Boys finding opportunities to be friends every now and then. This is on a new hike today. Precious to see! Click for more pictures of precious-ness.

As we wait and hope for a flight anywhere close to Southern California (is Arkansas really that far from Pendleton?) I think about commitment. Commitment to family and being there for gatherings. Commitment to school and whether or not I should have pulled Sam out of school earlier to make it to So Cal (as in 3 weeks early like I would normally allow). Commitment to my own family and enjoying blessings close at hand.

But we have enjoyed some lighter moments, too – some very funny memories, both new and old. Like the hike a few months ago on Koko Crater where at the very end of all those stairs in the hot sun we found a guy hiking up backwards. A quick exchange as we passed revealed he’s a pianist who likes to stay in shape. He calls himself “One Sole” (or is it “Soul”?). How interesting, we thought. Then a few steps later Dave lost one of his soles off his Keen hiking shoes and became One Sole himself! Biiiizzaro!  That sort of stuff only happens here. Or…with me. Not sure.

Anyway, today we’re in Sports Authority buying Dave new hiking shoes several months later…with a closed toe in case we happen to get a space-a flight (you need closed-toe shoes). We look up in the sky as we cross the parking lot and I spot a C17 .  You darn military plane! I see you going to the mainland! I see you up there! Then a C40. That one’s going somewhere unhelpful but I can’t remember now because the hourly flight listings I’ve listened to are a blur.  We get into Sports Authority and the boys loosely follow me, bopping balloons all over, hiding in stuff, darting around stuff. I can see them because of the green balloons. Then Ben loses the balloon he’s been holding onto since breakfast. It floats up 25′ to the ceiling lights. So we let it go – after all, boys need to learn consequences.

Then, on our way out, I spot a tall guy who doesn’t seem horribly busy. I stopped and politely pointed with raised eyebrows. “Could you possibly help us???” Ben looked eager. So nice tall guy goes to get a ladder – I said please don’t kill yourself trying to get it, but if you happen to find a way… We met him under the balloon, he with ladder in hand. Ben looking very eager now. Then the nice guy goes to get a golf club to reach the balloon. With club in hand at the top of the ladder, the nice guy goes “What’s your name?” to me. “Do I have to give you my real name?” I ask. Yesterday I accidentally pulled someone over on our way to base to drop Dave’s car off so he’d have a way to get home from the airport in the event we actually fly somewhere this week, so I am still a little sensitive about revealing my identity. He goes “Because I think I know you. You’re one of Heidi’s friends, right?” (This is my good friend Heidi, mom of Holly, the boys’ sitter.) So now it gets really interesting. “Indeed!” I say, turning fairly red for the first time in a long time. Turns out it was Alfonso helping us – Heidi’s son-in-law. And it was his first day at work! He had wanted some new golf clubs so he got a second job to earn some extra money. Nutso, huh? So although this week is not quite as eventful as we thought, just waiting for a flight and wondering when and where we’ll go is pretty adventurous.

I’ve been carefully considering and almost seriously following through on all kinds of contingencies – like flying into Whidbey and driving 7 hours to see another cousin who couldn’t make it at the last minute to the gathering. There’s snow up there, and ice on the mountain passes but I know how to handle that and the boys would love it. I am game. But…I can’t reach anyone at Enterprise! Without a car, that would not be such a good trip. And Dave is shaking his head at all that. And it’s 15 hours to Travis to get a ride back home. The west coast is pretty spread out I’m learning. Whew. Leslie – thoughts are with you all. Wishing I could be there, too. Lots of love to the family, and thanks to mom especially for her forbearance with the multiple ups and downs of this holiday.