Travelling the Frozen Tundra

The 6 a.m. jaunt to the airport was in frigid 10 below zero weather. My original flight had already been cancelled and rescheduled due to the weather. The new flight remained on time and I was off to the portal of hell called security. It was soon quite clear that we have returned to post 9/11 levels of airport security. I'd forgotten that the most recent terrorist attempt was with something devised in the man's own underwear. So, let's just say the patdown was a tad more...familiar than I'd remembered. Indeed, when it was done I felt the security person should have at least bought me dinner first. Wow.

As we lined up to board the plane, I had a great view of them de-icing the Southwest planes so I decided to photograph it. I suddenly found myself yanked out of line and searched AGAIN in front of everyone else in line. As humiliating as that was, it took me a minute to realize...well, of course..I was photographing the planes. It's heartening instead to know that they ARE noticing that type of suspicious behavior.

After a quick plane change in a cold and wintry Chicago we were off and landed about an hour and a half late in an even more wintry Columbus. I met Sarah Jane at Max and Erma's for a yummy Tortilla burger before we headed out. I have a long history with Max and Erma's which is a Columbus institution. I remember first going with Kristy and my friend Lisa Sellers Blenis and her mother Sharon. Sharon got a charge out of mine and Kristy's tales of creating food experiences in the kitchen of our childhood...the kitchen belonging to Kristy's mother Mary Alice; the original Kool-Aid Mom. Sharon always remembered that and brought up the food experiences every time we saw her. Keith and I also love to go to the original Max and Erma's in German Village when we visit one of our favorite bookstores...the Book Loft.

Sarah and I left to make the three-hour drive to our hometown of St. Marys. Sarah couldn't get her windshield washers to work. She quickly shifted into McGyver Mode and removed her earring to use in unplugging her washers and used snow to clean off her windshield. We hit the road and as we neared our hometown the snow kept increasing. We finally made it to the Greenhouse and spent the evening with Kristy, Kaki and JB. We fed on Kaki's soon-to-be-famous Dump Ribs which were ribs slowly done in the oven and marinated with whatever was in the fridge. They were awesome!

Now. it's off to the parents....