Phoenix - coming home

Saturday, February 12, 2005...

I woke up before the alarm went off, which was a good thing. I snuck into the shower, trying to not wake up Becky quite yet. I wanted to be in and out before any of the others needed it but trying to be quiet when you have cats underfoot and really loud shower isn't easy! I knew we had to leave the apartment by 7:45 so we could take Glen to work before going to Denny's for breakfast. This meant I had to get all of my packing done right away. That wasn't a problem since I had rearranged quite a bit of it on Friday. It was just a matter of remembering that any sharp items had to be in checked luggage, not carry on. We made it out the door and I said a brief goodbye to Glen. I'll see him again because he's such a great person. I can't imagine him not being in my life! I was comfortable with him immediately upon meeting. I can't say that about a lot of people.

Denny's was pretty tasty. It sure was a ton of food! I knew I wouldn't eat it all. Despite breakfast and lunch being my main meals of the day, this was a LOT of food! We had plenty of time to spare after breakfast. We couldn't find a bookstore so Becky drove me around some neighborhoods to take pictures of cacti and other interesting sights. We couldn't tarry long however because she had a 10:30 appointment to get to after dropping me off at the terminal. She felt bad about not being able to stay with me, but that's okay. I understand! I have her a hug and said goodbye. I told her July will be here before she knows it and she'll be moving back to Iowa where I can see her more often...at least until I move.

Because of the thunderstorms the night before, the airport was having problems with delayed flights. They aren't used to that much precipitation! I saw several flooded golf courses on the way to the airport. The drainage ditches I had laughed at earlier were now full. Wow! The ground must not be able to soak up much. I did a little shopping in the gift shop before heading for the last security check. Wouldn't you know it? My flight to Denver ended up being delayed by an hour so we didn't leave until nearly 1:00 pm. It didn't hurt my connection any because I had left plenty of time in between flights. (Not having flown for 11 years, I wanted to make sure I could make it through security and find my way to the next gate without feeling the pressure of short layovers.) The last image of Phoenix that I could clearly see was Camelback Mountain as we taxied down the runway. I said a silent goodbye and settled back in my seat to prepared for the rush of liftoff. Arriving in Denver wasn't too bad. There was very little turbulence and the snow-capped mountains were just as beautiful as I remembered. I did a little more shopping in a Denver giftshop before heading to my next gate. I had to take the train to another Concourse again, but I knew where I was going this time! Once again, I shouldn't have rushed. My flight to Des Moines was delayed also! I knew there was a large storm system moving through Iowa and I was getting concerned about what time I'd finally make it home! I would still have to drive from Des Moines to my house, which is about two hours! We finally got onto the plane, for which I checked my carry-on bag. It was the smallest jet I'd seen yet and I knew there would be no room for my carry-on bag. I think I need a smaller carry-on. I didn't need half the stuff I had put in it. Oh well...trial and error, right? I was sitting next to a grumpy man whose family was across the aisle. I nearly offered to change seats with the Uni. of Iowa coach behind me so he could stretch his legs (there was a lot of room in front of me), but he was being an arrogant ass to everyone. I kept my mouth shut! The worst thing about that flight was the way it smelled like a nursing home. Pew! I tried not to be sick. There was also a lot more turbulence on this flight so the pilot told us we would have to go up to 37,000 feet to find some easier air space.

I was peering out my window, awed by the sight of the setting sun and its effects on the clouds below us. Shades of periwinkle, pink and peach...it looks so soothing and peaceful. I grabbed my camera to take pictures but the light faded too quickly. I looked ahead of us to see if there would be any other interesting things to take a picture of, since I did have it out now. There was a dark strip of midnight blue right above the horizon. It contrasted sharply with the lighter blue of the rest of the sky and I couldn't help but wonder what made that effect. I couldn't believe we'd go from light to dark so quickly. I felt like a kid with her nose pressed to the window as we continued on. Very soon we seemed to be in some cloud cover and I realized we were beginning our descent. It didn't seem like it was quite time for that yet, but I forget how much distance we have to descend before landing. Of course, as we descended the turbulence increased. I couldn't write for much longer and had to put my pen and paper away. I sat back to enjoy the ride and soon the lights of Des Moines appeared, shining brightly in the full darkness of evening. It looked like one of those christmas nets full of lights that are tossed over bushes. Incredible!

It took less than 10 minutes to get out of the plane, find my luggage and catch the shuttle to my parking lot. Fortunately all of the snow had melted off of my truck so I had no cleaning to do. Woohoo! I checked out and headed towards a gas station to fill up and grab some coffee. Now, I don't go to Des Moines too often...and ironically I found myself on the road of some of my favorite stores. As I drove along, I saw one of those stores open and couldn't resist the opportunity. I only spent a little bit in there...okay, okay, you got it out of me...I bought several things. Considering I didn't spend much on myself in Phoenix, I figured I was okay to splurge a bit. I finally left Des Moines at 8:30, got home at 10:30 and promptly unpacked before collapsing into bed.