T+4

I am down to four days until I leave for Fort Lauderdale and am restless.  I can't sit very long (even reading or knitting) and keep flitting around the house.  Unfortunately, the weather is not conducive to going on a long walk because the last three days have been cool (low 50's) with rain off and on and my warm coat is in Florida.

I have done almost everything that I can do in advance.  My suitcase situation is looking good and everything will fit.  Unfortunately, there are so many last-minute items to get done - vacuuming one last time, using the dishwasher for the final time, one last load of laundry, packing up toiletries and electronics, setting the thermostat, etc.- that I can only do Friday night or in the wee hours of Saturday before I leave for the airport.  And looming over it all is passing the Covid test that I will take Friday morning.

On the good news side, I received an email at 3:34 am (yes, I couldn't sleep last night - remember I am restless - so I was up) that my boarding time had been changed from 2:20 to 12:40.  Before Covid, they gave you a boarding time but nobody really cared when you arrived.  I have read posts this summer that HAL was checking your boarding pass to make sure you were there at the right time and if not, making you wait outside the terminal.  I also read that some people have had their boarding time changed two or three times in the week before sailing so I am hoping that I get bumped up again (I am not printing my boarding pass yet - another last-minute item).  I have to check out of my hotel room by 11:00 and don't fancy sitting in the lobby all that time.

More good news - my luggage has arrived in Fort Lauderdale.  Actually, it is in Dania (right next to Fort Lauderdale) being stored until taken to the ship next Monday.  On Saturday when I checked it was in Jacksonville but when I looked on Sunday and Monday, it was only showing that it had been picked up.  I was beginning to worry but all is well now.

My daughter is picking me up at 5am for my 7:15 flight on Saturday.  Those who know me, know I am a night owl and usually only go to bed around 3am.  Other than taking a sleeping pill, there is no way I could actually go to sleep Friday night.  I change planes in Atlanta and get into FLL at 1:15. With good luck, I will be in my hotel room by 2:30 and take a quick nap before heading out for a walk and dinner.

My next post should be on Saturday.

Smooth sailing until next time!