Getting Old

When I started this traveling stint, I carried my luggage on rather than checking. Used a back pack so I was only dragging one item on and off escalators, parked in Economy Parking and shelped my own bags off and on the shuttles. Times have changed.

First I will confess about my only phobia. I have a fear of DOWN ESCALATORS. I believe it is deep seated and has its roots in the Sears building at 22nd and Mitchell in St. Joe. That was the first escalator in St. Joe. I can still remember Mom trying to get me on the down escalator there. I was terrified, missed the step and fell. To this day I enter the down escalator with trepidation. My criteria is that I must be able to place my left hand on the hand rail. I will stop before I get to the entrance to rearrange my pull luggage, book, bottle of water or what ever, so my left hand will be free to engage with the railing. If I have two pull luggage pieces, I take the elevator as there is no way I can step on the the escalator without touching the handrail. This is why I quit using my rolling briefcase and started using a computer back pack. It kept one hand free while I pulled my suitcase, which I carried on.

In June I needed to take a large suitcase which had to be checked, so I converted to the rolling briefcase and have never looked back. I now check my luggage and enjoy the freedom of not dragging all my stuff with me. Only once (last week) has this created a problem, and then I was on the return leg, so it wasn't too inconvenient that my luggage was delayed. Granted, it requires a wait at the airport for the luggage to be unloaded. I can live with that wait.

For several months Charlie has taken me to the airport and picked me up, thus I haven't been leaving my car and using shuttles. This week he was headed to North Dakota, so I was on my own with transportation to and from the airport. On the way there I was thinking about long term parking and just couldn't make myself go to Economy Parking and drag my luggage around. I went to The Parking Spot, where the shuttle comes to my car, I pop the trunk, and the nice driver retrieves my luggage and places it on the shuttle. So it costs a little more, I deserve it!!