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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Trailing Spouse Leaves Freezing Tallahassee for Even Colder Boston

After 10 freezing nights in Tallahassee - the Trailing Spouse has a chance to get out of town. The American Library Association convention is in Boston - and Lulu invited me along to share in the festivities. So with camera - computer and iphone in hand - we took a cab to the airport this morning at 10 AM for a flight to an even colder place. We will spend the next 8 days in Beantown with a couple of excursions to Providence to see grandson Jack.
Tallahassee Airport was dead - no one was in line to go through the security tunnel. I was looking forward to being patted down but no luck - the agents were to busy gabbing. I did forget to take my shoes off though and they sent me through again. They also enjoy grabbing my CPAP machine and swabbing it for bomb dander. It reminds me of the time I took a large wet cell battery on board the plane to London to power my machine on the all night flight. The guy said he never saw one before - but let is go through.
The plane taxied out to take-off - only to be called back because the radar was down in Atlanta. All incoming flights were sent back to the gate. In Tallahassee they means our one and only plane. Looks like we would miss our Atlanta connection. After a half hour later - the radar was back on. We were "number 1" in line for takeoff - the pilot did not even stop at the end of the runway - a U turn would do.
In Atlanta - we missed our plane to Boston by 5 minutes - luckily there was another flight in one hour and they already booked us onto it. After a quick lunch - we were called to the ticket counter to find out that we were being upgraded to first class - well at least one of us. The lady said, "Which one?" Since I think first class is a silly snobby thing to have - I gave it to Lulu. I would happily ride in the back. For a $50 discount - I would ride with the luggage. Since the plane was full - I offered my seat up for a "bump." No luck - I was going to be in row 29 and Lulu would be in Row 2. Finally - when they called up zones - as I passed the scanner - it gave me a first class seats too - Row 1! So we were both in first class and I would get to Boston 3 feet before Lulu.
Lulu couldn't let me out of her sight - because in the plane she arranged the seat next to her for me. We could spoon our way to Boston. It would have been a neat story to tell - Lulu being upgraded to first class and me getting bumped off the flight for cash - but that turned out to be half right.
I have no set agenda in Boston. I plan to visit museums - historic spots - and enjoy the people. Maybe I will sneak into a class at Harvard and I can add that to my resume. My main objective is to get to see Jack. Jack goes to a local school - and we tease Drew and Robin that he has a New England accent. I'll get to compare Jack's accent to the locals.
We're staying at the Weston Hotel in downtown next to the convention center. According to their web page - Boston offers a $15 pass that works on the trains - subways - and buses. I plan to get my money's worth. Also - Drew's condo in Providence is close to the train station downtown. With a little luck the trip will be an hour - door to door.
Lulu has been busy. She just got back from 5 days in Washington on Sunday - and after two nights in her own bed - it is 8 days on New England. But this time it will be different - I am trailing along to carry her bags.

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