Auntie Mo

Maureen is a world-champion hostess. We were not world-champion guests. Eric's wife, Cindy, was caught in a bind, trying to get out of Virginia with thunderstorms threatening. Would she make it to the Seattle airport in time? Should we camp out at the airport hotel? Should we stay at Maureen's? Eric was a bundle of worries. I don't respond well to worrying about things that you have no control over. And Maureen was in the middle of this storm.

I wasn't enjoying the angst, how could she? But she is a good friend and a world class hostess. She took us on a drive so we could see ALL of Seattle. It was fun and may have calmed a few nerves. We went to Pike's Market and saw the world's first Starbucks. We also had the world's worst salmon and fries. I still can't get that taste out of my mouth and it has been over a week. Everything world rated, but, as I said, our senses were on alert.

It all worked out - sort of. Cindy ended up flying to Vancouver, where the cruise started. Eric and I stayed at Maureen's so we could get an early start in the morning of the cruise launch. We both lost the price of the hotel by the airport. Cindy had to pay a kagillion dollars extra to switch flights. But that was nothing. Eric and I arrived at the airport just as Cindy's plane landed. We waited in a Walmart parking lot until she said she was ready to be picked up. Eric was so happy to see her. We got to the boat okay, but that is a different story, for a different state.

Next stop, Alaska.