Family Fun - Sun., June 14, 2015

So here's the scoop on what happened with my wayward luggage that couldn't keep up with me yesterday. After I knew for certain that my luggage was not on the conveyor (pretty conclusive when they close the metal doors and turn off the conveyor), I went to the Southwest Airlines baggage area and filled out a form.

Southwest gave me the option of delivering the bag to Mom's house or picking it up from the airport. Since we were heading to Vancouver, Washington, to visit my brother Frank and sister in law Gina on Sunday, we would be passing by the airport. If I picked up the bag, SW Airlines would give me a $50 voucher to be used on any flight within a year.

Then the agent asked me if I needed any toiletries. It was 10:50 pm and I had no toiletries because they were all in my checked bag. I told her I would love some toiletries because mine were all in my luggage. She went to a back room and came out with a nice blue toiletry bag filled with sample-sized deodorant, razor, mint shaving lotion, mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, and a brush and comb. Very handy, indeed. I thanked her profusely and was on my way. My son played chauffeur for me to my mom's house 45 minutes away. We stopped for a Taco Bell late-night snack on the way.

First order of business on Sunday was to pick up my rental car at Enterprise just down the road from Mom's house. (She gave me a ride.) When it was my turn to talk to an Enterprise agent I said, "I'd like a peppy car, if you've got one." Here is the car they had: a beautiful red Chrysler 200. And it is peppy.

Chrysler 200

On the way to my brother's house, we went to the Portland airport and there was my bag sitting at attention waiting for me to pick it up. A $50 voucher was printed by the attendant and placed in my waiting hand. I was off like a flash to get back to the rental car I had left parked at the arrivals area with my mom in the car.

Frank's house was only 15 minutes away and we were pretty early. On the way, we saw a sign for fresh cherries $1 a basket. That is pretty darned cheap. Mom said, "They're probably in a tiny basket." I asked her if she wanted to stop and she did. She was right, the basket was 2" x 2" and held about 10 cherries. She ended up buying a $5 basket which had about a pound of cherries in it. Today I heard an ad for Safeway that local cherries are $1.99 a basket! I guess we got taken.

Frank and Gina greeted us warmly and we chatted to find out how they've been. They bought a 2013 travel trailer and we saw pictures of it. It's in being detailed and we couldn't go see it on a Sunday. Friday they're taking it up their lot on a lake in Washington state.

Snoopy, their cat, came to say hello. We went outside, sat on their deck, had wine and chatted some more. Lunch was hot pastrami sandwiches with olives and melted cheese, potato salad and sliced beefsteak tomatoes. We "yum"-ed our way through lunch. It was so good.

Frank gave us a tour of their yard which is filled with columbine and bleeding hearts. Their neighbor has raspberries growing along the fence line and they can have the raspberries growing on their (Frank's) side of the fence.

After lunch we played pinochle for a couple of hours until it was time for the NBA play-off game. Then we headed back to mom's house. It was really nice to reconnect.

Thank you Frank and Gina.

One last photo of the beautiful flowers in Mom's front yard.