I am back at Jefferson Lab! Vipuli came and retrieved me from the airport in Norfolk last night. Thanks Vipuli! I had wondered if my flight would be cancelled yet again, but this time we managed to get going. The flight back ended up being quite pleasant, since I ended up sitting beside a friendly elderly gentleman from Virginia Beach who I chatted with for a while. The scenery was nice too. I got to see the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel again, this time at night, so I could see the little dots of light disappearing into the waters of the bay and then reappearing on the other side. As we were approaching Norfolk, there was a huge thunderstorm the captain ended up having to fly around, and from the airplane I could see bright flashes of lightening arcing between the thunder clouds. It was really cool.
When I arrived in Norfolk, Vipuli and I went to get my little wrench back. When I had left for Michigan and was going through airport security, they stopped me and searched my backpack like crazy, telling me that I had a weapon in my possession. This really confused me, since I knew that I had taken out my Swiss army knife and my Leatherman so that this would not happen. They pulled everything out and swabbed it down for explosives and x-rayed it to death, and finally found the weapon: a little tiny wrench. I was really surprised. And annoyed. Especially when I was told that I could either surrender my weapon or go back and put it into my checked baggage. The security people were really nice about everything, but I really, really, really hate flying, and absurdities like this are why. Anyway, I repacked up all my stuff and went back to the ticket counter to get my tiny weapon tucked into my checked luggage. Unfortunately, my checked bags were already gone. The lady at the desk was really very nice and said that they would hold it for me, and that I could pick it up at the luggage office when I returned. They were even so nice that they called me in Michigan to tell me that they would continue to hold it for me even though my flights had been delayed. They were great, and I really appreciated how nice they all were!
However, this whole thing annoyed me too because I cannot imagine what I could possibly do that would be harmful with that six-inch long tiny wrench. The hairbrush I was carrying in the backpack would deliver a more stinging blow than the wrench, so that cannot be it. Maybe they were afraid that I would start dismantling the plane from the inside of the passenger cabin with one little wrench. If the airline industry thinks that I could manage that technical feat with a single 7/16 wrench while keeping the other passengers from wrestling me down while I was doing it, they greatly over-estimate my wrenching abilities.
So, I got my little wrench back in the end. I was also wondering about something else. When I left, there was a lady there with a beautiful little beagle that reminded me of my own perfect little beagle. As it turns out, the beagle's name is Princess, and she had the same worried puppy look at the prospects of flying through the air as my pooch did at the arrival at the vet's office. She was a sweet little dog, and I wonder if she is back, and if she enjoyed her Thanksgiving. : ) Happy Thanksgiving, Princess the Beagle!
Well, I am back at work now. It seems like a bit of a let-down after all the fun and adventure I ended up having, but it is also good to be back being semi-productive again. I do want to graduate, after all! :D I took a photograph of the view outside of my office window a few minutes ago; the view is very different than the snow-covered landscape that I left yesterday. Jason tells me that it is snowing again there today. I miss playing in the snow with him already! However, Christmas break is coming soon, and we will play in the snow then, I am sure, and if we do not have the opportunity to throw snowballs in New Jersey, I will in New England, I am sure.
This post marks a first for me. It is first time I have taken a picture of a wrench before... :P
The safety shoe truck is pretty cool. It is an entire shoe store on wheels! You climb up the little steps on the back, and once inside, you are surrounded by racks of shoes and seats to sit on while you try them on. It was really cool. The guy working there was really nice, and he told me which ones were women's shoes, and after gleefully looking them over, I selected a nice pair that look a lot like a pair of hiking boots I once had. I tried them on and was so excited! I have never had a pair of steel-toed boots before. I thought that they would be these big, heavy, clunky, ugly, yellow things, but they had lots of pretty and cool steel-toed shoes! I ended up getting the smallest size they make the shoes in, which did not surprise me at all since I have pretty tiny feet. After I got back to my office, I modeled them for Julie and Vipuli. :) Vipuli even took the picture below for me! Thanks Vipuli!
