Tinker Bell Part 2

On Saturday, January 20^th, we went to “Expo”. This is where Tinker Bell participants pick up anything that was needed for the event. Because of being part of Team in Training and fundraising, we also received a one day one park pass.  After that, we wandered through expo.  As we got to the back wall, we picked up our event shirts and a bag to put everything in. Then we looked around to see if anything at the expo just had to come home with us.  There are all sorts of things to purchase there. There were clever t-shirts about running, running gear, nutrition supplements, tutus, plaques, and many more items.

 

While going through Expo, Lupe mentioned that she had an appointment around 1:00 with a friend. My first thought was that this was odd, because she had mentioned that she was coming to Anaheim to hang out and do whatever it is that we (the event participants) were doing, but I dismissed it. Somehow I got on the topic of this “Friend” being someone that she had met on line. She didn’t deny it, but I’m not sure she actually confirmed that. I asked her, “you’ve met this friend before?” she said yes. I said, “so you trust this friend?” she said yes. She said that she might be going to lunch so Tee (another friend who ran in this event) and I would go to have lunch together and wander around Downtown Disney while we waited for Lupe to come back.

Tee and I wanted to go to a restaurant that we didn’t have in Boise and ended up at “Blues Brothers” for lunch. We were both very happy with our lunch choice. After lunch, we just started walking around Downtown Disney. We looked through stores, people watched and made a couple of purchases.  My phone rang and I picked up. Lupe said that she was done, but that they hadn’t eaten lunch. So she needed to get something. I let Lupe know where we were at that moment. I got off the phone with Lupe and told Tee that she hadn’t had lunch. Both of us looked at each other and asked, “What kind of guy would take her out at lunch time and not feed her lunch???” About that time, my friend Julie called me. Julie wanted to know how California was. She was in Florida at a vet clinic with her husband, so I asked her how Florida was. She said it was rainy, cold, and windy. I was bummed for her, but happy that I was in sunny, warm, and slightly breezy California.

My phone rang again, and it was Lupe.  I hurriedly hung up with Julie, asking if I could call her back in just a minute because I knew that Lupe should be getting close. I called Lupe right back and let her know where we were sitting, waiting for her. And then I realized I hadn’t picked up my free park pass.  I told Lupe that I should call my Team In Training contact and find out where I needed to go to get that.  Lupe had her directions to find Tee and me, so I called my TNT contact and left a message. She called right back and let me know that there was a booth in the Expo where I needed to get the ticket. Meanwhile, as Bonni talked, I watched Lupe come up to Tee and me with her camera out. She appeared to be taking pictures of Tee and me, but then I hear this, “Come here often?”  I look over my left shoulder and…WHAT??? Julie was right there!!! Things have suddenly become crystal clear.  Lupe wasn’t headed out on a date. She went to the airport to pick up Julie. Yes, Julie had been in Florida that day, but she flew to California to surprise me.  They decided to play around a little bit, so Lupe called me. While she was talking with me, Julie called me. While Julie was talking to me, Lupe called me again. Julie was thinking that the fact that both of them had the same music playing in the truck would be a dead give away. Me? “What music?”

I was completely blown away by the thoughtfulness of those two friends.

That evening, we went to the inspiration dinner to carb load and hear how much money Team in Training raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. All of the participants of TNT together raised over $800,000 because of that one event.  How cool is that???

Tinker Bell Part 1

For those of you who have been patiently waiting to hear how Tinker Bell went, I apologize for it taking so long to start this update. But at long last, here it is.

January 18^th, 2013, it was finally time to start the weekend that I had spent 7 months training for.   I worked a half day and then headed on out to the airport. The day before, I was able to check in for the first leg of my flight, but was not given a seat assignment.  I was told that I would get my second boarding pass and seat assignment at the gate. 

For whatever reason, I am a bit of a nervous flyer…not that flying makes me nervous, the being on time, security, and the catching the flight makes me nervous.  I think it’s because I’ve built up some excitement for the trip and want everything to go smoothly. Not getting my seat assignment or the boarding pass for the second leg of my trip made me a little nervous to begin with, but when the adventure started, it was like sitting on pins and needles.

