Monday, February 04, 2019

forever may not be long enough

I'm back in ye olde Iowa, a little more than a month since I last left it. I looked at my calendar today and realized that I have only spent seven business days in the Boulder office in the last six weeks - it's amazing that I'm still employed. Granted, that covered Christmas, a nearly two-week trip to California (in which I went into the MTV/SF offices every day), a massive sinus infection, and last week's vacation...but still. By the time I get back to work it will be seven days in seven weeks, which has to be some kind of record.

sssanyway, I'm avoiding my emotions by typing that. I woke up this morning and it was a mad scramble to get out the door, but I think I have appropriate clothing for the week ahead (mourning, with enough coat/hat/glove/mitten investment to get me through the next polar vortex). I made it to the airport, returned my car to the same parking lot from whence I'd picked it up last night, checked a bag, made it through security, scarfed down a burrito bowl, grabbed some coffee, and made it to my gate (at the very farthest reached of the terminal) just in time to find out that my flight was delayed by 30mins. That 30mins could have enabled me to have a margarita, but since the gate was in the farthest reaches (literally going off the end of the terminal rather than being perpendicular to the terminal like all the other gates), there was no time for margaritas. Sigh.

But the flight was otherwise fine, despite being on a tiny tiny plane (we boarded outside via walking up a ramp, and I had a window/aisle seat and had to be careful not to hit my head standing up, which should tell you something). My parents picked me up in Des Moines, and then we drove to Altoona, where my dad schmoozed with some people for a few minutes before we met up with Aunt Kathy, Drewbaby, Aunt Becky, and Uncle Brian (who now goes by 'Brian') at The Big Steer. We walked in right at five, and the place was packed shortly thereafter - understandably so, since my ribeye was the best steak I've had in forever (even better than the steak I had in Oceanside, which I thought was outstanding...and this one was half the price, which is still $10 higher than what my parents pay in our town, so as usual the economics of my life is confusing).

Of course, it was a somewhat melancholy meal; the only other time I've eaten there, Uncle Mark was there too, and he was never far from any of our thoughts. I'll be up around Des Moines quite a bit this week, but tonight my parents and I came home, where we (or at least Mom) watched the Iowa State basketball game. And now, about two hours after I'd planned to, I need to go to sleep - I'm going to do some day job stuff tomorrow so that I'm not completely AWOL, so sleep would be a good idea. Goodnight!

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