Part 5: Single Digits

2018 Arrives

David: Single digits. Good thing we’re all relaxed, mellow, and totally in control.

Guy: Send me your incoming flight # and arrival time for Thurs Jan 11. That way the limo will be there right on time.

David: American Airlines flight 5959 Arriving Santa Barbara (from Phoenix) at 3:37PM, Thu, Jan 11. Tell the limo driver to have the drinks on ice. Our flight crew will by flying on instruments.

David: WHERE’S MY TICKET? 24 hours before our flight, I can do an on-line early check-in for everyone. Hopefully at that time I will get some decent seat assignments. After the on-line check-in I will print out the boarding passes and give them to you on our way to the airport.

DON’T FORGET: Bring ID (your drivers license, because that’s what’ll match the name on your ticket exactly), bring a credit card, and pack small and light (1 personal item that fits under the seat 18x14x8).

Jack: Excellent, all good!

Tommy: What he said.

The Final Week Countdown

David: SEVEN days, my friends.

Jack: OK, I’m getting this. Will the next number will be 6?

Jimmy: I expect #4 and #5 to be someone we all know and love!!!!!

David: Too obvious!!! Screw you guys!!! I should have started at #21!!!

David: SIX days!

David: And now … the DAY FIVE countdown photo … PLUS a bonus DAY FIVE photo for those of you still living in the 1980s. Have a good weekend gentlemen.

David: Pack your underwears numbskulls. 4 DAYS AND COUNTING.

David: To hell with the cold weather and screw the ice and snow. Forecast for Newark on Thursday is cloudy and 45 degrees. Perfect weather for getting out of town. THREE DAYS.

David: We interrupt the Exciting Countdown Thread with a Reminder from American Airlines:

Tommy: Any more restrictions and we’ll be sitting in the wheel wells.

David: It’s an adventure! Something to tell the grandkids! A minor footnote in a once-in-a-lifetime experience! It’s a … yeah, I got nothing. Actually, that’s not 100% true. I do have something. Another little hiccup. But I think I’ll save that for later. Stay tuned.

Jimmy (impatiently): What is the other Hiccup?

David: In a meeting. Didn’t I say “stay tuned?” Give me 15 minutes.

David (fifteen minutes later): Meeting is done. Here’s the hiccup: Max has a big meeting with his research group at Lehigh Thursday morning and can’t take us to the airport. Unless anybody knows of someone else who can drive us in, we may have to do a car rental to Newark as well.

I still have the greatest enthusiasm for the mission.

Let me know your thoughts, gentlemen!

David (the next morning): Talked with Jimmy last night and he said he would drive us all to the airport and leave his van in long-term parking. The upside is that it’ll save us to cost of renting cars to and from the airport and—

Blah-blah-blah, David rambles on with way too much exposition than is needed. The result is that Jimmy is driving his van and leaving it in long term parking, which happens to be three miles from the terminal with shuttle busses running 24 hours a day every 10 minutes.

Tommy: I’m ok with the van and parking 5 miles away, as long as we don’t have to rush to get through the airport. Are we gonna have to sit on cleaning equipment and stuff?

David: TWO DAYS!

Then….

Guy text to David: Just wanted to let you know … we are ok Montecito is about 11 miles south by the burn area. Good thing your flight is into santa barbara. .because 101 is now closed due to mud slides. Might take a few days to open that up ….. I already stocked up on food. Weather looks good for your visit. Gus

David text to Guy: Damn. Glad you’re ok. This’ll just be another thing for Jimmy to complain about.

Guy text to David: Tell Jimmy to pack a shovel and suntan lotion

David: Shark Bait has been informed.

Guy text to David: Ok. Don’t tell sissy boy we also had a 3.8 Earthquake a couple of days ago. What’s happened to him ???????

David text to Guy: He’s always been that way.

David: 1. Day.

Tommy: Nice picture, for some reason it made me think of Dick.

Jimmy: Why does everything have to have a sexual reference Tommy?

David: Plus the goalie’s not smoking, his pads aren’t made from old Life Magazines, and they aren’t on fire from the cigarette ash.

David: Seats are assigned. Okay, they’re not terrible. I wrangled with a nice woman from American Airlines this morning and got a good deal on some seats that are *basically* together. Remember the carry on rules and the overhead bins rules, and wear comfy clothes and shoes and … oh for crying out loud shut up already, David.

Jimmy: Good job BoBo…. I will do whatever works….. I will take the single seat from Phoenix – Calif. If that helps.

Guy (text): Weather report FRI 48 to 68 .. sunny SAT 50 to 73 … sunny  Bring shorts and sweatshirts for beach. Remember it is warm with sun .. but gets cold about 3-4 pm Because it is winter.  See you guys thurs

Tommy (to David): So I think I will leave home around 7:00 that way I figure I won’t run into too much traffic. Should get to your house around 8:30 ish. Hopefully this agrees with your at home schedule.  (????? Wtf is an “at home schedule” , well I just made it up to make your home life sound important.)

California Trip Eve arrives. Texts are shared.

David and Guy Conversation:

David and Jimmy Conversation:

 

And so,

 

after more than six months of planning, and ridiculing one another, and calling each other countless names … each of us called it a night, unaware that by the trip’s end we’d be calling ourselves yet another dopey name.

 

It was all right there on our boarding passes, waiting to be discovered….

 

NEXT: Group 9 actually goes to California