A Quick Trip to NY

I didn't post last weekend because I made a quick trip to NY to visit family and friends. I was frustrated waiting for the ABQ school system to process my application to substitute teach, and didn't have any private lessons scheduled for a few days, so last Thursday morning I suddenly decided to see whether it would be possible to get flights at a not-too-ridiculous price and use my down time to go see the folks at home. There are no direct flights from ABQ to Albany at any time, but I usually choose only one layover, and to stick with one airline for the entire trip. But by stringing together three flights each way on a variety of airlines, I was able to book flights on Saturday and Wednesday.

The company where Stephen works is very close to the airport, and I knew that when their employees fly, they leave their cars in the Enerpulse parking lot and walk to the airport. So at lunchtime on Friday, Stephen took a few minutes to show me how it's done. You simply cross the street, walk through a parking lot between two warehouses, up an embankment, through the desert, over the fence, through the airport parking lot and parking garage, up two escalators, and voila -- you are at the ticket counter. It takes 10 minutes if you don't have any luggage. I was a little nervous about accomplishing this alone in the dark on Saturday morning, but Stephen assured me that the parking lots are lit up, there's a security guard on duty at the warehouses, and the desert part is next to the parking area for the shuttle buses which is also lighted.

My first flight on Saturday was delayed, but left me just enough time in the Dallas/Ft.Worth airport to find my gate and visit the ladies room. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and my family picked me up at the Albany airport. I had traveled light, and it was 50 degrees in ABQ when I left, but Mom had foreseen this and brought an extra jacket to the airport. Dad had visited my house in Schuylerville earlier in the day, turning up the heat and leaving food in the 'fridge. What a lovely welcome!

I had such a nice visit for the next three days! I went to church, walked with my Mom, went out to dinner with my folks and brother, had lunch with my mother-in-law, a Saratoga walk and dinner at Karavali with a friend, and was able to visit school and say hi to my former colleagues and students. I did not appreciate the cold temperatures, cloudy skies, and the fact that I was too late to see any pretty foliage. But otherwise, it was an excellent visit.

My trip back was complicated by the fact that the first flight was delayed past any hope of making my connection. At Albany airport, they gave me a whole new itinerary that added three hours to my total travel time, but did get me back to ABQ with just enough time to shower and change before my scheduled piano lesson. Upon arrival at the apartment, though, I had an email from my student's mom cancelling because the poor little guy had broken his finger. So I was able to finally rest. I had been going for fifteen hours at that point, so I was glad for the break.

While I was in NY, the ABQ school system did finally schedule me for the substitute teaching orientation, and shortly after I got back, the flute teacher I'll be filling in for at the music studio decided that she will start her maternity leave on Monday. So happily, I returned to be busy and hopefully productive.