1. For years now, I've been determined to leave the house or wherever I'm staying plenty early to go to whatever airport I am flying out of.
I would much rather sit and wait in an airport than rush to get there. I'd much rather sit and wait in an airport than experience high anxiety if, in any way, my trip to the airport gets fouled up and there's a chance I won't make it on time.
Debbie is also committed to leaving for the airport early.
So, today, we left Kellogg shortly before noon so Debbie would, ideally, arrive at the Spokane airport in plenty of time for her 2:50 flight.
We were just past the Broadway exit on I-90, nearing Spokane, when we came upon traffic at a standstill.
It turned out there'd been a three vehicle crash a ways ahead under the Freya overpass.
Local law enforcement closed the freeway and directed the scores and scores of vehicles inching forward on I-90 to leave the freeway at the Sprague exit.
Debbie punched up the WAZE app on her phone and WAZE gave us a route in East Central Spokane that got us, eventually, to 2nd Avenue and on a ramp back onto I-90 past the accident.
We crawled on the freeway for about 40-45 minutes, took about fifteen minutes to get from Fancher and Sprague to our re-entry to the freeway, but thanks to leaving Kellogg so early, and thanks to having free sailing for the rest of the drive to the airport, Debbie entered the airport around 2:15 or so and then she flew through TSA and boarded her flight on time.
Had we acted like nothing could go wrong between Kellogg and the Spokane Airport and left at say 1:00, Debbie would have missed her flight.
Simply leaving Kellogg about three hours before Debbie's flight was scheduled to leave helped us stay relaxed and believing we'd get through the tie up and make it to the airport on time.
And we did.
2. Back on I-90, after dropping Debbie off, I neared the Trent/Hamilton exit eastbound and could see a ways ahead of me that traffic was at a standstill. I didn't know then and don't know now why this was true, but I immediately exited the freeway and decided to leave Spokane via E. Trent Avenue.
At a long stop light I punched Post Falls Pavilion into my Google Maps app and made my way to E. Horsehaven in Post Falls and Post Falls Pavillion's collection of food trucks.
I had already decided I'd give Benzo Box a try and ordered Orange Chicken, breaded deep fried chicken nuggets covered with a moderately sweet orange sauce accented with some kind of pepper that answered the sweetness with some heat. My meal also included two scoops of rice and a very delicious Asian salad.
It was the perfect, low risk place for me to go, given my suppressed immune system.
Aside from a rest room visit, I was outdoors the whole time, never near another person, and sat alone at a heavily shaded table.
It was a fun stop: I hadn't dined away from home for several weeks and I enjoyed it.
3. Back home, Debbie texted me the great news that she landed in Juneau, so everything with her flights worked out great. Katie's wedding is on Friday, June 21. Debbie will get to spend time not only with Katie, but with Laura and TR, the other Babes with Axes. I look forward to hearing what she'll do out and about in Juneau.
After a few days, she'll fly to Fairbanks and meet her niece Misty and Misty's children. Misty is Debbie's niece. A few months ago Misty discovered that Debbie's brother David was her biological father. She contacted Debbie. Debbie and Misty have had many lively telephone conversations since then and now will get to spend time together in one another's company.
It's going to be quite a trip for Debbie!
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