The Landing

As boarding time grew nearer and my 3.5 hours in Birmingham drew to a close, the boarding attendant announced, "There is weather on the way. If you do not want to be here another 1 1/2 hours, please board quickly and find your seat ASAP so that we can leave the gate." Again, I was number 3 onto the plane. I love the Early Bird boarding option. The stampede followed me.

Lightning flashed as we buckled our seat belts. Too late. The orange vest guys who push the plane back are not allowed out during lightning. But that weather cell moved on in about 10 minutes and soon we were airborne. It was a too-bumpy-to-have-refrehsments ride. But again, I had a row to myself so I did not miss the peanuts.

Most of the passenger disembarked at Louisville. Only 3 remained to continue on to Chicago. However, there were 2000 people waiting to get on the plane. Did I mention it was the Sunday after the Derby. I suppose all were heading home after a weekend, abeit a wet weekend, of revelry at Churchhill Downs.

The airport was decked out Derby-style. Pots of roses every 6 feet down the concourse. Cutouts of Derby silks (those are the shirts the jockies wear) hanging in the windows. A band playing, although the song was the Tennessee Waltz. The Southern Bells were gone. They were there the day before handing out bourbon balls.

I spoke to the TSA agent guarding the exit from the gate area. That is a lonely job. They don't care who leaves through the front door. The mad house is on the other side of the wall for those trying to leave on a plane. So I chatted with her about the Derby. Turns out she owns a box seat by the finish line which she inherited from her grandmother or her great grandmother. She decided not to attend this year and sold her seats. For $17,000. No, there's no extra 0. My great grandmother probably made moonshine. I wished her well and moved on to ground transportation.

At the baggage conveyor belt, another mob of people waited for luggage but not from my flight. The rental car lady informed me that flights from Memphis and Nashville were diverted to Louisville because of the massive floods. I got my car, loaded my bags, and headed out in the rain in search of food.

I found my sister's favorite deli and called to ask for her order. Half an hour and seven sandwiches later, the five guys behind the deli counter gladly waved me on. I headed on to Lawrenceburg. I dropped the first order of sandwiches off at my sisters, visited briefly and headed on to Mom and Dad's. Mother was thrilled to get her Mocha Frappacino. That has now become a tradion. I bring her a frappacino on my visits. She cannot do much but she can still taste. So I bring her a frozen treat. My visit and Starbucks will be a good Mother's Day for her.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Galations 5:22

--Laura