Day 42: Fort Lauderdale to Seattle

March 16, 2015

As is normal for us, we woke up and started to get ready to leave lots earljer than really necessary. This was good as it allowed us to grab one of the very few carts available at this double priced motel, and to go stand by the shuttle 45 minutes before it was scheduled to go. We were soon joined by a family of ten people who had returned from a cruise, and who had the other cart plus general mountains of luggage.

Dodie lifts 50 pound bike cases, but will claim at the airline to be an invalid. I think I saw this in an old Jack Lemmon movie too. Dodie was in fact in a lot of pain but I was the main one needing kid glove handling. Only thing, being male, I will always try not to show it.

This United employee was very helpful and sympatbetic. In fact, they all were!

When I learned that the cruise had included Haiti, I was keen to learn what they had seen of the earthquake aftermath. "Oh no, they said, they had seen nothing, no "villagers", except a few who had set up souvenir stalls". Apparently they went only to an enclave wholly owned by the cruise company. That was their Haiti. They loved it. I guess it takes all sorts, but we see no reason to travel unless it is to learn about the place and people and to experience its human and natural environment.

Starting at the bottom with the surly, actually hostile, shuttle driver, we encountered quite a range of helpfulness in the people we encountered on the way to where we are now, waiting for our delayed flight to Houston. The split so far is exactly 50/50 across six major points of contact, like United check in, TSA screening, etc. Generally it is not that people are mean, they just lack patience for any sort of infirmity, unless you are actually in a wbeel chair. So from here on we will ride by wheelchair. That really rankles. I have never sat in a wheelchair!

They have just announced a flight to Montreal, in French. Dodie is crying.

Houston now. United (despite a poor record with guitars) has been great. They put us in seats with more room, and oriented so my broken wing would project toward Dodie, rather than toward the aisle or my neighbour. Then in Houston, an electric cart was waiting, and ferried us an immense distance to the right gate. I am happy, because e-assist is fine, just so it is not a wheelchair!

Dodie stuck in the wheelchair at the Houston departure gate, since it seems to be the ticket to ensure preboarding. I sat opposite, next to a lady discussing all sorts of personal topics on a cell phone and often leaning right over toward me. Most things in science and technology are done just because we can. But wow, did Steve Jobs ever throw a curve at society with this smart phone thing! I of course sat there "blogging" on my "tablet", so who am I to talk!

The electric cart moved effectively through the crowds. We really needed it since Dodie was too slow for the distance and I could not risk the bumping through the crowds.

Our driver explained some of his own issues, like people jumping onto the cart as it passed, and managing his list of who to pick up. Still he liked his job, especially the idea that the Houston airport would never go out of business and so lay him off.

Ardell, who we met last year on Grampies Go South lives near the Houston airport, and wrote to say she could come help there if needed.

Once on the ground in Seattle, another nice man conducted us to baggage and then to the curb, where Laurie was waiting. Laurie got right into tbe swing of things by ignoring my cries of "I can do it!" She also questioned whether Dodie would be fit to drive tomorrow. "Will you be able to shoulder check?", she asked. "What's that?", Dodie replied. "Oh, my God!", said the dismayed Laurie. (Dodie later asserted she just couldn't hear the question.)

There followed a lovely reunion with Avi and Violet, and Dave too. Avi and Violet got read a book we brought back about Manatees, and I told the story of the Saturn V launch. Dodie and Avi also compared elbow abrasions, and Avi had to concede that Dodie had a winning bruise!

Very helpful assist organized by United, at SeaTac

Kids try to simulate just how long a manatee might be.

Steve tells about the Saturn V launch. The blue portable speaker was a quick makeshift model of the Florida peninsula.

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