Tim Samoff // Weblog (old)

July 05, 2004

Back at "home"...

Today’s flight wasn’t quite as easy as I had hoped. We didn’t have travel plans quite as extreme as last week’s, but we did have one lay-over in Denver. No biggie, right? Well, the trip from Burbank to Denver was no biggie — we checked-in at Burbank…er…Bob Hope Airport without a hitch, said goodbye to my Mom and Dad and were on our way.

Denver was another story, altogether. About two minutes after Julianna and I were aboard, we (and all of the others who were also aboard) were told that one of the doors at the rear of the plane was not functioning properly (read, “would not close” ). In lieu of this discovery, the remaining people waiting to board the plane were told to return to the gate. Everyone already aboard were told that we could either remain on board or return to the gate with the others — even if the door was to be fixed, it would have to be inspected and tested and who knows how long that would take? We decided to stay aboard. About ten minutes after hearing this news, we heard more news that was even more grim: chances were that the door would not be fixed and even if it was to be fixed it would take a couple of hours. Ugh. But, we decided to remain on the plane. A minute later, a flight attendant began telling us that the airline was looking for another plane for all of us to take — there was no way that the door would be fixed. Nice. Were we even going to be able to come home today? But, after another five minutes, or so, passed, the door had miraculously been repaired (it turned out to be something very minor and easily fixable). This was good news. We wouldn’t be home too later afterall.

Only about five minutes after this last “delay,” though, the captain’s voice came over the intercom alerting us that there were severe lightening storms and that we would be delayed for one to two hours anyway. Again, after another couple of minutes, we were told that the airport had cleared a runway to the east and we would be on our way in no time. Once to the tarmack, though, we heard the captain again. He informed us that we were behind twenty other airplanes and that it would take at least an hour to wait for everyone. Would this torture ever end? Not likely. After twenty minutes of waiting, we were cleared for take-off. Which was true.

I don’t think our emotions could have stood to be played with any longer.

This past week was fun-filled, but way too short. Samoff’s are notoriously guilty of trying to pack too many activites into one day, but I feel like, except for a few exceptions, we did a good job of restraining ourselves this time (case in point: last year’s California visit). So, all-in-all, I think we had much fewer emotional break-downs than usual and maybe a little more fun. Still, the week went by too fast.

We’re home now. Approximately two hours behind schedule. And we’re tired (Julianna is already in bed, asleep).

Saying goodbye was difficult. I don’t think it was as difficult as it could have been, but still pretty hard. We will miss Luke and his family more than we know over the next four years. While it may not have hit us with its full impact (my brother and his family are in California for, at least, another week), I know that their leaving will become a reality soon enough. But, we will continue to ask for their safety. Their diecision to do what they are doing is nobler than I can imagine.

But, we say goodbye every time we leave California. And it isn’t ever easy. Even when we know we will see everyone within a year, we still dread the “missing” part of being so far away. I wonder if my current home (wherever it is) will ever feel like the home that my parents and siblings present for me.

I could write volumes, but I won’t. Pictures will be up soon. grid::blog – Project 365 will soon be updated as well. Tomorrow I am back to work and tying up loose end with the house (this time look for the house) — the inspection is on Wednesday and we still need to get everything organized with our mortgage company.

Real life is back.

I’m at home, awaiting a new home, and I miss my old home.

How’d I get myself into this mess?

Posted at 10:32 pm

Trackback Link: