BACK TO WORK

MARY AND I WERE BOTH AMAZED.  ONE DAY YOU’RE ON A TROPICAL ISLAND WITH NO CARS, RIDING YOUR BIKE AROUND THE BIG PUDDLES ON THE SAND STREETS AND THE NEXT DAY YOUR ON THE DESERT IN BUMPER TO BUMPER LAS VEGAS TRAFFIC.  THE WONDERS OF AIR TRAVEL.

LEAVING BELIZE WE HIT THE DUTY FREE SHOP AND BOUGHT FOUR ONE LITER BOTTLES OF GENTLEMAN JACK.  A NICE SAVINGS WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY THE LIQUOR TAXES.  WE WERE EACH ALLOWED TO BRING BACK TWO JUGS TAX FREE.

THE DUTY FREE SHOP PACKS THEM UP IN NICE CARDBOARD BOXES, AND THEY HAND YOU THE LIQUOR JUST AS YOU ARE BOARDING THE PLANE.  INTO THE OVERHEAD BIN AND THE NEXT STOP IS HOUSTON TO PASS THROUGH “USA” CUSTOMS.  NO PROBLEM.

NOW WE’RE GETTING READY TO FLY THE LAST LEG OF OUR JOURNEY, HOUSTON TO VEGAS. SORRY SIR, YOU CAN ONLY CARRY ON 3 OZ OF A LIQUID.

“HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM”

FOUR JUGS OF TOP SHELF JACK DANIELS TENNESSEE WHISKEY AND WE CAN’T JUST THROW IT IN THE OVERHEAD BIN?  OUCH, WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS?

YOU HAVE TO PUT THE JUGS IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE OR LEAVE IT.  SO HERE WE ARE IN THE HALLWAY OF BUSH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPACKING OUR LUGGAGE.  DID I MENTION THAT THIS IS HOUR NUMBER FOUR OF THIRTEEN HOURS WITHOUT A CIGARETTE?

THE TWO BOXES JUST WOULDN’T FIT IN MY BACKPACK, SO I OPENED ONE BOX AND PUT THE BOTTLES IN THE PACK.  WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THESE GLASS BOTTLES ARE GOING TO MAKE IT TO VEGAS WITHOUT BREAKING IN A BACKPACK?

AS WE WERE STANDING AT THE LUGGAGE CAROUSEL IN VEGAS TO CLAIM OUR BAGS, I COULD SMELL MY BACKPACK BEFORE I EVER SAW IT COMING AROUND THE RAMP.

I QUICKLY GRABBED THE SMELLY WHISKEY DRIPPING PACK AND TRIED TO DISAPPEAR IN THE CROWD.  I RAN DOWN A NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING JANITOR, COLLECTING THE GARBAGE, AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN I WANTED HIM TO GIVE ME A NEW EMPTY GARBAGE BAG.

THE PLASTIC GARBAGE BAG DID THE TRICK AND AT LEAST WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE A CAB TO TAKE US TO OUR HOTEL.
OPENING THAT BACKPACK IN THE HOTEL ROOM WAS NOT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE.  BESIDES THE SMELL AND DRIPPING WHISKEY, WE HAVE BROKEN GLASS EVERYWHERE.

ON THE UPSIDE, MARY BOUGHT THESES SPACE SAVER BAGS TO PACK OUR STUFF IN FOR OUR TRIP.  THEY ARE HEAVY DUTY PLASTIC BAGS THAT YOU PACK YOUR CLOTHES IN AND THEN USE A VACUUM CLEANER TO SUCK THE AIR OUT TO SAVE SPACE, OR YOU JUST ROLL UP THE BAG TIGHT TO REMOVE THE AIR AND SEAL THE BAG.

THE BROKEN GLASS DID NOT PUNCTURE THE SPACE SAVER BAG.  ALL I HAD TO DO WAS SHOWER OFF THE OUTSIDE OF THE BAG AND MY CLOTHES WERE FINE.

WE LOST ONE OF THE FOUR JUGS, SO INSTEAD OF SAVING $60 ON OUR PURCHASE, WE ONLY SAVED $21.  NOT WORTH IT  !!!

SUSIE-Q WAS GLAD TO HAVE US HOME.




TODAY IT’S BACK TO WORK….

BUT IT’S “SUNNY & 80”