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Published: December 9th 2005
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From Ruth& Praveen's Deck
Ruth & Praveen have a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, especially when the sun is shining. Not only is this what you see from their deck, it's also what you see just sitting on their living room couch as I am now. The adventure has begun. I’m at Ruth and Praveen’s house in San Francisco….Pacifica, to be more exact. It’s very early here, but I’m still on Missouri time, so it’s not quite so early for me. Ruth and Praveen are still asleep and I’m wandering around in the dark trying to locate light switches and coffee makers. Mostly, I’m trying to locate my luggage…. But I’m getting ahead of myself with that story.
This adventure is beginning to be adventuresome a little too soon if you ask me. Jay got me to the St. Louis Airport yesterday with plenty of time to spare even though it had started to snow before we left the house around 5 am. He dropped me off and I sat around watching it snow and waiting for my flight to board. The flight was delayed because it didn’t arrive from its previous destination (Chicago) on time to head back to Chicago on time.
After we boarded a half hour late, we sat on the plane while they de-iced it for another half hour, making our arrival in Chicago too late for me to get on my connecting flight to San Francisco. By running (yeah, literally running if you can imagine me doing that) I was able to catch the next flight to San Francisco which was only an hour behind the one I should have been on. I was able to borrow a cell phone from another passenger to alert Ruth so she wouldn’t be circling the airport (for an hour) awaiting my appearance on the curb. I thought everything was relatively okay.
BUT… I got there only to find that my luggage had NOT. They said it was coming on the next flight, arriving 3 hours later, not to worry. Uh Oh…. Doesn’t sound good but the agent assured me it was no big deal. I filled out all the papers to have it delivered to Ruth’s house when it arrived. BUT big red flag waved at me when the agent pointed at an 800 number on the bottom of the missing luggage form and said…”If it doesn’t get there by tomorrow, call this number” !!! I told her that we would be leaving for India tomorrow and I HAD to have my luggage!
Ruth took me on an errand running trip all around San Francisco. We went to her company first so she could show me where she works and introduce me to all the people she works with. It was a little disconcerting when told, “We’ve heard ALLLL about you…” but they seemed to like me in spite of anything they’d heard. They were all great people, but Gus, the chef, found a special place in my heart. We bonded over talk of flowers and pale ales. He’s in charge of anything edible (or drinkable, apparently) in the store as well as all the fresh flower arrangements.
Then we were off to buy some last minute necessities, on which I won’t elaborate (to protect Ruth’s privacy, hehe, but be assured we visited some pretty interesting shops down on Haight St.) After that it was a few drinks then meeting up with Praveen for dinner. All the time it was hard to get my missing luggage out of my head. I kept making a mental list of things I would have to do without in India if it didn’t appear.
I had the clothes on my back, a carry on full of chocolate truffles and other sweets (gifts), my passport and credit card, my basic medication (but only the prescription stuff, not the vitamins and over the counter stuff that was in my suitcase), I had yarn to make a baby blanket, my camera and battery charger, a book, and baggies full of nuts and raisins. That was about all that I had in my carry on, thus….all I had period. Not even my toothbrush! It was hard not to worry.
Since I hadn’t slept in 24 hours by the time I was shown the guest room bed, I was asleep before I had time to acquaint myself with Ruth’s house. As I fell asleep I tried to just assume that I’d wake up today and find my luggage here. Well, I woke up, searched out some light switches, the toilet, the coffee maker….and then wandered around looking to trip over my luggage…. Nope. No luggage that I can find. I have searched the front yard, the back yard and the house. The only place I have not searched is the garage and that is only because I’m not sure how to get into it and I’d hate to set off some sort of alarm.
So, that’s my hope. That is what I keep telling myself… that is that it arrived and Praveen just had them put it in the garage. Something, some small pessimistic voice, keeps telling me it’s not so…. That it’s not here…. that it’s lost in space somewhere, that I will be doing without all those things I thought I needed so badly for my month in India.
I am trying NOT to make a mental list of what I won’t have …. But it’s hard. I keep getting mental images of the inside of the suitcases…. Shoes in the corner of the duffel bag… underwear and socks in that pocket, oh…and my months supply of baby wipes and hand sanitizer!
I’d best just not be thinking about anything this morning. I think I need some Baileys to pour in my coffee. A kitchen cabinet search is about to begin.
Just a little bit ago I thought maybe I’d go out on the deck and wait to see the sun RISE over the ocean. DUH…. The ocean is in the west. Scratch that idea.
We are to be at the airport this morning around 10:30. I guess I’ll be there, with or without luggage.
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Ginger
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WOW
I can't believe in 24 hours you have had so much going on. I am waiting for the next letter to see what has happened. Renny sent this to me because I did not get it. I hope I am on your list.