Oh, and a glass sculpture.
We pile everything back into the suitcases. I empty my carry-on (I'll carry your books, I'll carry a torch, I'll carry a tune, I'll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash and carry, carry me back to Old Virginia, I'll even hari-kari if you show me how, but I will not carry a gun! ) and it’s just big enough for the sculpture… that’s wrapped in bubble wrap… that’s in a box.
My carry-on is not exactly new. I’ve had it for over 20 years. I think I won it or it was given to me. Pretty sure the latter. It was black and leather and had a beer manufacturer logo on it.
20 years ago it was cool. Now it’s just convenient.
I cram the glass sculpture box inside and zip it up. Or try to.
The zipper breaks.
I’m not good with names. I admit it. I’m not much better with faces. Maybe worse.
Ruby’s the opposite. She’s always saying things like, “Remember Bob and Cathy? We met them at that party for my Boss’s Uncle’s cousin in law? I saw them today and we had a nice chat.”
I usually just nod. Seems safer that way… otherwise I’ll get ‘an explanation’ which results in me finding out that I remember fewer people then I thought I’d forgotten.
We get on the shuttle to the terminal and Ruby starts chatting with the driver.
“Hi! You drove us from the airport a week ago. You like to take your wife to the Hilton on your anniversary.”
I have no idea how she does that. She’s like Rainman, sometimes. Guess how many arguments I win when it comes to anything in our past?
Me: “Did so!”
Her: “Did not!”
Me: “Did so! I remember because I think I might’ve been there or something.”
Her: “Did not! You had the clam chowder for appetizer followed by the spaghetti which you said was really good but needed more salt. And you wore jeans and your blue T-shirt, not the one with the white stripes, the other one. And you definitely did!”
How does she do that? Maybe she’s just lying about the whole thing.
But how would I know?
She scares me a little.
The Grim Weigher checks my bag and chortles, “Ah ha! Your bag is 58 lbs! Go over to the table over there and take some stuff out.”
We’ve packed a lot into the time we were there… and that’s part of the problem. It’s been part of the problem for the last couple of trips. I do all the planning, because I like doing it and Ruby hates doing it. The last couple of trips I’ve wanted to make sure the kids get to experience as much as possible based on the theory that they may never see it or go, again.
Running around killing herself may not be quite her style.
I guess what I’m saying is we’re not taking the time to smell the pineapple. I keep telling myself, “Next time! Next time it’ll be different!” And it will
I do know that if we return to Oahu… or the next time we go to WDW, there won’t be this need to do everything… Because we already have. Oh, sure there’s a few things we skipped (Pearl Harbor anyone?) but that’s a good thing. Gotta have a few things to look forward to, right?
And now, the part of the TR that you’ve all being dying to read!
THE END