection in the mirror.  Little Cuter will smile and repeat my favorite saying: Mom, the world needs more people like you!  I don't know how my brain accepted the change, but it has.

Still, leaving my cute white heels on the shelf in the closet tugged just a bit at my heartstrings.

My cell phone has but one bar left and the charger is sitting at home.  So is the USB cord which would allow me to illustrate this post with the pictures I began to take before I realized my gaffe.  I wanted to show you the workstation that Southwest Airlines has installed right by my gate, the restrooms, the bar and the coffee shop.  Nellie the Netbook is plugged in and charging as I type this to you; would that I could do the same with my phone.

I didn't bring any written materials with me.  I brought the Kindle.  I have a book or two downloaded onto it already, and when I'm finished with you I'll be exploring some more to download.  I am peeved that I'll have to turn it off during takeoff and landing, but I'll be eating my chicken leftovers and trying to distract myself with profound thoughts on the ACA.... will it ever be anything but ObamaCare?.... and wouldn't FDR love it if Social Security were called RooseveltSecurity?

We encountered every slow and stupid driver in the metropolitan Tucson area as TBG drove me down to the airport.  We stopped at UMC to pick up my last x-ray so that the physiatrist at RIC can see my insides as well as my outsides. I still arrived at my gate 1 hour and 53 minutes before take-off.

Plenty of time to type this post, to fill my water bottle, and to contemplate a beer before flying.  

I'll have midwestern details for you on Monday.