The start of a long road

I left Tucson at 7:30am on Monday, 8 September, too excited even to indulge in my usual morning ritual of a quart of java. I'd been working toward this residency for so long that at times I felt it would never come to pass. Now, here I was at the start of a year of self-discovery, furthering my pastoral skills and making a new home in a new place. And I couldn't even enjoy a cup of Ike's americano, which is the best commercial coffee I've ever had.

My layover in Las Vegas lasted just over two hours; I'd been warned about the slot machines, but I'm not much of a gambler so I knew I wouldn't be taken in by the temptation. Hah - WRONG! After disembarking, I bought a vanilla latte at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (sooooo good!) then proceeded to lose $3 at the quarter machines. At that point, I gave up & went to the shuttle to take me to terminal B and my connecting flight. Once again, I was deluged with slot machines and the temptation to try just once more got to me. In a matter of minutes, I'd won twenty bucks and at that point cashed out & went to sit at my gate (quit while you're ahead!)

The flight was full of people who had fled Gustav; they spoke of how they'd grabbed the first flight out of Louis Armstrong Airport, but I was a tad skeptical. The first flight just happened to be going to Las Vegas? Hey, not that I judge that - I would've chosen Vegas, too. We arrived at MSY over fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, to a truly awful looking sky (overcast, dark & windy). My luggage was the very first off the carousel. I took note of this, as I am certain it will not happen again in my lifetime. Within 30 minutes, I was at the hotel & ensconced in a lovely suite with nice tallback chairs, where I proceeded to sit & ponder for 45 minutes whether to order Chinese or Italian for dinner. The winner: Rotolo's Pizzeria, which makes an excellent calzone. Four stars to this place & its very polite employees.

Was this a harbinger of a year of good things to come? Or was it just a way to lull me before the crises began, like the eye before the hurricane? Only time would tell.