Packing and prep were easy this time, principally for lack of heavy clothes. No sweatshirt, which I’ve never
used now that I think about it. No coat, not even a jacket. I figure it will be hot enough without any of it, regardless of
the rain.
The reasons behind this trip were almost completely spontaneous, formulated a mere three weeks before departure. The situation at ESI had deteriorated intolerably. When I started, the company I worked for had about dwindled from 1700 souls to
around 500. During the course of it, I’d gotten my MBA and been promoted to a manager, but seen a relationship with a coworker
deteriorate, and eventually during all of the bloodletting, the very same coworker’s promotion to my manager.
She was thick with
the manager I replaced, and in addition I committed the sin of being promoted over her son in law. It was obvious to the guys
working with me she had it in for me. I had to deny it for the sake of my own sanity, but she had a string of broken professional
relationships behind her, and I was now at the top of her hate list. I found myself with the title of manager but doing the
work of a high school drop out: packing boxes, crating and driving a forklift to dump scrap wood.
Imagine my surprise
when I reached my limit and gave my notice I found that she wanted to argue with me. The first words out of her mouth, and they
came very quickly, were, “What would it take to change your mind?” But none of her promises of better days, aggressive, argumentative
posturing or antagonistic baiting could possibly convince me to stay. The job wasn’t me, and even if I had to take a job pumping
gas I would be happier. So I bought a ticket to
Things were interestingly complicated the night
before and the morning of departure. I had dinner with Mija, who as usual, filled me in on the gossip around and then proceeded
to drop a C note on me, much to my surprise. We had a beautiful dinner chatting away, but why she felt like she needed to give
me money was beyond me.
Mija was one of my conversation partners from Marylhurst. We developed a long friendship out of
it, although what we really had in common was a little mystifying. Mija must have been stunningly beautiful when she was young,
and was still fairly attractive in her mid forties. She married a Korean man from whom she separated by coming to
Andy arrived at 7:30am to do our traditional breakfast on time, dependable
as always and I treated him to a bon voyage breakfast at Elmer’s. We chatted about work things mostly, before moving on to the airport.
I
was nominated for special attention at PDX. After a quick check in, I was directed to the luggage check, after having the large
bag opened and inspected during the initial check in. The line for luggage x-ray was long but perfunctory. After I headed
to the gate, where I was de-shod and wanded and the small pack was opened and thoroughly searched by a woman. I had to laugh
while I was wanded, seeing her deal with the first aid kid with all kinds of unmarked pills, my personals and especially, the gag
bag.
I stocked up on the meds before going, since I figured there was a chance I’d need a drugstore on the road somewhere in
The gag bag this time was a little
more creative. Aside from the usual magic I had the bright idea of swinging through the toy section at Fred Meyer and picked
up some things that would make any ten year old proud: A giant grasshopper I nicknamed Bob, a bag of miscellaneous rubber body
parts, and a crazy rubber tasseled ball that was screaming for tossing and pulling.
After a long wait next to a pissed off Frenchman
that somehow failed a security check. I did some puzzles and hopped on the commuter flight to SEA. The flight was full and I was squirming
but occupied myself with thoughts of the none-too-beautiful attendant and the nice green scenery and mountains that passed me by.
I
worried that I was on the wrong flight for a bit when we passed downtown
Damn! On my
way to Yellow Knife by accident!