Monday - Kingsland GA to Frederick MD

What a day yesterday was...what a long haul up the coast...but I had two great breaks, first with Kelvin, Karen, Tom, and Billy in Fayetteville, NC. Then I forged on to Fairfax, VA where I had dinner with Tim Metzinger and his wife and adorable child.

The actual driving - from 6:oo am to 11:00 pm was a grind and much of the way was boring.

Here are a couple of fuzzy pictures of Kelvin, Kim, Karen and Haley (the dog) and Billy, Kim, Tom, Haley, and Kelvin.....

Losing the "Ball and Chain"

I dropped Flippy off at the airport about 1:30 p.m. today. I was surprised at the wave of emotion I felt as I pulled away from the curb. I didn't just cry, I actually sobbed. I guess I really like that guy after all...I was looking forward to feeling "untethered" - but I didn't realize I was going to feel "unanchored" and somewhat adrift. It will be almost two weeks before I see him again.

I wanted to take this time off from my real life...so we'll see what I discover as I journey up the coast.

I had dinner tonight with Frank Brown. We had very delicious fish at a local fish restaurant in Jacksonville and a very nice visit. I was on the road again by 6:30-on my way to Kingsland, GA where I am staying the night.

Tomorrow I have a long drive to Fayetteville, NC to meet Kelvin and his wife Karen, Tom Sisk, and Bill Janke. We'll be having lunch, then I'm hurrying to Fairfax, VA to have dinner with the Metzingers. Lot of eating going on.

First song on the iPod after I dropped Phil at the airport was Secret Garden by Bruce Springsteen. Reminded me of how much I've kept inside for such a long time. I do that not to deprive the people around me of my thoughts and feelings...it isn't that at all. It is more the feeling that I don't really NEED to share them in order to enjoy them. I am happy to just have that as my own. Expression makes me vulnerable - once you put that stuff out there it is subject to manipulation and discussion and who knows what else...thus, I keep it all inside where it's safe and simple.

...She'll lead you down a path
There'll be tenderness in the air
She'll let you come just far enough
So you know she's really there
She'll look at you and smile
And her eyes will say
She's got a secret garden
Where everything you want
Where everything you need
Will always stay a million miles away,

I gotta' work on that part of my life......I love you, Phil. ; )

The Wedding Weekend

This post is for my mother. She will want to see pictures of Mike and Mena and the boys...and hear all about the wedding.

Friday night we went to the rehearsal dinner at a brew pub right on the water in downtown Jacksonville. Mena looked fabulous! Here are a few pictures....this is Mena with Jake and Molly, the groom and bride. And this is a better picture of Mena. Since Jake is in the Navy, Mena had a cake made in the shape of a submarine...his is the USS Georgia. This is a picture of the cake with Flippy and Jake and my flash in the mirror.

...the other pictures from the rehearsal dinner are of John and Frank Granatino with their cousin Katie Wiltrout...then of Mike and Mena when they were talking about Jake. Mike cried and Mena didn't. They're pretty proud of him. There is also a picture of Mena with Vince Granatino, their youngest who somehow is old enough to be a freshman in college. Amazing.

I remember the time Phil and I went up to dinner at Mike and Mena's and Vincent took two sticks of butter off of the counter and unwrapped it behind the sofa. My job was to scrape the fuzz off of the butter so we could use it for dinner...they were a wild bunch.

The rest of these pictures are from the wedding - Flippy and me and Mena and me...and my wedding shoes...so cute!!

Thursday - Day one of the "Prequel"

Phil and I left Westwood at about 7:30 a.m. and headed south. We chose the "scenic" route, which turned out to be a great choice because it enabled us to meet Jim Rice (N3368K on the PB) in Memphis. He directed us to his office and we walked a few blocks to the Peabody Hotel, then turned into an alley where we discovered Charlie Vergo's World Famous Rendevouz...Phil was hungry for ribs and this was a good place to have them. We enjoyed meeting Jim...as it renewed his faith in Purple Board people. He thinks anyone you meet on the internet is liable to be a bad guy. Jim passed the test! We talked about...you guessed it...AIRPLANES!!!!

We headed south from Memphis thinking we would stay in Jackson, but decided another 90 minutes down to Hattiesburg would make Friday a better day on the road.

So, we were 14-1/2 hours on the road - Flippy drove 5 of them...wants me to get a lot of practice in for when I'm on my own, I guess.

The first song on my iPod this morning was "Celebrate Me Home" by Kenny Loggins. Seemed like a strange way to start a trip, but it got me thinking about home and what that really means to me. I moved five times during my K-12 years...I mean to five different cities/towns. I lived in 7 different houses during that time and attended 8 different schools. In many ways, I am like a turtle - I've had to carry my home with me...so much of it I carry in my heart. Home has become an amalgam of places and people and experiences no one will ever be able to take away from me...

...Play me one more song,
That I'll always remember,
I can recall,
Whenever I find myself too all alone,
I can make believe I've never gone,
I never know where I belong,
Sing me home..... (Kenny Loggins)

On to Jacksonville

Woke up in Hattiesburg MS this morning at 5 a.m. with Phil poking me along to get me moving. He finally ended up asking me, "Are you ready??" just one too many times. Didn't really talk until we got to Mobile and I got a cup of McDonald's coffee....icky.

The trip across Florida is SOOOO BORING. Not even someone with my level of imagination can make it fun. I wish I would have gotten Sunshine's comment about Birmingham earlier....I don't know why I didn't think of that route myself. I would have LOVED to have met her.

We are now comfortably tucked away at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in Jacksonville getting ready to attend the rehearsal dinner this evening. Have no clue what to wear.....brought too many choices.....need to always remember it doesn't really matter once you get there....

Looking forward to two days of visiting and catching up with old friends. Tomorrow I need to find new tires for my car. We thought they were okay....but they really aren't.

Anybody know what is up with the little black bugs that are swarming all over Florida today? Looks like they're mating. Got some pictures....my only pictures of the day are Phil doing what he does best in the car. For some reason I can't get them to load right now. Must be a "cookie" thing.....I'll try again later when I have more time.

First song on the iPod this a.m. - appropriately so - Under Pressure by Queen. Need I explain this one? But, like everything else in life....there's a good message in that song....you just have to pay attention.

'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And loves dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure

The Pre-Solo Check Ride

Phil and I are leaving Kansas City in a few minutes - heading down to Jacksonville for the wedding of our dear friends' son. Phil is going to teach me how to put gas in the car (just kidding) and air in the tires (not kidding). We'll check in along the way...but mostly it will be a trip where Phil is sleeping in the right seat while I'm driving and listening to my iPod.

I'm excited...I love adventures. Most of you don't think driving to Jacksonville could be an adventure...but we have to make our own fun along the way...

Stay tuned.