Radio Silence & Airport Anticipation

Bill is now "on the dark side of the moon," having signed off email, left the ship and gotten on his way to the airport and home. I won't hear from him again until I see him tomorrow morning in baggage claim.

One of the things I miss now in our TSA-controlled airports is the opportunity to meet my passenger at the gate, watching for my beloved with growing anticipation, descending the staircase (yes, this was before jetways too...), walking across the tarmac, and finally into the building for the requisite happy reunion. Now, we cattle just mill around outside the x-ray machines and sniffers, in dimly-lit alcoves or hallways, watching weary other travelers trudge single-file through the sign-infested, one-way gates. NO ENTRANCE! EXIT ONLY! STOP! GO BACK! TICKETED PASSENGERS ONLY! It takes all the fun out of "meeting the plane."

For some reason, I always worry that I won't recognize him, that he'll walk right past me and I won't know it. Or worse, he won't see me in the hallway gloom. So we usually hook up in baggage claim. It's not romantic, but at least it's brightly lit.

Juli is taking the bus down to the airport to meet me in the morning, so we can welcome Bill home together. Then we three will wait for Gran, who comes in an hour later. The plan is then to drive to Alex's house at Alki Beach, and for the five of us to go to breakfast/lunch together. We'll then take Juli home, and Bill, my mom and I will drive to Olympia. Our evening activity will be Angela's Christmas Concert at Timberline High School, her last one before graduation.

On Thursday, the ramp-up-to-wedding begins. Final chuppah assembly, picking up borrowed chafing dishes and water pitchers from the church, a run to Seattle with supplies? Friday is flowers, another grocery run, another trip to Seattle.

It's all so exciting, isn't it?