Andy enjoying a breakfast of champions at IHOP Sunday

March 25, 2014 – Tuesday

17 degrees/cloudy/calm

Minneapolis, Minnesota

It’s just a bit past 2 AM and I’m not sure whether I ought to try going back to sleep or stay up for the day. I found a nook here at the airport that has plush padded benches and I enjoyed a three-hour snooze earlier. Unfortunately, the cleaning crew came through with sweepers and floor polishers blazing, resulting in an abrupt end to my slumber.

With our labors finished, Andy and I decided to take a mini-road trip Sunday and drive up to Alexandria, Louisiana, an hour north of Leesville. We had a lot of fun shopping for a new laptop computer for him and I took the opportunity to pick a computer tech’s mind about the best technology to use for teaching while hiking the Appalachian Trail next year.

Andy scored a nice Hewett Packard computer for a mere $9. First off, the machine was on sale. Then when he went to pay for it, my youngest son produced a fistful of gift cards, those he’d received over the past several years as Christmas and birthday presents. When added together, they paid for the computer.

Andy and his best buddy, Tony, setting up his new computer

The tech and I talked about using a tablet with a wifi hotspot (cellular data), and a keyboard when I’m on my hike. It will be charged by a small backpack solar panel, worn on the outside of my pack. The upside is that I ought to be able to teach intermittently on the trail. The downside… cost. It appears I’ll have $600 sunk into the trail/teaching project before it’s all over. The cost is worth it. I don’t want to give up my teaching. It is something I really enjoy and provides a welcome supplement to my regular pension. I’ve dreamed of hiking that darn trail for forty years, I’m not getting any younger and my eyes aren’t getting any better. I think I either attempt the 2,180 mile hike next year or I’ll probably have to forget about it. It’s a one-shot deal.

Andy treated us to a great breakfast at IHop. We both had steak, eggs, hash browns, and all the fixings and walked away an hour later stuffed.

Sunday night was spent returning the U-Haul van and later, watching television.

Monday morning saw us grilling strip steaks on the charcoal grill for breakfast. I decided to have eggs and since we’d packed all the pans, I fried them in butter on a cookie sheet. It worked well. Along with baked potatoes, a farewell breakfast fit for kings was greatly enjoyed.

We left the house today around noon bound for Houston. I hated to tell Andy goodbye at the airport. We have that rare ability to work (and play) side by side for days without seeming to get on each other’s nerves. I’m going to miss my little guy until we see him again.

My flight was half an hour late leaving Houston, but otherwise, was smooth all the way to Minneapolis. Anticipating the twelve-hour layover, I was the last to get off the plane and wandered around looking for a nesting place. I finally found one with the needed criteria, a padded bench on which to lay and a nearby outlet.

I think I’ll walk out into the main terminal and purchase a cup of coffee. There are two or three final projects that have come in plus a few late weekly assignments, certainly enough to keep me busy for a couple of hours. I’ve got a couple of books on my iPhone through the Kindle App, but the print’s too small. I’m going to have to order a new Kindle Fire later this week. My old one shut off last week and has refused to wake up. First the Kindle, then the television; last week was a tough one for electronics on Pentoga Road. It almost makes me wonder if we had a super surge of electricity. Both were plugged in when they died.  

My flight’s due to depart around 11 this morning for Iron Mountain. With any luck, I’ll be home around 1:30 this afternoon. Sargie’s off today and I can hardly wait to see and hold her. I’ve missed her terribly.

Then, of course, there’s our puppy dawg. Though not nearly as beautiful, his enthusiasm will match or exceed that of Sargie’s. I’m prepared for multiple bulldog slurps and kisses and an initial game of blood and guts fetch. It’s what we do.

Next stop, Pentoga Road. But first, it’s time to get this uploaded and hunt down a cup of coffee. There’s little doubt that I’m up for the day.

After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road, by way of Minneapolis, Minnesota…

Sunset on Monday evening from 36,000 feet