Today I completed my final two APPOINTMENTS in my APPOINTMENT-filled week before we head up to Kansas City. Did I mention that my granddaughter would be accompanying us? Well, she won't. She changed her mind. She does not want to be away from both her parents for a whole week. Her brother had already dropped out much earlier. When they originally said they would go, I bought non-refundable tickets for the flight. I think GD would have a good time, but I won't press her, because if she is unhappy for the week, we will all be unhappy for the week. We had resigned ourselves to wasting one airline ticket, but Grandpère was livid about wasting two. Since, in his superior wisdom, he told me from the beginning that it was not a good idea for us to take the children along, and because I did not listen to him, I bore the brunt of his lividness. We were in the car on the way to the lawyer's office when my GD called, so I could not walk away from him. Besides, IT WAS ALL MY FAULT!
I said I was sorry and took full responsibility for the debacle to no immediate good effect. Then, I preached a mini-sermon about how in the large scheme of things, this was not really a huge tragedy, and that we were both old and might not have too many years left and asked, "Should we really spend them in blame and recriminations?" I offered the hope that all would not be lost, for the airline might make an adjustment for us, and he finally calmed down.
The lawyer spoke in plain English, and not legalese, so my eyes did not glaze over once. We settled the business of updating our wills easily and smoothly and went on our way. When I reached home, I called the airline with my sad story, (I'm sure they've heard them all) and the service rep, who was exceedingly polite and helpful, told me that we would be charged a flight cancellation fee of $50 per ticket, amounting to $100 and that we could get vouchers to fly on the airline for the rest of the cost of the tickets. I'm going to name the airline - ExpressJet - because the young woman handled the matter so well. The first hitch is that ExpressJet does not fly to many cities from New Orleans. The second hitch is that on September 1, 2008, they will stop flying out of New Orleans altogether, so our vouchers must be used before then.
ExpressJet flies to San Antonio, where GP have talked about visiting. GP said maybe, although the trip will be quite soon after the trip to Kansas City, and we would not choose August as the best month to go. Anyone can use the vouchers, so if he doesn't go, I can invite someone else.
My ears are tended to, my hair is cut, and my teeth are clean and need no work, so we are good to go.
Kansas City claims to be the birthplace of jazz.
Mimi, I hope all goes well and the trip is stress-free.
ReplyDeleteBirthplace of jazz?!
Jane, thanks. I believe New Orleans makes a claim, and Chicago and St. Louis chime in, too. Who knows? To paraphrase Pontius Pilate, "What is jazz?"
ReplyDeleteI was interviewed for a job in KC once. They took me to a district that they assured me is "just like Seville!"
ReplyDeleteYMMV. Mine did. It was a good steak, though.
IT
PS; in KC where I saw the "The Bible says it, I believe it, that ends it" bumper stickers.....well, you can imagine how welcome this liberal lesbian atheist scientist would have felt there.
Have a great trip. Glad you worked out the plane tickets.
ReplyDeleteIT, was it the Plaza that was just like Seville? I'd have to say not quite. I hope I don't offend anyone, but I wouldn't want to live there. It's not funky enough.
ReplyDeleteI'd find it difficult to live in a landlocked area. Not that I need to be actually on the coast, but nearby. I think it's a form of claustrophobia.
Ruth, thanks. I have one more day online. We leave Saturday.
Grandmère, let us know if everything is up to date.
ReplyDeleteKansas City claims to be the birthplace of jazz.
ReplyDeleteYou have GOT to be kidding me!
(They claim some kind of BBQ primacy too, which is also nonsense.)
Too bad about your GD, Mimi. I bet she would have ended up enjoying being the "only" on the trip...
I hope you have a lovely time!
I lived in Kansas City for a little over 4 years. It was the first place I lived away from home and away from Texas. I went to art school there. I began my long career as a professional student with a BFA from the Kansas City Art institute. I did all my coming out in KC. Thirty years ago, it was a wildly gay town, though deeply closeted (sorta like New Orleans). The Nelson-Rockhill Gallery is one of the great hidden treasures of the United States; a magnificent encyclopedic collection, including one of the finest collections of Chinese art outside of China. The picture I use in my gravatar, Guercino's St. Luke hangs there.
ReplyDeleteI had a great time in Kansas City learning my chops as an artist, making my first discoveries of great art, drinking way too much at wild art student parties, eating BBQ at Arthur Bryant's, and enjoying sex for the first time while rolling in the hay with the farm boys who flocked into KC every weekend looking for other farm boys.
Don't let the squeaky clean all-American city bit fool ya. Kansas City always was a very wild place. That's the city that gave the world Boss Pendergast and Charlie Parker after all.
Skip the Plaza. Who needs a cardboard Seville when you can see the real one?
KC no more invented jazz than Sedalia Mo invented ragtime (so the their chamber of commerce claims).
Paul!
ReplyDeleteDoxy, my son wants to eat BBQ, and BBQ, and BBQ. He's also going to a Royals baseball game. Neither of those activities are my favorites.
Counterlight, I know the the Nelson-Rockhill Gallery well. I have been there several times. Oh the Henry Moores in the sculpture garden! I love Moore. So erotic, ya know, with all the voluptuous curves. It's a manageable museum and not overwhelming like the Met or the Louvre.
So you were wild there 30 years ago? I know a few gay guys who were wild there about 20 years ago.
I hope it's still wild.
ReplyDeleteWild, yes, but the birthplace of Jazz? That's silly.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm ever back there, the Nelson-Rockhill will be a priority.
Have a good trip, Mimi ...
ReplyDeleteAnd, BTW, you're right about August not being the best time to visit San Antonio. September isn't much better. They're the two hottest months of the summer. The nice weather usually comes back by mid October.
Mike, maybe we can catch a meal together, if the trip becomes a reality, even in the heat.
ReplyDeleteJazz can't be born in a city, it can only be born in your heart.
ReplyDeleteIf you make it to San Antonio give me a call. We could have a meet-up!
I'd like that, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the heat wouldn't be much different that what you have over there. But it makes doing outdoor things bit of a challenge during the day.
Mimi, I just remembered that I put a couple pictures of the Riverwalk all decked out for Christmas last December.
ReplyDeleteTake a peak.
Lindy, what wise words. Did Rowan tell you that, or are those truly your words? You're in San Antonio? I thought you were in Austin. All them Texas cities. They run together in my head. OK, I will let you know.
ReplyDeleteMike, your pictures are lovely. Perhaps God will send a little Christmas in August weather while we're there.
Mimi, San Antonio and Austin are fairly close, about 70 miles.
ReplyDeleteMike, so in Texas, that's like what - 10 miles? Thanks, love.
ReplyDeleteOK. The truth is that Rowan said that bit about Jazz. It's no secret that he is the genius around here. But, I'm the one who typed it into your comments section. Let's just remember that.
ReplyDeleteAustin and San Antonio are only about an hour apart.
So Lindy, you are what, in the olden days, we would have called Rowan's amanuensis. I never thought I'd slip that one into a conversation, even on the intertubes. I'll let you know about the trip.
ReplyDeleteHa, something like that, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteWe've been known to drive up there to meet friends for dinner and then drive back. But that was in our younger days when there was less traffic and it was easier to drive at night (glare in lens implants).