Sitting in the Corning-Elmira Airport, at the gate and looking out the window at the regional jet that will take me to Detroit in a few minutes. Peg is an exit down the interstate from here, getting ready for her first case. The hillside to the south is still dusted with some of yesterday's snow.
And boy, it really came down yesterday, even if it didn't stick.
Last night P and I lounged around the apartment, escaping the fact of my impending departure with a meander through television shows--Colbert interviewing Cher led to Sonny & Cher led to Tony Orland & Dawn led to the Partridge Family led to Laugh In. Just trying to take our minds off the upcoming separation.
Today I travel first to Detroit, and then to DFW. No drinking in the Sky Club on the layover because (a) it's early enough that this would be a story one would tell at a twelve-step meeting, and (b) once in the Big D, I'll pick up my rental car, drive to Arlington, and meet the new plane for the first time.
A real beauty, eh?
But as I said yesterday, the cockpit is completely foreign to me, so ground school and maybe a short hop with an instructor are on the schedule for this afternoon. Skip and I will then spend Friday and Saturday together running me and the plane through our paces until he's comfortable sending me on my way Sunday for the long flight back to Corning, to this very ramp.
A bonus of this trip is the chance to see family--both of my parents and their spouses, and my sister. I'll be staying at Mom's tonight, then Dad's tomorrow, then back to Mom's. They both live a long haul from the Arlington Airport, but I can't pass up the chance for a little time together.
Getting ready to board. It'll be nice to forgo all the security theater of commercial flight on Sunday, throw my bag in the back, and five minutes later take the active runway for the trip home. Very nice in fact.
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