Day 1

3:30 is early to start the day.  The definition of a true friend is someone who will pick you up at 5 in the morning and haul you and your 8 pieces of luggage to the airport – an hour away.  Charles and Aileen Bailey fit the definition to a tee.

I experienced my first full body pat down at TSA. It was thrilling! My handkerchief in my back pocket set off the machine and sent me down the pat down line.  When they say remove everything in your pockets, they mean EVERYTHING! Next stop Houston.

Made it to Houston Hobby, waiting on Ft Lauderdale flight and hoping the luggage makes it also.  I took my very first airplane flight from this airport on June 6th, 1959 on my way to USMC boot camp. It sure has changed in 53 years. Sally also had her first flight experience here, although it was landing, not taking off. She and her family arrived at Hobby in 1950 via Eastern Airlines as they moved from Pennsylvania to Texas.
A quick flight across the Gulf and Florida to Ft Lauderdale.

There was virtually no line at embarkation and we boarded our home for the next four months.

A miracle – all the luggage made it and made it to the room. Why in the world did we bring so much stuff, and where are we going to stow it? (a nautical term). It all found a place, more or less but it will be several days before we get it all properly sorted out. A brief tour of the ship, an early dinner and we were rocked to sleep as we left Ft Lauderdale. Didn’t even visit the casino.

Where are we going to put all of this?