Geared up for our trip!!

It is June 30th, and Henry and I are going on his “GRAD TRIP”!!!!  His brother went on a trip with a bunch of his friends to a music festival in Nashville, Tenn.  So, we thought that Henry should be given the same opportunity….  I asked him where he’d like to go… “Paris,” he answered.  “Great idea,” said I….  “But no… Where else?”   “London, England,” he said.  Again, with a laugh, I answered, “No…. How about somewhere in North America?”  Keeping in mind economy and the fact that Left Brain has not been to Paris….  I think that the next time I go, I’d like to be there in a more romantic capacity….  Perhaps next year for our 25th anniversary??  So, after much thought, he came up with San Francisco.  The next trial balloon he floated was perhaps going with a couple of friends?  Uh…. no.

So here we are at the airport, with an hour to spare before boarding.  It has gone smoothly and he is calm.  Henry, like me, likes to be early for everything….  He comes by this OCD characteristic honestly – it’s not just his anxiety or autism….

Not so calm now….

This is when they have started to call the flight…  I’ve explained to him the order of sequence of people getting on the flight…  Notice the line of people to the left of Henry!  He says he’s paranoid that we’re going to miss our flight (even though we’re 30 feet from the departure gate!)  I’m calm….  I tell him, “We’re good – don’t worry.”

We get on the flight and we’re settled.  Then we don’t take off for an additional 45 minutes because of some mechanical issue, and I can see his anxiety starting to ramp up.  Once we’re aloft, the pilot tells us that there’s some unsettled weather over the midwest and there might be some “chop”.  Fabulous!  I can deal, but he’s holding my hand like we’re going down on the Titanic….

Then comes the whole ordering of lunch.  Now – let’s face it….  Airline food isn’t exactly gourmet (not that that’s the standard my son is used to – more like Pizza Pizza on a daily basis…)  But I’m hoping that the bland pizza that they have might pass muster….  I knew that food was going to be an issue on this trip.  Many friends spent time giving me restaurant recommendations for this trip.  I listened politely, but knew that I would have to find out where the McDonald’s was, or a Pizza Hut….  So, tragedy of tragedies, the pizza does not “look” like his regular pizza – the pepperoni slices are too big – he’s put off.  It’s also too hot for him to pick up…  So I’m sawing it into little pieces, and encouraging him to take a bite, because most of the pizza we’re going to see this week will not look like Pizza Pizza’s….  One bite, and he’s done…  Good God….

Air Canada’s pizza does not look like this….