I'm Not Making This Up

 I overheard a conversation the other day about the best ways to eat squirrel. The folks were discussing which spices they prefer as well as which veggies best accompany squirrel dishes--THERE'S MORE THAN ONE SQUIRREL DISH????. I couldn't get past the fact they eat squirrel to take any notes to report back to y'all.  

The Tuesday Night/Friday Afternoon Hang

My occasional Tuesday night/Friday afternoon hang, is a group of retired teachers. They also comprise my third book club. I don't think I've written about them, because I'm not as entrenched on a personal level. However, make no mistake, I think these ladies are just as wonderful--but in a different way than my church of Christ friends. 

The Church of Christ women are very sweet and Southern, preferring to keep topics to polite society, Jesus and family. 

My Tuesday night/Friday afternoon ladies are more down to earth, keeping their topics to family, politics, and one or two of them have been known to drop a four letter word when the occasion exists.

If you were to put either crowd in Downtown Phoenix, the Tuesday night/Friday afternoon ladies would figure out how to forage, catch an Uber and hit Scottsdale Fashion Square and then meet up in Old Town and close out the night. The Church of Christ Ladies would high-tail it to Mesa. Both groups would brag they had the best time--and I'd believe them.

I don't go out with my Tuesday/Friday group every week. Other obligations, etc. However, after being shut off from the world because of my foot, I asked Marty to drop me off at the restaurant Tuesday night. Turns out out a few of them remembered I had a birthday. My gift was pretty flowers and a lot of laughs from amazing women who bring out the best in me.

These Things Have a Way of Working Themselves Out

When all was said and done, I'm flying from Little Rock to St. Louis. Thanks to Southwest's fledgling business, I paid a whopping total of $54 for my round trip, 6 p.m. flight. I'd spend more than that in gas if I were to drive. 

The downside? There will be no Bevmo or Missouri coffee haul back with me. Looks like I'll just have to make another trip later in the year. 

4 a.m. Logistics

Foot permitting, I'm visiting Bliz later this month. The catch being how am I getting there. 

Living in the almost center of the United States, St. Louis is one of those almost-far enough away cities where flying doesn't always make that much sense. 

If I fly from Texarkana, I have two issues: the cost: $800, round trip, basic economy (non refundable) on Texarkana's only airline--American. And let's just pretend that wasn't exorbitant. The other issue is the flight leaves at 6 a.m. ONLY if the plane is there and the weather permits. At least once a week, that flight doesn't take off. So, I have a 1 in 7 chance of missing my flight. 

My Dallas leg takes off at 9:30 a.m. (there are later Dallas flights I could book but they are even more expensive up-front, and I'd have to wait around the airport). Doing some quick backwards math, if weather related, I'd probably find out the flight isn't making around 4:30 a.m., and then have to drive the three hours to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport--in the weather--park, get through security, etc., to catch my flight. If I miss it, I have to pay more. 

If I just book my flight out of Dallas, I would be spending the three hours driving to Dallas, the two-plus hours flitting around the airport, for my one and half-ish hour flight. In that time I could have driven to Bliz's house.

If I fly from Little Rock: the one hour nonstop* flights take off at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. The morning flight doesn't cut it for me. Assuming a boarding time of around 5:30 a.m., I'd have to leave my home around 2:30 a.m. Clinton Airport is awesome, I can walk from long-term parking to the terminal in less time than it takes me to catch their shuttle. In fact, I think my best time from parking, through security to the gate is less than 30 minutes. Conversely, I can spend the night in Little Rock to catch that morning flight, but if I'm driving to Little Rock the night before, why not keep driving? 

The 6 p.m. flight is much more reasonable. However, if I were to drive, I expect I'd arrive in St. Louis by 2 in the afternoon. 

I certainly don't mind driving. The route is easy: I cut diagonal across Arkansas, then up to St. Louis. There'd be a lot more flexibility with my trip and I can arrive earlier in the day. I can leave when I want--or when Bliz gets sick of me. And, I can load my car up with St. Louis-type stuff we can't find locally or in Little Rock. I'd probably spend about the same amount on gasoline as I would on air fare, thanks to Southwest's Tuesday Web specials. The unknown is my still broken foot. Will it be up to a 500 mile drive?

*Why nonstop? Every other flight from Little Rock to St. Louis is more than six hours. By that time, I could have driven.