Flight plans........................

I really dislike driving in the morning rush hour.  Also in the rain......and of course in the dark.
This morning I've done all three, taking DH to the airport for his early flight to Dallas. With the heavy traffic and sloshy road conditions, the round trip took longer than usual. Twenty minutes of glaring headlights or red brake lights on the highway to get to the airport. But, as we sneaked a quick goodbye kiss in front of the terminal, and I called out "safe journey", I was already planning a better way home!  
As I exited the airport, glancing carefully at the many painted tails lined up in the early morning rain, I recalled these............... 

These planes were not parked at our airport this morning, but I did fly them in Vietnam last month. In all honesty, it was a scream, and we still laugh when talking about it!

Because Paula and I were the only Business Class passengers on the two flights we took, on landing, a bus was dispatched to take us to the terminal....a very short ride. The flight attendant actually stood with outstretched arms in front of the coach section dividing curtain so passengers could not pass through into Business and try to hop on 'our bus'. Another one was sent for them of course.  Meanwhile we felt really stupid sitting on the bus, hugging our carry-ons thinking other passengers would need the seats, and then leaving on the empty but for us bus.  As this happened twice we realized it was an upgrade perk, along with the hot meal nicely served by polite, smiling attendants - all on a one hour flight!
  
Come on US carriers - you definitely need to take a page, in fact several pages, out of Asian carriers' books!

 Our empty Business Class cabin - a bit lonely!

This morning's rain was manageable and I took the slow way home with less traffic and more stop lights.  Driving this early in the rain makes one aware of things which go unnoticed later in the day. Things gleam and glow - street lights reflected on watery tennis courts nestled among apartment complexes, children garbed in shiny yellow slickers wait patiently at the school bus stops, dripping dogs sniffing wet grass as their hooded people hustle them along the sidewalks.  Just as it became light, I noticed remnants of the Holidays in yards, bedraggled garlands, dripping icicle lights, wreaths with red bows, even a few blow up snowmen - guess those homes are hoping for the real thing before this Winter leaves.

 Beautiful Vietnam countryside - water everywhere, especially in the rice fields.

I thought more about our last day in Vietnam and the road trip from Hue south to Hoi An. Several hours drive through rain, then heavy fog as we crossed the Hai Van Pass. We were given the option of the faster tunnel through the mountain. Of course we chose the alternate route with the promise of excitement and photo ops by going over the mountains. The road was poor compared to our standards, in fact quite scary in sections where roadworks were underway in very muddy conditions, and there were broken or no barriers on the drop off side of the mountain!

Along the coast toward Da Nang, still in heavy rain, we passed My Khe, known as China Beach in the gritty American TV series about a US military evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. I loved Dana Delany in that series - she won two Emmy awards for that show.


Funny how the weather can make one see things differently, bring back memories.............even make one want to just get home and get on with all those things waiting to be done on a rainy day!


What's on your to do list this wet (well it is here) Monday?