Arrival

Lisa, Ian and Mick left our Northwest location to fly to Nashville on 11/24/08 at 10:10 pm and 11:55 pm. Lisa had to travel on a different airline because when we booked she did not know if she could get the time off work from the Governor's Mansion. We traveled at night because Ian had to work late at Stumptown Coffee in Portland. Innocents all we left our car at a sketchy long term parking lot that was dimly lit and in an old hotel that probably rents by the 1/2 hour. Our driver was very affable and his name was Juan. He drove us to the terminal and we were off. Check in was not that bad I only had to be pulled aside for the Cajun Spice I had in my backpack for the Steel head fish we checked for the family. The gentleman asked me what it was for? I said it made fish taste very good and he jokingly said he had to keep it then. I'm glad my feet didn't stink. We took our flights on old Northwest Airlines planes that looked of WWII vintage. The seats were so close and legroom so sparse I hope they master frozen Stasis soon so it is less painful. We arrived in Nashville around 9:00 in the morning tired and sore. I t felt much like one feels after a bad acid trip in the 70's. Everything was ok after we found Ronnie Nelson smiling at the outside of the security perimeter. He hugged us and was so genuinely happy to see us all, that the world made sense again. Now if we could get him to not talk or point out sights we might make the hour and a half drive to Sparta alive. We did. The only problem with going to my mother's house is she never has anything to eat. I usually take a survival tool so I can trap a rodent or dig some roots. This time due to Airline regulations all I had were a set of toenail clippers. Not very intimidating to a full grown Raccoon or Rat. Surprisingly my Mother did have food. In fact I said a prayer hoping there wasosome left for other people in the country because she had amassed an arsenal of food the size of the stores in the Bunkers at the White House.