Based
on previous airline issues, we decided to get up at Stupid O’clock in the
morning for this trip. Naturally, the
limo to take us to the airport went to the wrong Boonton leading to piles of
early day stress.
We
loaded up and were driven down in a rain that was annoying but not flight
threatening.
The
airport wasn’t crowded, but security was a party. My tray of stuff got stopped by what turned
out to be a new inspector, concerned that my dinosaur belt buckle was not
allowed on the plane. A more senior
member, after much cajoling, convinced him it was acceptable.
While
I reshoed, we heard the two have a more complex exchange about the family behind us as the young un’
seemed to have never heard of Play Doh, and was paranoid about letting it into
an aircraft.
Because
we were returning separately, my magic United credit card didn't guarantee us
all group 2 boarding. However, Abuelita’s wheelchair guaranteed us all
pre-group 1 boarding. Woo!
We
were on the plane early, as was everyone, yet another benefit of Stupid O’Clock. Then, as a detriment to it being us, the
captain came on, more audibly pissed off than I’ve heard a flight crew in a
while, and informed us they put excessive fuel in the plane. There would be too much for an allowable
landing, and we had to wait for a truck to come suck it out.
Speaking
of sucking- this lost us our place on line, and put us way back in the queue. Even using the power of the Stupid O’Clock
departure didn’t fully protect us from our family’s Colorado traveling curse.
At
least we got out before the thunderstorms, meaning a bumpy, if swift flight to
Denver. Once in the air. I worked my way through a chunk of Stephen King’s
excellent non-fiction treatise on horror Danse
Macabre. Anabelle finished Moby Dick, which she was reading on her own.
That’s
my girl.
She
also gave me a Lincolnian history lesson on why the farmland we flew over was
all in squares.
Rosa
worked her way through latching onto my arm in the turbulence and distracting
herself with whatever she could watch on the United app, since her curse of having the behind the seat screen not work also continued.
A
highly nutritious Stroopwaffle and juice (them) or Coke Zero (me) breakfast
later and we were landing just east of the Rockies and ready to start our
adventures in the rent a car center.
There
were no Silvermist Fabulous Blue vehicles to choose from. In fact, landing
around lunch time instead of the dead of night lessened the selection considerably. The pick-ups were still uncapped, and didn't
come with a method of hoisting Abuelita into them. We stuck with safe driving over style changes
and picked a Silver Tucson.
Due
to the confused state when I fly in general, and my caffeine-o-meter being low,
the car was named “Hi Ho Silver Hooray” before I knew what was happening.
Knowing
crossing that Colorado plateau with a low caffeine-o-meter was a peril, I
pulled in to the first gas station we saw to acquire a bottle of Diet Dew to
remedy it. I also picked up a Colorado Lottery ticket to remedy having to go
home in a few days without my family, but that plan was less effective.
We
arrived at Titi Luzma’s and Uncle Roy’s to find a couple of fun surprises.
Uncle
Roy was already barbecuing various buffalo meat products to stave off crazy
hungry before the vacation began! Also
we had a new neighbor in our basement home away from home. While we inflated
the air mattresses, we were introduced to a relative of the teleporting Carrot
the Bunny named Hope. He had taken up residence
in the caged in space next to the downstairs window. He must have dropped in when small enough to
fit through the top grating, and they had adopted him, making sure his area was
stocked with food, had hiding spaces and was kept clean.
As
part of our setting up procedure, Anabelle was sure to find a place to
magnetically hang the Travel Version of her Disney Countdown Whiteboard.
Because even in our other favorite vacation spots, the Disney countdown
continues.
Science
reared its head when Titi brought out a bag of Barbecue kettle cooked chips,
and we all noticed it was inflated like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade
balloon. Anabelle brought up the ideal
gas law (Woo, chemistry!) as we theorized all chips are packed in the same
plant and bringing them to the high altitude makes them puff out more due to
the lower pressure.
We’re
very educational to have around.
We
had gotten most of the supplies we needed for the week pre-arranged due to
Walmart online order home delivery, because the future is groovy. Possibly due to the same pressure issues that
affected the chips, they would not deliver carbonated beverages. We drove over to get the last supplies
including the case of Diet Mountain Dew that would sustain my driving over the
extended long weekend...
Plus
the Showa MechaGojii and Millennium Godzilla suit figures, the former I didn't
know existed and the latter I’d been unable to find in New Jersey, the armpit
of action figure collecting…
And
a couple of Marvel Legends, because random purchases are fine if they count as souvenirs!
Please
help me.
Our
entry after parking was slowed by Anabelle returning to the Artsy Flower
photography hobby she’d discovered the previous year. It was also slowed by the exhaustion of
changing time zones after awakening at Stupid O’clock in the morning.
We
settled in and Anabelle took advantage of the more flexible nature of her brain
the exhaustion provided by reading the Gerard Way Doom Patrol books we bought because she recognized his name from My
Chemical Romance. They’re a fittingly
mind bending successor to the loopy Grant Morrison stuff.
There
were thoughts about taking one of our traditional around the lake walks on the
first day. However, Rosa was worn out
and still suffering from the after effects of broken toes. She declined the
walk that day to stay with her Mom. Our
hosts had already set out when Anabelle and I decided to take one, figuring
we’d walk the opposite way around the lake a meet them that way.
We
had a light dinner upon returning, because we had no idea what time it was.
Talking
happened somewhat, but mostly we focused on settling in and crashing early to begin
the Coloradoing in earnest the next day.
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