Happy Quilting

I leave tomorrow at 1pm for Seattle.

I'm sure I mentioned this trip before, like after Christmas when Corey surprised me with my plane tickets.

My aunt, uncle and cousin live in Washington, and I've been itchin' to visit again.  It's only been....oh, almost 15 years since I was there last, and there's this quilting retreat I really wanted to go to...

What's that ya say?

 Um, I haven't been there in 15 years?

No, the other thing.

My aunt and uncle live there?

No, the thing about the quilts.

Oh, yeah, the retreat.

So, I figured if there is such a thing, I would be an old soul.  As such, I enjoy spending time with my fellow oldies to discuss such things as pie crusts, the good ol' days, and menopause all while whipping up a good quilt.  And wouldn't you know it, while I'm there my aunt and a buncha ladies are renting a house on the ocean to do nothing but quilt and jabber on about wrinkle cream!

This is truly my idea of heaven. 

See, I'm getting these little lines around my eyes and...

But I digress.

There's just one problem: I have to fly there.  From here.

For those of you who are new to the Corey & Stacie scene, we live in New York State.  The other side of the country.

Could this be any more opposite??

Maybe if I was coming from Miami...but I have a feeling if I was in Miami I would never, ever, ever leave.  So this would not be a problem.

I have multiple issues with traveling by plane.  One of which is traveling, in general.

Motion sickness.

Boy do I get queasy with any mode of transportation.  Planes and boats being the worst.  For short trips (but not too short) I can manage fine.  But the long trips leave me sick and cramped.

I'll explain:  I've learned over the years that the only way to manage my motion sickness while flying is to prop my head on my hand with my elbow on the arm rest.  Don't ask me why this works, it just does.  And for three hours I can stay in this position without any ill affects.  But after six hours (like the time it takes to fly from, say, Albany to Seattle) I look stupid and can't straighten my neck afterward.  After one such flight my seat mate (stranger) said, "Wow, you slept through the whole flight!"   Me, "(nervous laugh) Yeah."

But I didn't.

My other issue is with the actual act of flying itself.  You know, a big steal tube magically floating around in the air.  I'm sure there's a better explanation of how the thing stays up there, but all I need to know is that it's not on the ground.  The hard, solid, not moving ground.

Corey tells me constantly the statistics on how safe it is to fly.  But as long as planes are still breaking in half and throwing people into the ocean, I'm going to be a stinkin' nutcase.  Before a trip to Hawaii in high school my doctor prescribed me Valium for the flight.  I ended up taking two but was still a bucket of nerves.

And it doesn't help that my mother, each and every time I fly, tells me, "Just make sure you're right with God."  Thanks mom.  At least she's going with me this time and I can give her the mother of all Indian burns when she attempts to "reassure" me.

In all, I'm excited about my trip.  I love visiting with family, I love my aunt's house, I have such good memories of being there, I love old lady conversation, I love occasions that call for nothing but yoga pants, I love crafts.

Just have to get through those first six hours....!