Anniversary and the Trip Back

Well, Saturday was my husband's and my 8th wedding anniversary. As with many of our anniversaries, we spent it apart. I was enjoying my last night in Hawaii, the place we got married, with friends out to dinner. I guess that isn't a bad way to spend an anniversary if you can't be with your significant other.
Sunday I started my trip back to Misawa. Everything went smoothly, for the most part, until we took off, that is. I made it to the gate in a half hour (not bad for checking the bags, getting my boarding pass, getting through security, etc.) and finished reading my book (good thing I brought two along with me). We boarded slightly late, but no worries, AND I think I was the only non-Japanese person on board. The entire last quarter of the plane was empty. I had the ENTIRE row to myself, and I don't mean the couple of seats around me, I mean the ENTIRE row.
However, as soon as we took off, I knew it was going to be a bumpy flight. We had the WORST turbulence. I about got air sick it was so bad. One of the flight attendants almost hit her head on the ceiling before the captain finally turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. AND people kept getting up, even with the fasten seatbelt sign on. They tried to "hurry" to the bathroom. Of course, the captain tended to wait until the turbulence was just about over to put on the seatbelt sign. Details.
When I made it to Japan, I about kissed the ground. Immigration was a turn, too. For once there were fewer foreigners coming in to Japan than Japanese. There were even some Buddist nuns from Tibet in the line with us!
I Black Catted my bags to Misawa and caught the train to Tokyo Central. Ran the 6 flights of stairs and escalators to the XinKanSen (bullet train) in 9 minutes (took of 30 seconds after I sat down). Then caught the 13 minute ride to Misawa from Hachinohe. I was even home 90 minutes early!
It feels good to be home. A little weird. Of course it is going to fell even more weird when I start back up work tomorrow.

SON OF A B!

OK, so, I am finally going to get to take a few days leave. After putting in leave and having to cancel it, putting in leave and having to cancel it, each time because another business trip came up, I am finally going to get to take three days of leave.... or so I thought! Turns out, they can't get me out on Sunday, so now I have to leave Thursday. This means that, once again, I have to cancel my leave! To top it all off, some idiots decide to try and blow themselves up in Scotland. Then the TSA decides it has to up its security measures... all not 3 days before I leave on a jet plane bound for the good ol' U.S. of A! Just like when I graduated from grad school, and Ant flew out to MD to see my ceremony, and that idiotic threat about liquid explosives forever kept Janice Dickinson from having her make-up onboard the plane, and our children from being able to have their formula.... just days before we flew back to Hawaii!!
So now, I am flying to Florida, 4 days before the conference, stuck on base, without a rental car.... SON OF A B!