Day 1: A False Start

Nature's Gift

We woke up to at least five inches of snow. We finished our last-minute packing, completed other pre-flight tasks, and drove to the airport with crossed fingers.

The roads were passable and we saw many fewer vehicles ditches than we had on a prior spring-break trip to the airport. At the airport we got checked in and arrived at the gate in plenty of time.

Then came the waiting. Ian read as I listened to music. Strangers in our seating area chatted amiablly. I had an engaging conversation with a fellow passenger.

Over the hours we learned more about the fate of our plane. First it approached Chicago. The pilot would decide whether to leave for Detroit once he'd landed. Then it landed and passengers de-planed. Our supposed departure time neared. We would likely miss our connecting flight.

False Alarm

The voice from the ceiling teased us with announcements that the pilot had not yet decided whether to leave for Detroit. After more time had passed, we learned the hard truth. Our plane would not be coming. Detroit would not let it land. Worse, our airline could (or would) not book us on another flight that day.

I slumped in an immediate attitude of letdown. We'd understood that this could happen, but I wasn't really prepared. We could, however, call an 800 number to reschedule our flight. On the bright side, we could leave our checked baggage at the airport.

As we exited the airport, I realized that we must call the 800 number immediately in order to avoid the inevitable deluge of calls. We called and were quickly booked on the very same flight on the next day. I immediately started feeling better.

Ultimately neither of us were disappointed. We realized that we hadn't felt ready to travel. Ian related that he had not had time to decompress. He had not entered the vacation mindset. I realized that I had not, either. We took the day as a vacation day anyhow.

Thinking about the fun things we could do today thrilled me. However, we were not home until 2 p.m., which left us with much less free time than I'd imagined.

Rather than doing any of the fun things I had imagined doing, I did complete a months-long budgeting project. Although this may have been a mundane activity, I was pleased to have finished. I had wanted to understand my cash flow in detail for some time now.

Funky Town

In the evening we took advantage of an unexpected opportunity for a workout, followed by a visit to our favorite "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant. The Earthen Jar offers an Indian vegetarian and partially vegan buffet. The food is delicious, every time. It is one of the few remaining funky establishments in Ann Arbor.

Unfortunately, unlike funkier towns we have visited, Ann Arbor is woefully inadequate in the funk department. Our town has exchanged funk for polish. It is practically a tourist destination, offering primarily upscale restaurants, boutiques, and well-manicured cafes. One by one, long-standing family-owned and operated establishments have vanished.

Historically, "townies" could purchase practical wares in town. Lately more traditional restaurants and shops have been replaced by corporate-owned restaurants which offer inferior-quality fare at prices we refuse to pay, and utterly impractical shops hawking wares which interest only boutique shoppers.

We wonder with some trepidation how long the few remaining Ann Arbor institutions will hold out against this somewhat unwelcome trend. The primary improvement I have observed of Ann Arbor's evolution is a more vibrant down town.

We completed this particular evening with more video. We do not watch currently-running television programs. However we have gotten hooked on several TV shows now available on DVD. Can we still claim that we do not watch TV?
^ Arizona, March 2005 < Preparing to Live Outside for a Week The Journey >