T: The Trip

      I had another idea for the letter T but my head is full of my recent adventure so that's the account you get to read.  This year's T can wait for next year....

      At this moment, I am sitting at the JetBlue gate at JFK but the adventure began at SFO.  Early on last Thursday morning (and we are talking early, even for me - 3:30 am) I drove my silver bug Oskar down to San Francisco to pick up Sonny Boy.  He lives in the Sunset district so we tooled from there a bit south to SF International, made our way out to the long term parking garage, and then got the shuttle back to the terminals.  Security proved to be a challenge on two accounts, one inevitable and one a result of my carelessness.  I have a 4 inch chunk of metal along my right collar bone so bingo - there goes the metal detector.  Pat down time.  Fine.  While waiting for the TSA person I am asked by another TSA person if the bag she is holding is mine.  Yup.  "Do you have a knife in here?" she asks.  "Heck NO," I assure her. Guess what?  I did have a knife in there.  I was using the backpack that I take to work every day and I carry a paring knife in a sheaf.  Oops.  You know where this is going.  Fortunately, we all actually had a chuckle over it because I think they could tell I was flabbergasted.  I also freely released my paring knife to them.

      From there it was a jam packed three days. Tons of walking, hundreds of photos, one museum (MOMA), lots of general tourist behavior, and volumes of good conversation with Sonny Boy and my other traveling companion, Kevin.  On Friday evening, we all attended a rehearsal, out-of-towners dinner for the wedding couple.  That was a blast!  Perhaps forty people present, all very engaging and lively people.  That dinner set the stage for the wedding the following late afternoon.  The ceremony was at Prospect Park in Brooklyn.  The weather prediction had been iffy all week and the evening turned out to be cool and breezy but not wet.  Excellent omen.  I was the celebrant and embraced my role as master of ceremonies.  I had a story to tell.  It was really Tim and Sierra's story but I loved performing it.  Again, the guests were wonderful, interesting, energetic people and I do believe the wedding couple have surrounded themselves with a slew of positive and creative people.  It was an electric place to be.

      I won't get home until late tonight but I was smart enough to take tomorrow off from work.  I will need to collect myself before going back to the trenches.  I had been mentally preparing for this trip since late last fall.  My comfort level with the whole thing varied, depending on my exhaustion and confidence levels.  As the trip is wrapping up, I am pleased to report that it is all good.  I learned a lot, I made sweet connections with new and old friends, and my eyes were further opened to life.  Recharged and inclined to more adventure, I remain alive.