That's right, I got my white ass out of bed at 0330 to head across Tampa to the airport to catch my 0600 flight. I left the house by 0400 and, with waiting for the shuttle and whatnot, was in the TIA terminal by 0500. Like usual, I didn't really get a second glance at the TSA check-in, and settled down with the iPod, Starbucks, and a book to wait for them to board my flight. I was way in the back on a window seat. Kinda knew I'd be eating my knees on the flight to Houston, but no biggie, only a 2 1/2 hr flight.
Of course, we had a ramp delay and got to sit on our asses on the taxiway for a good 35min, so that didn't help.
We landed in Houston AFTER my flight to Portland was supposed to have started boarding, and, of course, my flight from Tampa deplaned at gate E9, and my connecting flight was way the fuck over on C32. So, of course, I ran.
Get to the Portland gate, huffin' and puffin', and I am towering over the people boarding the plane by t least six inches. The woman at the desk took one look at me and stated that the flight wasn't even half full and would I like an exit row seat. Well, hell yes, I would! So I sit down in the second exit row with an off-duty FA catching a flight home. The captain says we have a 5hr expected flight time, and you know what I did? I stretched out my legs in front of me and just grinned. Then I finished 'The Falcon and the Snowman" and started "Deadly Decisions." For some reason I cannot fathom, I haven't been able to sleep on a plane in years. So I read and listened to the iPod and the FA snoring beside me. At about 1135 Pacific time we landed in Portland. Yep, Left Tampa at 6am, into Portland 5 1/2 hours later. carry the one, multiply by 42, subtract thursday....hmmm....So, basically, at this point, I'd been up for 11 hours but my watch was trying to tell me it was only 8. Tricksy watches.
So, I grabbed my bags and headed to the rental car counter.
Sorry guys, nothing cool this trip. Oh, I had the option to get a 2010 Challenger, but it was $100 more than I was paying, so I have a Chevrolet Aveo.
Man, I shoulda got the Challenger.
Ok, this is gonna surprise all of you, I know it. I get the Aveo off the airport, have the GPS all plugged in and the iPod "Iron Eagle"-ed up, and....it's raining. In Oregon. In February. But not RAIN rain, like the monsoons that Tampa gets, but nice little showers. Now, as most of you know, I'm a huge Aviation geek, and, since Nellie is NOT, I set it up so I could hit the Tillamook Air Museum and the Evergreen Air and Space Museum on my way down from Portland to see her, thereby not annoying the hell out of her by dragging her to them. Man, I LOVE these NW Oregon roads. I mean, just look at that ^^. So, rainy, mountainous, twisty turny.
Yep, you guessed it. The Aveo blew a tire about 20mi from Tillamook, as I was accelerating out of a 30mph switchback and up to the 55mph straight speed limit. In the rain. In 50deg weather. Was fun changing that, I tell you. Luckily it blew right AFTER a corner where there was a shoulder I could change it on. Also luckily, this happened in OREGON, where people understand following distance and know how to drive in the rain in the first place. In Florida, if that had happened and I was fishtailing like I did, I would have been hit four times before being able to get the car straight and to the shoulder. But, here, the few cars following were following the mountains+rain 10sec rule and were able to miss me easily. One old lady even pulled over and asked if i needed help. I managed not to laugh but it was a funny mental image of this woman in her seventies tying to change that tire in the rain and cool. But not many people offer to help anywhere these days, so I thanked her and got to it with the jack. Many many curse words and a change of shirt later, I was on my way again. I followed "Mandy" giving me directions (My GPS thanks to SnL), and made it to Tillamook, which, surprisingly, is not easy to find for a former coastal defense blimp hangar.
See.....This freaking place is massive. And, dry. Though not heated. I, however, have thick skin. And my Stuttgart letter jacket, because, let's face it, I'd been drenched an hour before.
Remember the scale of this photo. That's my 6'3" lanky ass in front of the WWII P-38L Lightning. You think I look small compared to IT, wait till tomorrow's post ;) 9Yes I brought my mini tripod)
Ah, the TBM Avenger.
Again, wanted to give you guys a sense of scale. That's a Mini-Guppy, bigger than a B-29 Superfortress, in front of the blimp hangar that houses the Museum's collection. And you can tell it's raining.
So, I pull into McMinnville around 4 and am on the lookout for my Hotel for the evening I had reserved. The GPS tells me I am at it, but it's not there. While driving in circles looking for it, the sun comes out, and I got to shoot this rainbow over McMinn. Then I got fed up and called the hotel. I was in front of it, but, since they had been bought out by Motel 6 the week before, I couldn't find it, since I was still looking for "The Paragon". But they had my reservation and rate already saved for me, so everything turned out hunky-dory. And I'm only 3 miles from the Evergreen Air and Space Museum, which I will be spending most of tomorrow at before heading south to meet up with Nellie for the next 4 days. Now that I've posted, I'm going to go tear into the OTHER half of the family-sized lasagna I bought from the Pizza Hut down the street. WHAT? I'm hungry, damnit. Haven't eaten anything since 4am EASTERN. That's 17hrs ago!!!
So, 'till tomorrow and a surprise rare opportunity the Evergreen Museum has granted me.
Off to do my Garfield impression.
nom nom nom.
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