Sunday, May 25, 2014

The Shirt On My Back

Just got back from Houston.

I flew out there on business to meet with some of our alumni. Got the last seat on United next to (of course) the bathroom. Apparently, this was the full figure flight. No skinny's on this plane ... and all made numerous trips to the john.

 Two hours of aromas that could only be described as ... well ... they can't be described.

I landed in Houston just in time to meet the first of my alum, an allergist who had me follow him from his office to a restaurant a few blocks away, The Black Walnut. I parked the car, stepped into the restaurant and had a great lunch.

An hour later, I stood next to my car surrounded in broken glass that had fallen out of the back passenger window.

My luncheon guest stood there in shock ... me too. Took me a few minutes to realize that my garment bag was missing. It was sitting in the back seat next to my iPad (which still sat there) and my suit coat ... also still there.

My cell phone was out of juice and my charger was in my garment bag. So my alum made a call for me to the police ... and a guy who manages the apartments next door pulled up.

"Break in, huh?"

"Yep." I said as I agreed with the obvious.

"Happens every day here."

"Here? As in here in this parking lot? Or here as in Houston?"

"Both," He said. "Cops coming?"

"Yes."

"Okay ... I'm next door." He left.

It felt like 100 degrees and my lunch guest had to get back to his patients. "Hate to leave you like this ..."

"No ... really ... it's okay."

We shook hands and he grabbed his phone charger to help me out.

Police came and filed a report, I called Avis and they changed out my car. I finally got to the hotel with no toothpaste, no medicines, and literally the shirt on my back.  Fortunately, the gift shop had everything I needed ... including a white shirt.



The rest of the trip was (thankfully) uneventful. The next day, I left with NEW LUGGAGE ... the DISPOSABLE kind!




1 comment:

Merrell Dickey said...

The moral of the story: don't fly United.

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