1.
Stranded in Phoenix
2.
AIMPD: Airport-Induced Multiple Personality
Disorder
3.
Why Don’t It Ever Go Smooth?
In any case, all three refer to parts of my day of travel
here. Yesterday deserves a small mention first, though.
During the day yesterday, I had about a hundred and a half
things to do – from taking out compost to mopping the floor, bidding the chickens
goodbye and packing up every little math book I had brought with me, putting
gas in the car, and saying goodbye to my friends, to name a few. I had a few
friends over during the day who hung around while I packed and did some of
these other things and it was lovely – bittersweet, but lovely. Most of them
either have more time left at Mills or have just moved permanently to the area
and have jobs, etc. I started the day with the most Berkeley thing I could
do - an early morning walk in the
fog of the Oakland hills, through the redwoods with my close friend and five
dogs.
(I will mention briefly that we ran into another person,
also with five dogs, who had lost three of her dogs down a ravine to what we
figured must either be a raccoon or a fox that was proving quite the exciting
target for her two Samoyeds and other mutt, and while the two dog owners (this
woman and my friend) trudged down the hill to try to extricate the hounds from
the battle/game (hard to tell with dogs and raccoons – though I’m sure it was a
game to one side, and less so to the other) I stayed on the trail with the dogs who had not gotten
involved, trying to keep them in such a position. First, I had four dog leashes
and little Matilda, the French Bulldog who has been featured here before, in my
arms. Then there were two more leashes, and then two more, so I felt like I was
in a silent film comedy scene, where every minute or so, another leash was
handed to me until eventually, I was in the center of this mass of tails and
leashes and snouts, all of those dogs yearning to go and join their friends and
me defiantly trying to stay put, and keep a hold on the mighty Matilda (she had
no collar and hence no leash. Like a leash could hold her anyway. She’s a force
to be reckoned with, all 20 lbs of
her.) It was hilarious and in the end, all was well.)
So, then I was home and various friends stopped by to say
hello and lend a hand. It’s amazing how much a person spreads out in a house
over the course of a month and a half. After that was all done, it was evening and
I was en route to drop off one friend at her apartment and another at the Bart
station – when we all realized that we didn’t want to do that. So, we swung
around and went to Café Gratitude for dinner – quite the Berkeley experience
(but one that my friends hadn’t had yet!) - I had raw, vegan strange creations, including a cup of
carrot-ginger-beet-kale juice that made my friends nearly keel over (myself as
well, actually, but I have my pride and actually rather enjoy that
uncomfortable experience, and thus kept a solemn face). After that, again we
were en route to said apartment and said Bart station when the highway exit was
next, then it was upon us, and then we had just gone on driving. We drove on
for another forty minutes or so, telling stories and crazy dreams we had had recently,
laughing at each other until we cried, and finally exited the highway in the
middle of nowhere, explored some strange farms around, then because the time
demanded it, we got back on and drove back and actually did the various
dropping-off that was supposed to happen. When we first set out from my house,
I thought I was going to drop them off, go to the gym, and spend the rest of
the night alone packing. I am so glad I didn’t get my way.
All of my goodbyes were good. Some were particularly sweet –
like Carly last night, in front of her apartment she gave me a big hug and as I
started to pull away, she said, “So, you have to text me, okay?” I was about to
respond that of course I would, when she squeezed me tighter and said, “Like,
when you get to the airport….and when you get to Pennsylvania…and when you get
to Budapest, aaaand… when you’re there, how you are…. What food you made for
dinner…if the people are cool…aaaad….” It went on and on and the entire time
she wouldn’t let go. It was so nice!!!
This morning, my friend Miranda helped me use up some
bananas, frozen berries, chia seeds, etc by creating a brilliantly delicious
smoothie while we packed up the rest of the house, and everything got done at
the very last minute, and then I was in a taxi to the airport.
That takes us almost up to date. Before I do the rest, I think I will go and situate myself at
my gate, just in case. We won’t be boarding quite yet – as you may have
guessed, we were significantly delayed – but I want to be there all the same. I
have time on the plane and there, I shall continue.
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I am home now. On that second flight, I did not write more - I played sudoku and solitaire for the full four-hour duration. :) Part 2 soon!
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