kareina

It has been an emotional couple of days as the news from Seattle alternates between scary and encouraging. Luckily, I haven't had to spend that time alone. Yesterday, when I felt I had done enough work I went over to Villiam's apartment, where we baked Melting Moments cookies, a Cloud Berry Pie, and a Orange Cake, all of which he will take to Phire this afternoon for practice. That got us to late enough in the day Seattle time that my sisters were finally awake, and they encouraged the suggestion that I fly over as soon as I could. So I borrowed his computer and had a look, and there were actually some tickets at fairly reasonable prices leaving the next day. However, I was pretty certain I would need my passport number to book them, so I hopped on my trike home and settled into the computer to book the flights. Doing so made me somewhat nervous, since my family has a bit of a tradition of people booking flights to go see a sick relative, but having them die before the flight could get there, meaning there is a small voice in the back of my mind saying "if you don't book the flights she will enjoy a full recovery". However, I also know that my mom has an amazing ability to recover from stuff that would have killed someone else, and she is just contrary enough to break a tradition if she doesn't think it is a good one. So flights booked.

It did take way longer than usual entering the flights into google calendar, in part because my focus wasn't where it normally is, but in part because I was also talking on the phone with David and carrying on typed conversations in FB Messenger. Since David would be getting up really early to pick me up at 05:00 to take me to the airport I didn't ask him to come over, even though I needed a hug. Instead I sent Villiam a message and asked if he were available to come over. He was, but needed half an hour to finish up what he was doing, which gave me time to update my finances with the price of the plane tickets and the other spending that had happened in the past day or three, send emails to those of my colleagues who need to know that I will be gone, etc.

Normally when Villiam is over we work on projects, play music, juggle, or something. Yesterday we just sat on the couch, me curled up in his lap and talked. Exactly what I needed, and it was perfect to restore me to something more like my normal emotional equilibrium. He went home at 22:40, and I went back to doing useful tasks on the computer for an hour and then talked on the phone with Hjalmar (my other unrequited love, who is in Lund just now doing research for his Master's degree) for a good 40 minutes. Eventually I shut down the computer, finished packing, and tiding up the house a bit, did my (unusually short) yoga session, and went to bed for a 45 minute nap before time to get back up and head to the airport.

David arrived just before 05:00, but which time I had finished packing food from the fridge into my backpack for the flight, and we drove to my office, where I picked up the computer and left a note on my door saying "Seattle, åter 13 Dec", and we drove to the airport. While there he took a moment to use my computer (which I hadn't turned off yet) to check dropbox and his password protected file to look up the password he uses for the Kindle account so that we could get my phone access to it again, so I would have books to take with me. Then he went on his way and I cleared security, without remembering to empty the last 500 ml of water from my backpack, but just put the bag through the xray without thinking of it, and they didn't say a word about it. They did use the little paper thingie over my phone baldric checking to be certain I hadn't been playing in explosives with it recently, but, of course, I hadn't.

Since I knew that Stockholm now has the bus from terminal 4 to terminal 5 which means one doesn't have to go through security again in Stockholm, I re-filled my camelback with a generous amount of water before the flight. I had just time enough to download the books I wanted into the Kindle app on the phone, but not the one audio book, it was only partway done when it was time for boarding. The flight was empty enough I had my row of three seats to myself, so I lay down and slept comfortably for most of the flight, and then got yet another turn of good luck: our flight came in at the international terminal, so those of us with connections to international flights could go out the front door of the plane, while those leaving the plane in Stockholm or with a domestic connecting flight (most folk) used the rear door (which I guess lead to a bus to go to the other terminal).

As soon as we landed I got an SMS from SAS advising that my flight to New York has a new departure time of 13:40 (instead of 12:25), so I made a point of asking at a service counter, but she assured me that I would still have 1.5 hours in New York to clear customs and get to my next flight, which, with a US passport, should be enough time. But I think I will plan to walk briskly.

My sisters tell me that mom is doing better, and the prospect of so many visitors seems to have really perked her up. Her big sister arrived already Monday night from Alaska, I will get there Tuesday evening, and my step sister Kirsty will arrive from Australia on Wednesday during the day. This will be the first time we four girls have been together since 2010, which makes this trip extra special.

I have heard from many friends in Seattle who want to see me when I am there, and am looking forward to that, too. I don't know if I will manage to see everyone, that depends on how mom is doing, as she gets first dibs on my time, but since she has healing to do she will need to rest regularly, and then, perhaps, I can go play with my SCA family as well. Some of them will want to see mom too.

Now it is 10:00 and I think I will go do some yoga and see if I can find a nice corner for a nap before my next flight.