Although there was a fair amount of complexity involved...we began preparations for our annual migration to LKSD in the week before our actual departure. They consisted mostly of a series of trips to the post office, so that we could mail as much as possible up here. I haven't assured myself that it is cheaper than taking totes on the plane, but, given the fact that we travel with three dogs, it is likely much less stressful. The process took us until Saturday to complete, the day that we left to see my sister in Chicago.
We had a wonderful summer, getting to spend some time with family and friends. We celebrated the entry into the world of three new babies, and I got to see one of them before my wife did, which aggravated her to no end, and entertained me to no end. We rode our bikes, and I got to ride my new bike, although probably not as much as we should have.
Saturday, August 6 was the day that we set for our exodus into the wilds of Chicago. In a former life, the challenges of the city did not require the adjustments that they do now after twenty-five years of rural life. Keep in mind that the rural life that I have been living for the past two years is especially rural by comparison with the setting in Cadillac Michigan. Our drive to Arlington Heights, Il was smooth and without incident. We got to see my sister Liz, and her new house, which is really nice. It has a park where we could walk dogs and do keen stuff like that. Our visit was very pleasant, and we look forward to future visits.
On Sunday, we made the 20-minute ride to the airport without incident. It was to be the last thing to go that smoothly for the entire day. I returned our rental car, and went to the terminal, only to find my wife still in line with a look of consternation on her face. She was being told that we did not have reservations on the airplane for the two of our dogs that travel in the cargo hold. She had previously made such a reservation, and had confirmed that a week or so before we traveled. Nonetheless, we were told that it was a no-go. She would have to take the dogs on a later flight that would take her through Seattle and into Anchorage at 2 a.m. As far as Bethel was concerned, she would not arrive there until Monday morning.
There had apparently been space reserved for Buddha, our little guy, to fly inside the cabin. We decided that I would take him, head for Anchorage, get some groceries, get to Napaskiak, get into the new house, and try to start making some headway on moving in before she got back. I managed to contact Liz, who was able to come over and pick up Chelsea before she went to work, and said that she could take her to the airport before her evening flight. Would it all work? What fate awaited the travelers on their way home? More clues will follow...
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