The problem with flying across the country to the east coast is that, usually, your flight leaves at an ungodly hour.  That was true of our flight to Baltimore.  Granted it was a non-stop flight, but a 6:00 a.m. flight still meant that we had to be at the airport  by 4:30 in the morning.  Ugh!

So, John and Mary and I were up before 4:00 a.m.  John dropped us off curbside at 4:15, and Mary and I went inside to stand in line at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter.

And what a long line it was!  We didn't typically have long lines at that early hour whenever we flew somewhere; this time, however, the line was fifty people deep.  Fortunately, it appeared to be moving fast; we expected a fifteen minute wait, which wouldn't be too bad at all.

While waiting for our turn in line, I looked around at the other people and spotted a familiar face: Michael Putz, one of John's skydiver friends!  Mike Putz is a regular at the Rocky Point Skydiving Boogie each year, and one time, we even rescued him off the side of the Beeline Highway, after his converted school bus had broken down while climbing the last hill.

"Oh, my God," I exclaimed, grabbing his attention.  "They'll let anyone fly Southwest, won't they?"

Meanwhile, Mary noticed him, too, and said to me, "Mommy, that's Putz, isn't it?"

As it turned out, Mike was taking his son to visit his grandparents (Mike's parents) in Texas; his flight was scheduled to leave about fifteen minutes after ours.  We didn't have much time to chat at that moment, since he was about twenty people ahead of me and the line was moving, but once we all got through security, we had more time to talk.  We met up again at the Cinnabon's across from our gates and drank coffee while we commiserated about the last Rocky Point Boogie and compared adventure stories.  Then, at 5:30 a.m., we wished Mike and his son a safe trip, and Mary and I lined up at our gate in preparation for boarding.

Now that Mary is much older, we no longer have the advantage of being able to use pre-boarding; that meant that we had to suffer through the Southwest "cattle call" just like everyone else.  We were lucky, though, because we were able to get two seats together, towards the middle of the plane.  True, I ended up with a window seat (which I don't like) but at least with Mary in the middle, I had lots of elbow room.  I also got to use the GPS to see exactly where we were during the flight; that was a lot of fun!

We had a very smooth and uneventful flight to Baltimore and arrived about twenty minutes early, just before 3:00 p.m.  Once off the plane, Mary and I headed straight towards baggage claim, where we met up with Clyde and John, who would be hosting us at their house during our stay.  After our luggage came off of the carousel, we followed Clyde and John out to the parking garage.

Mary and I were very hungry by the time we arrived in Baltimore; those little snacks on the plane just didn't do anything to hold us.  Instead of going to Clyde and John's house, we went to Baltimore Harbor, to have a very late lunch at one of John's favorite buffets.  While we ate, we discussed the plans for our visit and talked about all of the things that we wanted to see.  It was very important that we visit Washington DC and Fort McHenry National Historic Site; John recommended that we also take a trip out to Gettysburg National Battlefield in Pennsylvania.  We would have loved to drive to Shanksville to see the Flight 93 Memorial Site, but we just didn't have time for that, so we left our plans at that.

After lunch, we drove through downtown Baltimore, to take the scenic route back to the house.  Along the way, John pointed out the other Washington Monument - the first one, which is situated in a park.  Nearby, the streets were blocked off; apparently, there was a movie being filmed near the old church across from the monument.  I'm not sure what the movie was, but the crew sure did have traffic snarled!

We finally arrived at Clyde and John's house, which is located about twenty minutes from the Harbor.  Built in 1901, their house is very old, but it is very well-decorated with lots of "fabulous things" - truly, a gay man's paradise.  Each room has a particular style, from the Victorian-style red dining room, to the cozy kitchen with the old iron sink in the corner.  Despite the fact that it is very old and creaky, it is very beautiful.

Mary and I would be staying in the den upstairs, where we had stayed the last time we were there.  The den has a futon, a very comfortable recliner, and a fifty-two inch plasma TV with satellite - May was going to be in Disney Channel heaven!  Just minutes after we arrived, she discovered that they were in the middle of a Hannah Montana marathon; we didn't hear from her again for several hours.

While Mary watched TV, I went downstairs and got caught up with Clyde and John.  We sat at the breakfast table and enjoyed adult beverages for the rest of the evening, until I could no longer keep my eyes open.  At that point, I said good night and retired to the den to go to sleep...

...and that was when I found that Mary was already fast asleep on the futon!  She was just as tuckered out as I was!   

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