Today was a stressful day that forced me to try to rein in my anxieties. I got up earlier this morning so that I could say good bye to Marissa. She was off to dogsit for a client for two weeks. I was hoping to have some one on one time with Dov. My flight was at 6:35 and since there isn't the hellhole of American Customs and I was already checked in, I estimated that a little over an hour gave me more than enough time to catch my flight with time to spare. Dov called a car service he uses for airport runs. He told me they were reliable and cheaper than a taxi. He asked for a pick up at 4:30. I still wanted to do a little shopping and Dov assured me that we had more than enough time to get down to Chelsea and back. Unfortunately, Kaya had to be walked first. We finally left about a half hour later than I had hoped. Dov still felt that time was not a problem, so we headed to the subway station. Unfortunately we did not know that there were difficulties on the tracks around the Manhattan Bridge. We waited a long time for the train to arrive and then it seemed to creep along the rails. Once at the first station in Manhattan, we had to change train for one additional stop. We should have walked. We waited and waited but our train didn't arrive. We also saw the Brooklyn train wait in the station for quite a white before leaving the station. This did not bode well. It was almost 3:00. With the delays on the bridge, I began to worry that we would get to our destination just in time to return back immediately.
Fortunately, I had my list ready, found the objects I needed all in the same section and was at the checkout in about fifteen minutes. Dov was amazed at how quickly I was done. His own shopping has barely begun after fifteen minutes. Because of the delays on the other lines, Dov opted for the express train. It was fast, but necessitated going one station farther and a few more blocks walking. It was a beautiful day and already being anxious, I agreed walking was the better choice. Unbelievably we got to the apartment with twenty minutes to spare. Our shopping spree had taken fifteen minutes. The train rides took seventy-five. My suitcase was all ready and a few minutes before my pick up I headed out to wait for the car....and wait....and wait....Dov called the company. It promised to arrive within five minutes. We were now into heavy rush hour traffic. Still there was no car. Dov started to look for a cab. A few minutes earlier we had seen a few. Now none were in sight. By the time the car arrived, we were already twenty minutes behind schedule.
I could feel the anxiety building. I have an aversion to being late. I had managed the shopping fiasco without losing it. I didn't know if I could continue projecting a semblance of of calm self control. I knew I had to let go of the fear I now had of missing the plane. Traffic was stop and go for a good part of the trip, but the driver was very adept at maneuvering around it. I engages him in conversation in order to keep from grinding my teeth or fretting about the time and traffic. I arrived at the Westjet desk at 5:45 to learn that flight was scheduled to depart at 6:20, not 6:35. I was even later than I thought, i didn't even have the time to panic. Without any delay, the attendant printed out a boarding pass and baggage tags. The flight had already started boarding. The gate was at the other end of the terminal. The attendant grabbed my suitcase, and put it on a cart just headed out to be loaded on the plane. Then I followed him as we rushed to the other end of the terminal. There was a long line for security but he bypassed the line and put me at the front. Of course I beeped going through the metal detector. Security told me that I had two choices, be patted down or go through the X-ray machine. I chose the latter. It was much faster and less invasive. Pearson needs to get one.
Now I had to find my gate. True to Murph's Law, it was the one farthest from security and there were no automated sidewalks. I didn't even bother putting my shoes back on and moved as fast as I could to the gate. No one was in the lounge at the gate and I was the last person to board the plane. Everyone else was already settled in their seats. As I stepped into the plane, the stewardess commented that I had lost my shoes. I didn't put them on until I had collapsed into my seat. Less than five minutes later, the plane began to roll towards the runway for take off, too close for comfort. Between heading directly to the desk for help and being escorted quickly past the crowds, I managed not to lose it. This was my shortest wait ever for a plane to take off. However, it is still not a scenario I want to go through again.
The flight home was even faster than the flight to New York and we arrived a half hour early, so early that there was still another plane at our gate. Flying on a Tuesday evening in winter is a good idea. The terminal was practically deserted and most of the officers were chatting or twiddling their thumbs. My suitcase was already riding on the carousel when I got there. I have never been able to leave the airport in so little time.
Thank goodness for Gila! Not only did she come to pick me up, but she had also prepared me a food package, chicken and vegetables for dinner and yogurt, cheese and fruit for breakfast.
I have never honestly doubted Dov's feelings for me, but we have had a very long history of not being on the same page, so although I had been invited enthusiastically, I had some concerns. As I left, Dov admitted it was probably the best time we had spent together and thanked me many times over my generosity and for treating him and Marissa to an amazing weekend. Therapy works!
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