The plane wheels touched down at 11:33.
I exited the plan about 10 minutes later.
James Bond-esque dodging in and out of the airport-goers to
get to an Uber at 11:51.
I was now speeding toward the University of California-Davis
Medical School where I was to give a talk at 12:00.
[But for a moment, I let my mind wonder…No, I was trying to
catch the smugglers before they left their hideout, one that I had discovered
using binoculars and a pair of tweezers. This was becoming more like an A-Team
episode…]
But back to reality, here I was on the highway, in an Uber,
having left my wife behind to get bags and rental car. My head pounded from a
morning of stress as delayed flights ruined the best made plans.
And then, I have to tell you about another person in this
story.
Her name is Ashley. She was the one who arranged for the
Uber, ditching our previous Plan B which was for me to somehow give the talk
via Zoom from the Sacramento airport, as we didn’t think I could make it to the
talk in person.
[I had imagined my wife getting surrounded by airport security.
“Ma’am, you can’t leave luggage or husbands unattended in the airport. He has
been over there at Baggage Carousel #5 for the last 40 minutes, talking about
who knows what and annoying the heck out of our customers.”]
Ashley was that gentle guide that you need when in trouble,
when things start spinning a bit too fast.
As the Uber screeched to the curb at the medical school at
12:12, Ashley was there waiting to escort me to the building. Her smile
reassured me that all was going to be okay.
A few technical difficulties later, around 12:23, the talk
began.
Ashley, and the good people at UC Davis, thank you for
making yesterday something I can write about this morning with a smile.
And a receding headache…
