Airport Security: 2010

Since few of us our traveling by air these days, here's a little piece from the archives about clearing airport security.

I'm sitting at the gate, fully clothed and in my right mind, earlier than my normal wake up time. I've been up since I woke on my own at 4:40 am. While clearing the security screening, I was invited to choose full body scan or a pat down from a jovial salt-and-pepper haired woman about my age.

Psychologists say we need seven significant touches daily to stay mentally healthy so I picked the pat down. When I bumped into her later at the Tim Horton's coffee lineup, we chatted like old friends. Told her if the security thing didn't work out she could always consider massage therapy.

My bags were thoroughly hand-searched. The "one bag" restriction is in addition to a purse, a laptop, a camera and other personal items. I didn't bring the camera.

You can recognize the frequent flyers. One tidy roll-aboard. The resigned expression at security. The detachment from other passengers. The realization they have exchanged personal privacy for a tenuous level of pseudo security. High price to pay, IMO.

Next time I think I'll take a road trip. Wanna come?

Christmas Vacation

I spent Christmas week in Kileau-Kona, HI with my son. It was lovely and there were many highlights and pictures. Feel free to view my public Facebook posts for more details. This is one I put first on Facebook but thought it belongs in the blog also. 

I sit here, right now, nearly 11 a.m. in my pjs with my hair all messy, having gone to sleep with it wet after a late night rendezvous with the manta rays that apparently had somewhere else to be. I have no complaints that they didn't show up, they are wild creatures, after all, even though they show up 97% of the time, says the tour guide, and the tour company offered another free go at it on another day.

I am trying to be grateful for the experience although there were lots of reasons it could have been distasteful. Like jostling with 18 others for a hand-hold on a floating frame designed for ten with half those people being children who could barely swim and wouldn't follow the rules on a venture really suited only for adults and the big stranger beside me repeatedly sticking his elbow in my head and a woman my age pukes in the water and I'm in pain the last 40 minutes, unable to relieve myself. I know it was the ocean but we were all sausage-stuffed into these wet suits that made us look, for all the world, like shark bait (seals or sea lions, in my case) and the closest toilet was a 20 minute bouncy pontoon ride away and then the restroom door was double locked and the tour guide only had a single key so I had to find a private space where there was no forest in which to hide. And then stopping at Wal-Mart and finding their restroom closed for cleaning, I was beginning to think my life was an outtake from "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."

So due to all the craziness and the encroaching hunger, the steak I thawed for supper was put back in the fridge for tomorrow when we have more time and we opt for a quicker version (pizza for him, salad for me) and then I was so exhausted I fell into bed with wet hair and knew nothing until 8 a.m.

But no. I don't regret going to meet the elusive manta rays. And I don't regret the messy hair. And I'm ever so grateful for all the fish I saw while bobbing beside that floating frame and just being in the ocean. And the exhilarating ride on the Zodiac and being beside my son, snorkel masked and flippered, bonding over this one ill-fated excursion and seeing how completely relaxed and laid back he was about the whole thing and how we can spend this week together in this warm and wonderful place. And the gratitude continues for the glorious aquamarine of the ocean so close I can feel the spray and the surfers who entertain all day long and the rocks that cause the surf to sound the glory of God and the vastness of it all.

I sit here evaluating every post I make on FB because while it brings mutual rejoicing in most, it breeds envy in some. Yes, I have been accused of bragging - which says more about the accuser than it does about me. I call this place paradise but that's a subjective term. I only post the best moments (until today's frank commentary) because I don't think anyone needs to be brought down by complaints. I am here because I set aside a little life insurance money for this purpose a year ago. I would rather have my husband than this vacation. My posts are all done in the attitude of "rejoice with me" for those who can. I have learned through hard experience, one primary rule of life:

"Paradise" is subjective. As is happiness, success, fulfillment and contentment. It has everything to do with GRATITUDE and nothing to do geography. 

May you see today all the ways God loves you, all the gifts, large and small that are right. in. front. of. you. now.

More pictures here.

Florida 2010 - Trip Journal

I was up early to be at the airport by 6 a.m. Cleared security with no problems and met my friend who had to fly from Edmonton.

Our flight left on time Calgary-Denver. Scattered clouds part over the mountains. We fly parallel, the eastern sun rises on the far side of the plane and I am grateful for a window on God's glory. We bank east. The blue topaz heavens feather down and fade white into thin veil of cloud.

Melora works a puzzle. I inflate a neck pillow, plug earbuds into a Bebo Norman album and relax into slumber.

Oh wait. Snack first.

Denver-Tampa leg totally booked. Due to length of flight, I upgraded to Economy Plus on the aisle right beside the main exit.

Melora closely examines the inside of her eyes.

Arrive without incident in Tampa, obtain rental vehicle, program the GPS and head for the condo. We stop to have supper, then buy groceries. Condo is comfy, 2 br, 2 bath, with its own pool inside a gated community in Seminole, FL, 5 minutes from the beaches of Indian Shores.

We began our first day sharing about faith and doubt, struggle and surrender. We then walked the beach, visited the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and did a little bargain hunting. Had a late lunch/early supper at Bubba Gumps at John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach, drove some more, laughed a lot, had a light snack and watched a movie at home.

Day 2 we both slept in. It’s Saturday after all. I finished some promo work for the Beth Moore simulcast advertising then we shared breakfast and devotional time. Melora and I are wired so similar, we are able to share much about God’s working in our lives and about our own “kicking against the pricks” of his Spirit.

We went back to the beach, took a long walk and did some beachcoming – it’s so warm with the sun today. We then drove over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge toward Sarasota but took our time, stopped when we wanted, wandered around the fishing pier, stopped for Starbucks and only made it to the beautiful island of Anna Maria just in time to watch the sunset.

We returned to Indian Shores to an absolutely amazing dinner at Tapas Garden restaurant. Started with fresh baked foccacia and hummus, a lovely Pinot Noir, Fresh Beet Salad (w/cucumber, asparagus, Heart of Palm and sweet sherry dressing), then Filetito (small filet mignon) with portobello mushrooms and bleu cheese butter, finish with Mango Creme Brulee. Ahhhh.

Tomorrow, we’re up early to head for church and then hopefully will enjoy the Canadians beating the Americans in ice hockey at Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Tarzan, Turtles and Full-Suspension Mountain Bikes

We spent an amazing weekend at a BC Provincial Campground near Fernie with three other families from our neighborhood. We each have sons, ages 12-15, who went mountain biking on the wild trails and amazing dirt jumps of Fernie Alpine Resort. In the winter it's great skiing, in the summer it's a teenaged young man's adrenalin rush.

The rest of us kicked back on the beach, swinging from tarzan-style ropes into the lake, or walking the paths spotting Western Painted Turtles, deer, ducks and loons. There were even three horses trotting through the campground about 5 am. Some rancher will be missing them soon. Hopefully he'll find them sooner than the bear that was in the campground the day before.

We all had a great time. View the photos here.

Gifts in the Night

Last summer on our vacation, we stopped in Butte, Montana to see a big hole in the ground.

Actually, it was a mining operation.* While there, we struck up conversation with a mother and daughter. They were unsure their camera would capture the two of them in the complex lighting of the viewing platform, so I took a digital snapshot to email them when I got home.

I just found the email address today. Labels for this post could include "vacation", "disorganization", "relationships" and "duh"!

I hope they find the belated snapshot brings warm memories.

As for me, I am once again reassured that while I don't have everything in its place, if I just look long enough and hard enough (preferrably during an insomnia bout), whatever I'm seeking will eventually turn up.

Seems that some people are looking for happiness that way. Reminds me of "The Pursuit of Happyness" movie which says something about happiness not being attainable but must be continually persued anyway.

My preference is to think of the scripture: "Godliness with contentment is great gain."



*I won't address the environmental questions here which this long-standing operation raised.