April 20, 2025
I leave for Hawaii in nine more days . . . or is it eight? I leave on the 29th at 6:30 AM, so does that day really count? What about today? Does today count towards the days until I leave? . . . Maybe I should say that my flight takes off in 212 hours!
Whatever!
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to go see the grandkids in South Carolina.
Actually, my son is buying a rental house and was asking me some building questions. I decided it would be easire to understand while looking at it, than describing it over the phone. I found a rather inexpensive fare into Atlanta, and booked a rental car to drive to South Carolina. There is an airport much closer to them, but for the same price as flying into this airport ($350 round trip), I could fly in to Atlanta and rent a car – $208 air fare and $160 car rental!
When I fly, I like to get a paper boarding pass so that when I get to TSA or to the gate, I don’t have to worry if my phone will die, or if I can figure out how to pull it up from some saved folder! I walk up to the ticket counter and give the agent my driver’s license and she asks, “So, where are we going today?”
“Kona!” I reply.
She starts pressing keys on the keyboard and says, “Hawaii! Sounds like fun!”
I smile and say, “Sorry, that’s next week! I’m going to South Carolina today!”
She smiles and pushes more keys on the keyboard and says, “There’s nothing here for you to South Carolina.”
“Oh, yeah!” I stammer. “Atlanta! I’m flying in to Atlanta!”
She looks at me as if to say, “Do you know where you are? Do you know who you are? Can you tell me how many fingers I’m holding up?”
But then she just smiles, her best customer service smile and says, “Ah, here it is. What can we do for you today?”
“I need a boarding pass.”
“Will you be checking any bags?”
“No”
She frowns at the computer and presses some more keys, then she turns to the agent next to her and says, “Could you print this boarding pass, this terminal does not want to cooperate.”
The other agent asks for the confirmation number, and then proceeds to print out the boarding pass. They hand it to me along with my driver’s license and the original agent asks, “Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
“Just point me towards the gate” I answer. I usually fly out of terminal 4, but this airline flys out of terminal 3, and I’m not real familiar with it!
When I get to the TSA security checkpoint, there are two lines, and of course, I pick the slow one! So it goes! But yet, all is good, and my large tube of toothpaste (5.7 ounces) goes right through! No problem!
My biggest problem was that my hat had gotten stuck in the conveyor and I didn’t realize it until after I had gone up the escalator. There is no down escalator! I had to find an elevator around the corner and go back down to the second level where the checkpint is located and retrieve my hat.
The flight to Atlanta is uneventful, except, as one of those passengers who paid the least, I board last, and my seat is 16 E – a dreaded middle seat. The guy in the aisle seat is a big guy, he does not spill over into my seat, but he does ccupy the armrest, as there is nowhere else for his arm to be. I’ve read that according to “airplane etiquette” the middle seat gets first dibs on the armrest, and it is rude to recline your seat!
Obviously, this guy knows no airplaine etiquette as he occupies the armrest AND he reclines his seat as soon as we have taken off! How rude! However, I think I will survive for the next three hours!
The car rentals are all at a nearby facility and they have a light rail train connecting it to the airport. My rental is simple and straightforward, and before too long, I am on the road heading to Greenville,South Carolina!
The road trip is easy, and the scenery is great – lots of tall trees, green grass – as I zip along the freeway. South Carolina welcomes me with the usual southern hospitality. Well, there is a sign that says, Welcome to South Carolina, so that counts!
I miss my exit for Boiling Springs and go to the next one. It is for the best as I needed to go to the gas station/convenience store for a bathroom stop and a drink.
After the rest stop, I see a sign on the road indicating the way to Boiling Springs – other than getting back on the interstate, and five minutes later, I’m on a very narrow country road in the back woods rural area of South Carolina. The speed limit is 35, I’m going 30, the guy on my bumper wants to go 55, and I think the road is only intended for traffic at 25! Then a car comes from the other direction and I am sure we’ll trade paint! I pull over at a driveway and the guy behind me zooms off!
I’m still out in the middle of nowhere, but I figure to just keep going, and maybe, it’ll be alright! All I can think of is what Bilbo told Frodo: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -J.R.R.Tolkein
The road eventually takes me into Boiling Springs through the back way, and I find my way to the subdivision my son and his family live in!
There is nobody around when I pull into the driveway.
I didn’t tell them I was coming – I wanted to surprise them.
And they were. The kids were all at school, but my son and daughter-in-law were glad to see me! The first thing they said was, “Is Alanah with you?” Hmmmmmm! Maybe it’s not ME they are glad to see!
Jared had work meetings to attend to, so I had a good talk with Jackie – about the grandkids and what was happening with them. The she left to go pick up the girls from school, and I tackled a small maintenance problem in the laundry room.
As I was putting away the tools I had used, I heard the twins coming in the front door. One of them peeked around the corner and into the laundry room and asked, “Are YOU my grandpa?” I need to come see them more often!
Spent the afternoon with the girls as they jumped on the trampoline and made mudpies on the back patio! Their teenage brother came home and joined in – mainly doing what brothers do – teasing their little sisters!
After a good day with the grandkids, I made it an early night and went to the hotel I had booked. After traveling, I was tired!
The next day, Jared and I drove around and looked at the house he was contemplating buying. It has solar panels, the roof needs to be replaced, and he was concerned about how to go about doing this. We discussed the contract that the current owners have with the solar company and the issues that they do not want you to know until after you have signed the contract! Needless to say, solar panels on a house that are tied to the grid is not as simple and straightforward as the solar company wants you to beieve! It was good to be here to see first hand the way they were installed to be able to discuss possibilities for reroofing the house!
We dropped by the clubhouse for their HOA – he manages the HOA for the neighborhood – and looked at a few items he needed to fix.
Then back to the house, and spending time with the grandkids! I had Gavin, my grandson who is 15 – drive me over to the clubhouse. to fix the hinge on the sagging front door. He then drove me back to the house.
The next day, Saturday, they were having a community Easter egg hunt at the HOA clubhouse. All the kids in the neighborhood hunted for plastic eggs on the lawns and gardens at the clubhouse!
Dad provided directions,
While mom followed along
The older boys were not too interested in hunting for the plastic eggs.
The girls gathered their share
After everyone else had left, I had Gavin drive me back to their house in my rental car. A driving lesson not overshadowed by Dad, in a vehicle easier to drive than a large four door Toyota truck! His dad and mom followed along in their car and took a photo. I’ve asked for this photo to be sent to me, and I’ll add it when I get it!
It was time for me to leave – I was flying back to Arizona from Atlanta this afternoon and I had a three hour drive!
In spite of the map app on the phone, I still managed to get lost in Atlanta near the airport, but I still made it in time.
My return flight was more than half empty! I had three rows all to myself!
TTFN
TropicalCastaway 