We’ll fly back to Honolulu on Tuesday and will be back to work at the Visitors’ Center on Wednesday. This has been a quick trip but well worth the time and money to spend a final few minutes with Marsha. She’s now in a better place … and pain free. We shall miss you, Marsha, but we’ll be reunited again in not so many years.
The weather here in South Carolina has been quite spectacular. Beautiful clear skies with calm winds. It is rather chilly, though! When I went through my suitcases that we’d put away when we arrived in Hawaii twenty-one months ago, I was delighted to find a jacket and six long-sleeved casual shirts! That’s been a real blessing.
We finished our shift at the Visitors’ Center at 2:30pm on Wednesday, November 23rd and drove directly to the Honolulu Airport. Ticketing and security went quickly. Since we both have replacement knees, we were sent through the full-body scanner which quickly cleared both of us through security. Thanks to Delta’s pre-check system we didn’t have to take off shoes or pull stuff out of our bags (like laptop computers). The flight boarded on time, departed on time, and arrived in Atlanta about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. I had one of the best economy class meals on an airplane that I’ve had in many years. The downsides: (1) I can never sleep on an airplane or anywhere else without my CPAP mask and machine, so the eight-hour flight was long (it’ll be almost two hours longer on the return flight). (2) The airplane was very cold … I mean REALLY cold. The little thin blanket was barely sufficient. Nina, thinking ahead, packed a fleece throw in her bag and had a better time with the temperature than I did. (3) My in-seat entertainment system didn’t work. The fellow in the window seat next to me as well as the two people in front of me all had to have their systems re-booted. Mine obviously needed it as well, but as I had other entertainment on my computer and iPad, I didn’t bother. We had aisle seats, a definite benefit given how late we booked the flights. Fortunately we have aisle seats going back home. The flight from Honolulu was completely full and the return flight is nearly full. There are a few middle seats left, but that’s it.
We’re staying at the Hampton Inn in Greenwood, South Carolina. It’s a very normal Hampton Inn. We’ve done a bit of shopping at Hobby Lobby, I picked up a couple of things I wanted from Harbor Freight. We’ll probably do a bit more shopping tomorrow. We’re checking out of this Hampton Inn tomorrow morning and spending tomorrow night in a Hampton Inn in Greenville nearer the airport as our flight from Greenville to Atlanta leaves at 6:44am on Wednesday morning.
It’s been a quick trip, plenty of jet lag with much more to come, but successful. You’ve lived a good life, Marsha. ‘Til we meet again!