I arrived at the gate and approached the podium to explain that I needed a seat and a boarding pass for my next flight.  They told me that they would call my name and get me both once they started boarding the plane…WHA???? Now the things that are going through my head are, “Is the flight over sold?  I’ve had my ticket since November! They can’t boot me off!” “Am I going to get a seat???” “Are they going to ask for volunteers to not take this flight?” and “I’m not volunteering!”  Then they made an announcement from the podium stating that they would appreciate all larger carry on bags to be checked at the gate.  They would be checked to the final destination rather than pick it up during my layover. So I thought, “I’ll check my bag and then they have to let me on the plane.”  So I did.  I still didn’t have a seat assignment.

Sitting down, I tried to be patient, but I nervously waited for my name to be called. They started boarding the first zone, then the second zone. Finally as they boarded the third zone, they called 5 names…none of those names mine.  Ugh! Then they called 4 more names, mine being one of them (whew!). Receiving my boarding passes, I looked at my seating assignment for this flight and thought, “Wow! I think I’m at the back of the plane.” Sure enough. Very last row, window seat.  Oh well. I’m thankful to be on the flight and it’s only 45-minutes to Salt Lake City.  

As I sat down, I started to think, “oh man! All of my event gear is in that checked bag! If they lose my luggage, I’m in trouble!” Then I prayed over it, finished getting settled in my seat and looked up and saw a handsome man looking at me. Luggage completely forgotten, he scooted in next to me and sat down and said something like, “Sorry that you are stuck with me.” I was thinking that I could think of worse situations. 

Then, a handsome man came and sat next to him. I start looking around and found that I am literally surrounded by handsome men. They filled up the entire row in front of me and across the aisle, and in my row.  As it turns out, these men are part of the Meridian Firefighters Pipes and Drums Band (Bagpipes, that is). I got a huge smile on my face. This last row next to the window seat is not a bad seat at all.

Some of the band members had just gotten back from playing for a funeral in Alaska. I got to tell them about my experience in Scotland listening to the Military Tattoo (120 bag pipers piping at the Edinburgh Castle, and about the solo piper up in a window of the castle as the sun is going down playing “Amazing Grace”). We talked about time spent in Alaska, and where these pipers were headed. They were on their way to Washington DC to play in the Inaugural Parade. Before we took off, a flight attendant offered to take their picture. I said out loud, more to myself then to anyone else, “I could either photo bomb or I could duck behind the seat. There were several, “Get in the picture! Get in the picture!” responses…so I did.

To read about the Meridian Firefighter Pipes and Drums band and their history Click Here.

I found this photo on the Meridian Fire Fighter 

Pipes and Drums FaceBook page. 

We arrived in Salt Lake and there were traveling wishes passed on to everyone.  Then I went to catch my flight to Anaheim feeling good.

Ever been in a situation where you just feel slimed? Talk about a completely different experience.

I got an aisle seat and sat down next to the person already in the center seat.  The window seat wasn’t taken yet. Pretty soon, this man comes to sit down.  I got up to let him in, but the person in the center did not stand up. In fact, this person makes the man climb over to get to his seat, and while climbing over, puts hands on his back and legs.  WHA??? As I sit down, it becomes obvious that they know each other. Please note that I have been referring to “This Person” as “This person” because I seriously could not tell by looking at her/him.  I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but the conversation that consisted of every other word being a swear word, well, it was hard not to hear the conversation. In the course of trying not to eavesdrop, I found out that questionable gender was a female, and the content of the conversation made me feel gross. I mentally tried to get myself back in to the last row window seat of my last flight.

Finally, as the plane took off, the conversation stopped as they became engrossed in a movie that she had brought. Thank goodness.

After coming from weather in the single digits and an inversion in the valley, I arrived in Anaheim, and immediately began to enjoy the gorgeous 70° sunny weather, with slight breeze and went to wait for my friend to pick me up.

We got checked in to our hotel and I went to dinner and met my friend, Lupe, who came in to watch the event and cheer me on.  As we sat having dinner, fireworks started going off. As we turned to look, we discovered that we could see the Disney Land Fireworks from the hotel restaurant.  Nice!

Disney Land Fireworks from my hotel restaurant

Friend who came to visit and watch the event.