Monday, May 28, 2012

In Texas now

Happy Memorial Day and a big thanks to all of those who are serving and have served in our armed forces. I'm in Texas now, only 13 more days until I head off to India. I'm here visiting my sister in law and her family for two weeks.

I made it to Georgetown last night, Brian picked me up last night at the airport in Kileen and brought me back to the house through the back roads. Mason is out at a lake house with his girlfriend, the other kids were asleep when I got home and Brian and Suzanne and I stayed up until 1am just talking and talking and talking.

I woke up at 7am this morning and heard Carson playing, then I fell asleep again. Woke up at 10 am (I was tire from a 22 hour day yesterday)and thought to myself as I was laying in bed how well how considerate these kids are to be quiet and let me sleep in. Then it dawned on me it was sunday, everyone is at church. There's a note down here in the kitchen saying they'll be back at noon.

I just found the coffee, only two left. Guess I'll finish it up and we'll have to go buy some more. Oh, on the little American Eagle flight (tiny tiny plane) they only have coach. They have a policy that for first class passengers they get free booze and snacks (first class from a connecting flight). So I was the first to board and I asked "so do first class passengers still get a free drink?" and she said yes. The flight from take off to landing was just under 30 minutes. Right after take off the flight cute young attendant came right to me first and asked what I wanted to drink, I said a beer, she said no, it's better that I have a mixed drink, so I said okay, I'll have a rum and oj. And she also gave me some cheese and crackers. Then She pulled out the beverage cart and started beverage service. Only for a few minutes, as we had to get ready to land. So I think a quarter of the plane got service. After clean up she came up to me and handed me another rum and oj and said 'thank you for flying with us', I felt like I was being pampered really well for a first class passenger, more so than if I was actually sitting in a first class cabin on another plane. Of course the few passengers around me kept staring and probably wondered why I was getting this sort of treatment. I finished my second drink just as the wheels touched the runway. Today was an unusual day for me, from check in to landing at Kileen the ground staff and cabin crew were top notch, never had I had experience like this from start to finish in one day.

I'm sitting here sipping away at my coffee looking out the large windows. Suzanne and Brian have quite a few acres just outside Georgetown Texas, there's a beautiful all white horse grazing a few yards from the house, a light brown one not too far behind him. The cows are laying down, an indication in Texas that the fish aren't biting today. Huge oak trees surround the house, only one neighbor is visible. A pretty nice spread indeed.

I'm looking around the house and it's obvious that I'm in Texas. Cowboy boots of all sizes are lined up by the door, cowboy hats of equal proportions on the rack above. One can only smile and laugh a little looking at boots that are maybe only six inches long. I'm staying in Mason's room and the western shirts visible from the doorless closet remind me of days gone by when I too wore similar shirts and boots, styles haven't changed in decades.

The horse has now been replaced by the two family dogs who are now sitting at the window staring at me, probably wondering what this stranger is doing in the house on a Sunday morning when everyone else is gone. I guess I'll take my coffee mug (decorated in big Texas lone stars) and go sit on the suspended bench out on the patio, and enjoy the peace and quiet that will only last for another hour until the kids get home.

No comments:

Post a Comment