Day 1: 09May2015: to Storms Central

04:00 – Wake up (“Urrrrr!”)

04:30 – Leave the house

05:15 – Arrive at parking garage
05:30 – Arrive at terminal 5; tram to terminal  3
Check two bags ($60! Highway robbery!)
05:45 – Through security (TSA PRE rocks!)
06:58 – Board AA3650 (EMB regional jet). As expected, my duffel bag with my primary electronics fits under the seat in front of me (barely). My tripods, clothing, and most of my medications are checked. (I carry today’s doses on my person.)
07:13 – Engines up
“Are we there yet?”
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07:31 – Takeoff into the foggy skies. The sun blasts through the fog a few minutes later.
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0800: 30 min SW OF Chicago
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08:34 – broken wave clouds
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IMG_5415: A contrail forming to our south

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08:42 – interesting cloud mix
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08:56 – incipient cumulus field somewhere over Missouri
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09:17 – on approach to OKC. cumulus field up to 5K feet or more NE of the airport.  My neighbor is upset with the turbulence. I wonder if she collects Fearful Flyer miles for assuming the crash position during our ascent. (She did this the last 10 minutes of the flight! Hope she’s OK.)
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09:28: “hello, KTLX!”
09:35 — At gate.
__:__   — Collect my bags
__:__   — Get rental car
11:06 — Visit Baker Photo & Video
             Bought brackets to allow stacking a
             GoPro on the Nikon D7000
11:45 — visited Sam’s Club; bought laundry soap pods, ZipFizz, and protein bars for the
next 2 weeks
12:10 — lunch at Lin’s, a popular Chinese buffet
             with sushi and minute steaks (the taste
             as good as any sirloin I have had here).
_____ — Head south on I 44/I 35. Exit 79 W. to Chickasha. Lots of rain, but nothing severe looking. Still, it was nice to get out among storms.
14;55 — Stopped briefly in Maysville to grab a rockstar and some sugar-free gum
16:15 — stop at Chickasha long enough to get an update with Owen; Dallas to OKC flight delayed further 🙁
16:20 — headed back to holiday in OKC/airport; checked in; paid toll of $1.50 near Chickasha
19:32 — bumped into Matt White, and Collin in the lobby; went to Charleston’s with Collin for dinner (chips and salsa and queso, house salad, 7 ounce filet, and a Sam Adams Boston Lager to wash it down).
20:00 — Owen is finally airborne. Hoping he will arrive by 9:30 PM or thereabouts.
21:30 — still waiting on that call from the airport *sigh*
21:55 — I get a text message from Owen. He is at OKC, luggage in hand. We stop at 7-Eleven along the way, so he can grab a bite to eat (and get his body clock synchronized Oklahoma time). Second stop is at Charleston’s, but they are closing, so we go to doors north to frosty mug and have a couple of drinks there to unwind.
00:23 – turn in for the evening.
The day in papyrus:
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