GRACIE'S SNAPSHOT

With my help Grace snapped this picture of Uncle Max and Grammy. GREAT JOB! The picture was taken this afternoon right before each of us went our separate ways: Candace and I to Sacramento for the night before our departure to Oahu via Hawaiian Air tomorrow morning - Max to Sonoma County and later on the Bay Area.

If I could rate Max's stay with us it would be right up there . . . a Ten, an A+ or 'As good as it gets'. It was everything both Candace and I had hoped Max's visit would be.

We rise early tomorrow morning to be at Sacramento Muncipal Airport by 6:00 a.m. or three hours before takeoff. It's about a five hour flight to Honolulu flying at 33,000 feet at 520 miles per hour. Dinner tonight was at Applebee's with a Cold Stone ice cream for dessert. Better weigh me now because I can feel that the pounds are going to lay on these next few days.

How will we spend the five in flight hours? We have DVD's for the laptop. Magazines. CD's. Earphones with adapters to plug into the aircraft's entertainment system. One meal to consume (hold the peanuts). High hopes that there's Budweiser on hand in the galley. No children within earshot (sorry kids but I've paid my dues).

The flight will arrive in Hawaii at 11:00 a.m. We'll get our Alamo rental convertible and with the aid of the Yahoo map navigate our way out of the big city and into the Hawaiian countryside. By at least 2:00 p.m. we should be on the beach and basking in the sun. Pass the blue drinks, please.

It's been several years since Candace and I have taken a vacation like this. The last was in May 2004 with a 7 day, all inclusive (translated: All you can eat, drink and carry out included in the price of the hotel stay which makes for real ugly Americans) to Cancun Mexico. During the trip there was a personnel issue that erupted in the school district. I spent a great deal of the vacation on the cell phone with my staff ironing out the problem. For the next 10 days I can sing "Born Free" to my hearts content where ever I am during this vacation knowing well there will be no such phone calls from home.

While we're gone the blog will continue. There will be pictures of Bob in a grass skirt (well maybe), the beach, the Shrimp Grunt Wagon I've read so much about, snorkeling and lord knows what else I'll put here. If nothing else the blog should be entertaining.

I have a fear of flying. That was the title of a book by Erica Jong but I think it was about sex. Is flying like sex? Hmmm, maybe it's time to renew my membership in the Mile High Club. Flying then would really be like sex.

Taking off and landings not to mention thoughts of midair explosions run through my mind. Remember the aircraft that exploded in midair due to a spark in an empty fuel tank? A report I read last month in an aviation magazine cited that all aircraft still have the potential to explode during flight because the problem has not been addressed as it is too expensive to fix! Oh joy. One more thing to think about.

But Candace and I will be fine, won't we? They say that when your number comes up, it comes up. I know what my numbers are. Believe me, these numbers are a long way from coming up, both you and I can count on that. So I'll relax and enjoy the flight. That said, tomorrow I hope no one sees my sweaty brow and my white knuckles wrapped around that very large cocktail. I'll almost be relaxed.

Fasten the seat belt, here I go!