Dallas Love Field is a cute little airport.
Its small size, especially compared to its obese cousin DFW International Airport, makes it seem friendlier. It is more accessible. There’s one terminal, one baggage claim, one little strip of restaurants. You don’t have to hike a mile to find a screen to tell you that where you want to be is a mile back to where you started.
The people-watching is great because rather than sheer numbers, you can actually watch one person meander around aimlessly. You can see that person go out the wrong door, come back through another, and make the loop again. You can watch him/her strain to see over the horizon, from which some unknown hero will save him/her from the well-worn blue vinyl seats and threadbare brown carpet.
I enjoyed seeing travelers and making up stories for them to pass the time. See the girl with the tight, extremely low-rise jeans and the fuzzy pink crop top that shrinks when she bends over?
I didn’t make up a story about her, just wanted you to look.
How about the middle-aging guy with the beard, carrying that tan suitcase and a separate plastic bag full of ... dirty laundry? He’s not having a good day ... few Fuller Brush salesmen have good days in our times.
Check out the handsome family speaking the foreign language. They look like they’re from Eastern Europe. Yeah, you can just tell, if only because the children are well-behaved ... they can’t be Americans. I think the men were training for the Olympics, their shaven heads and serious demeanor said it plainly. The woman with them is dressed simply yet eleganty, and strolls with perfect posture and an air of foreignimity.
There’s some dude carrying a hockey stick, a must-have for Thanksgiving travel. Dork!
There’s a young, hot girl waiting on somebody to get off a plane from somewhere. She’s wearing a red sweatshirt, swooshy black athletic pants and white sneakers. Her long blonde hair is pulled up and cascading over the hair clip. She has been stealing glances in my direction, but I imagine only to see the object of her picking-upness appear behind me. She got up once to check the arrival screen, but then returned to her seat.
The dude who asked me if I had change for a dollar wandered off without his luggage ... didn’t he hear the voice (first in English, then in Spanish) on the intercom warn him not to do that? I could have put a stinkbomb in there or something!
Seeing how people travel is the best way to find a partner for the TV’s The Amazing Race. People wear their travel savvy on their sleeves. The frustrated ones let everything get them down. Those who move through this world with grace and ready smiles are often the most seasoned, most pleasant traveling companions.
About 11:35 a.m. Sunday, I sat at the baggage claim waiting for two specific people. I turned in my seat as a crowd rushed the area, seeking their dearly departed luggage. A ray of sunshine (or was it just my gladness to see them?) illuminated the Petite Filet’s face as she rounded the corner. Then a warm, lingering kiss hello made it real.
There was my Cutlet, strapped happily in his stroller! He smiled at me, then reached out his arms. I extricated him from the stroller, and we had a little family hug. They were only gone five days, yet the Cutlet looks so big. And he’s got more hair. Growing so fast!
After collecting the checked baggage, we hoofed it to the parking garage. We discussed our hunger, and decided on a chain Mexican restaurant for which we had a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. Our budget is one of the shoestring variety, after all. We found the chain’s Irving location and stopped for a bite.
It was a nice, relaxing meal. So glad I won’t have to eat alone for a while. There’s really nothing wrong with eating alone. Done it many times, expect many more occasions in the future. The food just doesn’t taste as good when it’s not shared with the ones you love. I missed them terribly, Thanksgiving or not.
There’s a Pier 1 Clearance Store a bit further up the road. We’d never been there, and decided to walk off a little of our enchilada dinners. Nothing there we couldn’t live without. We had the constant reminder of our shoestring finances to guide us as well. Plus, home decor is low on our list of priorities. Time to go home.
There we found relaxation, unpacking and playing with toys that a week away made almost new. Mid-afternoon, another coupon beckons ... buy-one-get-one-free root beer floats!
Problem is, all the A&W Root Beer Stands we knew about have changed into other things. Thai Tina’s Cantina? Honeydew Donuts? What? And the one that is opening as half A&W-half Long John Silver’s isn’t yet ready for business. Once you want a cool ice cream treat, it’s hard to get the thought out of your mind. So it was our old friend Braum’s who saved us.
This morning, as I was about to leave for work, the Cutlet became clingy. He wanted me to hold him, play with him, stay all day and have fun on an 11-month-old’s level. I obliged as much as the ticking clock allowed, and then I had to go. He watched me leave. Chances are, if he’s on the floor he’ll rush to greet me at the door when I return.
Did I mention that I’m glad my family is home?
Glad to hear of your joyful reunion, T-Bone! I adore Love Field - it's so easy and convenient!
Your Love Field sounds like our local little Burbank Airport. So much nicer and almost quaint in contrast to the hulking LAX (which I'll avoid like the plague). Welcome home to the PF and the Cutlet! i guess you guys put the Love in Love Field. