Project 365 -- August 21, 2010

Up in the Air

So this is first for me. Flying and blogging. I decided to write a bit even though I don't have access to my camera to upload any photos at the moment.

I just boarded an AirTran flight from Indianapolis after taking my daughter back to college. We had a whirlwind few days. We flew in on Tuesday, her boyfriend and his parents met us in Indy where we spent a few hours with them and then had dinner. Then we drove 70 miles west to Terre Haute (Riley to be more exact) to stay with our friends.

The next day we loaded up two cars and drove to campus and Rachel and I spent HOURS unpacking and organizing her dorm room. She was able to move in a day earlier than her suitemates, so we were basically all alone which was fine with me.

We reached a point where we realized that we needed to get something to place her TV on so we headed out to Walmart and found a great buy which was a three piece set of matching "furniture" which included a night stand, a shelf unit and an end table which now has her dorm fridge on it.

We did a really great job of putting her room together but EVERY muscle in my body hurt that night. I was so overtired that I really couldn't sleep.

Thursday we headed into Indy again to play! We brought her boyfriend along. We started at the Indianapolis Museum of Art which is QUITE impressive. Four huge floors of exhibits ranging from American and European paintings to Egyptian and Japanese artifacts. Our favorite was the contemporary art including Warhol and Robert Indiana and a line of fashion from the turn of the century to now.

After a nice lunch in the museum cafe, we headed over to the Indianapolis Children's Museum . . . FIVE huge floors of fun exhibits that included a Barbie exhibit AND a rock and roll exhibit. We giggled all the way through the museum!!

I heard a lot of hype about Broad Ripple area which is supposed to be like SoHo (its not) so we drove over there (up Meridian Ave. where EVERY huge brick mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places). After finding a place to park and walking up and down the street we all said, "Eh" so we headed back to Terre Haute for dinner.

Friday was another day of shopping for Rachel. This time little stuff like toiletries and snack items. Again, thank you Sam Walmart!! I treated myself to a Sonic Burger chocolate milkshake thank you very much. And of course I can't forget to mention the fact that we had a lunch appointment with Merv Hendrickson, one of the most inspiring professors I have ever met at Indiana State University. We took him to lunch because it was his last day at ISU. He truly inspired Rachel when she went out to ISU for the high school summer honors program and he continued to inspire her through her Freshman year. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten!!

Friday night was a quiet one with Kim and a long ride on the pontoon boat with the dogs.

Believe me, I have about 400 images of all of these events and I WILL upload some of them once I edit them.

Saturday John and Kim took us to the Terre Haute Farmers Market where we chatted with the local vendors, purchased some items and of course I snapped away with the camera! After a nice long lunch at 5th and Elm (or it might be 6th and Elm) John and Kim left us and I walked Rachel back to her dorm. I stayed there until 2 pm and after an emotional hug good-bye in the parking lot . . . I took off for Indy once again.

So far so good, right??

Well, I turned in the rental car, sailed through security (with the full body scanner -- I hope the TSA agents enjoyed staring at my nakedness) and as I approached my gate I saw the dreaded words . . . DELAYED!!

So, now here I am five hours later, finally on the plane and headed back to Fort Lauderdale. I will be extremely happy to land my head on my pillow at home. Rachel, I miss you dear, but I am really tired and looking forward to my own surroundings. Even if the house construction still isn't completed quiet yet . . . Pergo floor will be installed next week! Woo Hoo!

Signing Off for now (as I look out the window and see lightning bolts in the sky . . . yikes).