Party Animal

I'm home in Berwyn after a long day of travel, though not as long as that had by my fateful companion. We awoke in Houston at 6:30 AM. I had gone to bed around 1:40 AM because I was up late packing my bags and then attempting to parce them down to the 50-pound weight limit. I awoke to the Outdoors Show, a program aired early Saturday morning on Houston sports radio. A caller with a heck of a hick accent was calling to say that he was selling a pump action shot gun for $150. The host allowed the caller to give a description of the item, then broadcast the seller's telephone number several times. Next, the topic of conversation turned to fishing along the Gulf Coast. Finally, I turned off the alarm as the topic changed to "how to find a good squirrel hunting dog." I was definitely overjoyed to be leaving Texas after hearing that radio program!

Heavy rain continued through the morning -- as we drove to Einstein Bagels to pick up breakfast and a thank-you gift for Kraig and Maryann, who were our 8:15 AM chauffeurs; as we loaded our luggage into the car; as we unloaded our luggage at IAH; as we took off. Well, as I took off. My plane was fortunately very close to being on schedule. After all, the weather was crappy and the airport was at least twice as crowded as it was at Thanksgiving. Jordana, on the other hand, sufferred at the hands of a mechanical problem that grounded her flight for around 3 hours before she was transferred to an alternate plane. While the 140-mph tail wind pushed my plane ahead of schedule into Philadelphia, poor Jordana sat and sat at the gate in frustration. I feel terrible for her and I'm so glad she is finally home and out enjoying her first evening back in LA.

At home I was greeted with homemade beef stew, one of my favorite meals! I then learned that our house was to play host to a 7:30 PM office party for my Dad's co-workers. I tended the fire and ate cheesecake while chatting with the guests about Jordana, Houston, medicine, cadavers (of course), Katrina, Tulane, and childhood memories (there is very low turnover in Dad's office, and all of his co-workers know my life history better than I do). I really enjoyed chatting with everyone, and they apparently did too: they stayed until close to 11:00 PM despite long drives home for several of them.

Tomorrow I am being taken to church by my family. We depart at 10:30 AM. This will be my first church-going experience since attending the megaplex service at the Lakewood Church in Houston. I don't expect to see any JUMBOTRONS or rotating globes at tomorrow's service...