Airport Hotel

We're at the lovely Holiday Inn Express in Burlingame with a view of the runways coming out towards the bay.  There are periodic low rumbles as jets take to the skies.  I still slept like a rock - for 7 hours.  I went to bed at 6:30.  J. (bless his heart) went and read books and watched TV on his phone in the lobby.  I never heard him come in to the room - I was wiped out. 

We're vertical and showered and will be on the shuttle to the airport in 45 minutes or so.  7:10AM departure for Atlanta - one and a half hour layover there then onward to Miami.  Our boarding instructions for the cruise tell us to not arrive at the port terminal before noon - and we're grateful to comply.  No alarm needed tomorrow and we'll be boarding the Bliss and settling in to our cabin. 

The days counter on our phone is finally at zero for this adventure!!

We left H. with clear instructions and his fervent promise(s) that all will be well.  I feel pretty confident that he will stick to the rules and I've expressed how nice it will be to actually go on a cruise and not have a lot of drama surrounding the trip.  First time in a few years, fingers crossed.  He has an appointment at the Arco gas station near our house today and will hopefully be working next week?  We'll see.  In the mean time, he has his tax refund and a couple weeks of unemployment to keep him going - though he says 'I have some money but I'm pretending I don't'.  Good plan.  We gave him a bit of grocery money - he and J. did a stock up trip before we left but he will run out of milk and bananas - and gave him 21 one dollar bills so he could try riding the city bus - $3 a day for unlimited rides.  I told him 'if you're bored and getting stir crazy, get on the bus and ride around town.  It's inexpensive and gets you places and once you know the routes, you can plan to get wherever you want to go'. 

When J. and I are in new places, we ride the bus!  Best way to explore.  Or the subway.  But Tracy doesn't have a subway.  :-)

Work this week was fast and super swamped.  I left feeling things are mostly 'done' but things are never really done so there's always a sense of dis-ease surrounding being gone for weeks.  I comforted myself with internal reminders of 'this is the last paid vacation you're ever going to have to fret about the work part - so just get through it'. 

I've had stomach stuff happening for three days and am pretty afraid to eat at the moment.  Likely trip stress? 

We have two 'at sea' days Sunday and Monday and will spend time exploring the ship.  Playing miniature golf.  And riding go-carts.  It's a pretty amazing ship, to say the least. 

I'd better sign off to re-pack and get ready to catch the shuttle.  I also feel compelled to put on makeup and be as presentable as possible.  We're flying first class today!  What a treat!