Rude awakening

Yesterday we woke up in Mobile, Alabama and went to sleep in Pleasant Grove, Utah.  

We went about our day in the same lazy way we had approached every day on our vacation.  We had a leisurely breakfast and went for a walk.  We went into a huge cathedral and walked through its garden.  We walked to the Spanish Plaza Park.  It was all very lovely.  

The night before we'd watched the documentary The Descendants on Netflix which was all about the descendants of some Africans that were captured and brought illegally to Mobile on the Clotilda.  It all should have been illegal anyway, but bringing these slaves was illegal because it happened in 1860 and bringing slaves to the United States was illegal after 1808.

It was a really interesting documentary, especially since we were in Mobile.  After our walk, we drove to Africatown, where the descendants still live.  We saw the cemetery that was also in the documentary.

Adam had found a store he thought I may like.  It was a Christmas store, so we stopped.  Mostly, it was not tacky stuff, but all crammed together in ancient glass cabinets with faded price tags, it was a lot.

And some of it was just so bizarre.

Amazing this stuff isn't just flying off the shelves.

We wandered around longer than seems reasonable, since we weren't interested in buying anything, but it was just so absurd that was captivating.

From there we continued on our way.  We had a leisurely lunch/dinner at Cracker Barrel and then started realizing what time it was.

We were cutting it closer than we should for our flight.  

Adam kept saying we were fine; we were in plenty of time.

As we got closer to New Orleans, there was increased traffic and slow downs.  I was increasingly nervous, but Adam wasn't concerned.

"We're fine," Adam said.

We stopped to get gas and the pump didn't work and it took time.  

"We're fine," Adam said.

We returned the rental car.  We got on the shuttle that takes you from the rental place to the airport.

"We're fine," Adam said.

And then we sat.  It was 5:00 PM and we had a 6:00 PM flight.  The longer the shuttle sat there, the less fine I felt.

"I'm starting to get worried," Adam said.

So that translated to me feeling a lot of worried.  Adam said, "We'll either make it or we won't.  There's no use worrying about it."

Sometimes I wonder how we are the same species.

We sat for ten full minutes of anguish and anxiety as the shuttle didn't budge.  Adam said, "I can't believe how long we took at Cracker Barrel."

Adam said, "We shouldn't have stopped at that Christmas store."

I started considering sub plans in case we missed the flight.

We finally headed to the airport and it was the most circuitous and slow route and I was dying.

And also praying.

Adam was TSA approved, so he said he would hurry and let them know at the gate that I was coming.  He said, "But I won't get on the plane without you."

It was 5:30 when we finally got to the airport!  We hurried and security was pretty empty but also SO SLOW.  Adam hurried through and I was waiting behind the least rushed people in America.  The little conveyor belt next to us stopped working, so they merged those people into our line and no one (except me) was in a hurry.  I finally made it through and my phone started ringing and it was Adam.  I said, "I am through security!  I am coming!"

It was the second closest gate to security and despite everything, I was in my seat at 5:40.

It was kind of amazing and also felt like the vacation was over.

Adam and Thelma's 40 minutes of high anxiety.

So now I'm off to school.  Ready to wade through what was left behind by my sub and ready to see those cute faces again.