Dad's Memories

- 27 August 98 - 27 August 98

"Bidets to Bullfights"

c - Arthur J. Langdon -1970

013m -- A growing restlessness, and it's Lisbon to New York to HOME a day early -- 013m

Sunday morning came just as surely as Saturday night went, and by some mysterious signal, which only occurs between people who have been married for more than thirty years, my loved one started to talk with some concern about our new German Shepard puppy, and if he was being properly taken care of by our son back home. After realization that with a Saturday holiday and no shopping - and a Sunday with no shopping - it did not make any sense to wait until Monday to take off for home with no time then to travel through the stores. I picked up the telephone to call the airport to see if a possibility existed to transfer our reservations from Monday to Sunday when at that exact moment comes a quiet query from my good one of " do you think we might be able to go home today? "

The quaint custom of siesta from noon time to four o'clock is one that is in good order in consideration of their temperature conditions, but apparently Sunday is a day of constant siesta and no amount of time spent on the telephone was productive. As is the thing to do, we took the bull by the horns and drove out to the airport where daddy could investigate the ticket situation, while mommy could peruse the shops that might be open at the terminal. Luckily, we were able to get on a flight of the T.A.P lines ( which I had never heard of ) and rushed back to the hotel to pack and check out.

T.A.P. operates 707's to New York and we had a smooth ride back. The crew is most informal and every once in a while one of the boys from up front would stroll through the aisle, to stretch his legs and talk with the pretty girls. The door to the cockpit was closed only on take-off and landing or when one of the hostesses brought the boys some goodies. Passengers took turns going to the open door to see that everything was under control and the captain entertained some young boys aboard by giving them flying lessons.

We were curious about the kind of reception the customs men at Kennedy would have for us. My account companion had a detailed list of every purchase made in Europe. The total spent was well below that allowed and we presented the list with our pasports. Our customs inspector took one look at each of three things, the passports, the list, and my wifes honest looking face, and without opening a piece of luggage waved us through the gates.

The air conditioning worked in the limousine that took us to Connecticut where our daughter met us in New Haven and then to home. Where, now seated in my favorite chair, some random thoughts came into mind -