Surfacing

Hi, everyone!

Wow, it's been a while. Being back home is more of an adjustment than I'd bargained for. It's WONDERFUL to be with my guys; I missed them so much! (I absolutely RAN the last 50 yards between the plane and the meet-your-loved-ones area, and then broke into sobs when I was hugging the two of them. I'm sure I embarrassed myself, but I really don't care.) And I'm having fun re-connecting with friends; I know some pretty awesome people! :)

At the same time, it's hard to be here as well, hard to be away from the reservation. I'm trying to figure out the reasons for that... and hoping it won't be too long before I can go back.

Anyhoo... I wanted to post some photos and observations from my travel day home. So here they are!

I had a few hours before I had to get to the airport, so I decided to go see the falls for which Sioux Falls is named. It was especially exciting because I'd never seen them in winter before, and it was a mighty cold day and I wasn't sure what they'd look like. They did not disappoint!

Sioux Falls, mostly frozen:



The froth was turning into frozen froth, something I'd never seen before (look on the bottom left):


The rocks somehow seemed even more dramatically geometric with snow on them:




It was pretty darn cool. And it was bitterly cold! I took some photos, said a prayer of thanks to the spirits there, and hurried into the warm building nearby, where, wonder of wonders, I got an egg-bagel-sandwich thing to fortify myself with before the day of flying (because you KNOW they don't feed people on flights anymore).

As you may remember, I had a headcold on the day I flew home--in fact, was a week into it and experiencing the usual symptoms. JUST as I was waiting to board my first of two flights, I got that tickle-in-the-throat feeling that comes with some colds, and that won't be calmed by anything. I tried water, a throat drop, a cough drop, and still was coughing incessantly for at least eight minutes. I even tried suppressing the cough with willpower, to the point where I had tears running down my face! Nothing worked. People started looking at me--sideways at first, but then really looking at me, turning around in their seats. Giving me The Look--you know the one: "Good god, do NOT let her get on my flight." I'm sure they were afraid I was TB-infested.

And from then on out, the theme of my flights seemed to be: srsly??? No, really, SRSLY???

My seatmate for flight #1 was a knitter (yay!) who was incredulous that I was knitting socks. Too hard! she said. I tried to convince her otherwise. Since it was a short flight, the flight attendants just brought a drink: o.j. or water. But by the time they got to me, they were out of o.j. And here, I s**t you not, is the water:


That's THREE FULL OUNCES, my friends, of water-y goodness. (srsly??? 3 ounces???)

On flight #2, the drinks were more generous (a whole can of soda! whee!), but my seatmate not nearly as charming. As he was getting on the plane, I wondered why he was carrying his trash in with him (a McDonald's cup, sans lid or straw). Right as the door closed, he got up to visit the restroom... and then came back with a FAT lower lip. Not fat as in punched, fat as in concealing something in it (like a chipmunk's cheek). I'd seen that look before, and suddenly knew what the cup was for: he's got a wad of chaw in there! BLEAH! (Srsly??? No, really: SRSLY????)

Sure enough, he was spitting black gunk into the cup periodically throughout the flight, and had the cup wedged in between the seat in front of him & the window (which I thought was a bit precarious, given the importance of NOT spilling that vile stuff!). And people had been giving ME a look! I spent that flight trying not to feel nauseated, and massaging my right ear (which closed itself by the time we landed). Hoo-wee.

I have other stuff to catch up on, which I will do soon. I hope to post more frequently, now that I seem to be getting my feet under me again...

Be well,
Karen