Wednesday, July 29, 2015

In the Jungle


Here I am in the subtropical land of incessant rain. Apparently the area north of Tampa has seen so much recent rainfall that there's flooding in some neighborhoods -- the Anclote River is running so high that there's an inch or two of water in nearby homes. At my dad's house, we just have big brown murky puddles and some seriously jungle-ish vegetation.

My flight was uneventful, except for one small glitch -- I showed up at the airport a day early! I got to the check-in counter and the agent couldn't find my reservation. I pulled it up on my computer and noticed that although my saved itinerary gave July 28 as my departure date, the e-mailed confirmation said July 29. How this happened, I have no idea. I probably saved the itinerary before buying the ticket, and shifted the time period before I hit "purchase." In any case I felt like a dolt, and I shrank at the prospect of taking the train and the tube all the way back home only to do it all again the next day. Fortunately, British Airways was able to squeeze me onto that day's flight (for a fee, of course).

Thank god I was a day early and not a day late!

I read on the plane all the way to Florida, finishing "The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace," about a brilliant, economically disadvantaged kid from Newark who managed to graduate from Yale with a degree in molecular biology. Unfortunately he was never quite able to extricate himself from the drug-dealing culture of his hometown, and he floundered, directionless, after graduation, eventually with tragic consequences. The book was written by his Yale roommate with the cooperation of family and many friends, and it's riveting.

The food on the flight was OK, although I got a square of moldy cheddar. The date on the package said Sept. 12, but if they'd waited until then to serve that thing it would have looked like a cube of astroturf! I trimmed off the mold and ate it anyway. I'm no ninny.

(Photo: Our neighbor's boat. I don't think he takes it out much!)

11 comments:

  1. Yep. Welcome to the jungle. When I went out to get the paper this morning I noted that somehow, a redbud sproutling that I pass every day more than once is suddenly three feet tall and about to become a tree. Now I need to wrangle it out of the ground. Elephant ears that have done little since we moved here are now the size of...elephant ears. It's insane.
    Stay hydrated.

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  2. We had such a rainy winter, spring, and early summer this year. then all of a sudden it just stopped. We haven't had any rain for about 6 weeks. it is hot and dry here.

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  3. I'm sure those in California are very jealous of all the rain in that part of the world. I have never been that early for a flight but, I did cook up an elaborate dinner the day before the dinner party once. Needless to say, I had to do it all over again the next day.

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  4. Hey, at least for your arrival its been relatively dry...That boat is very funny...

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  5. Are you sure it wasn't September 12, 2014? :)

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  6. It's great they managed to squeeze you on another flight.
    I would have made them exchange the cheese. I got a fruit salad with a maggot in it once, InterRailing, in a McDonald's. Got another fruit salad from them.

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  7. Oh and I want to read that book.

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  8. You daft devil Steve! Imagine arriving a day early for a flight! HA! HA! HA!
    Have a great time on the other side of the pond. Remember to check your return date carefully!

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  9. I know people who turn up hours early for a flight but never a whole day early!! And you ate the cheese. And you right about the neighbour and his boat.

    I'm in an agreeable frame of mind right now.

    Ms Soup

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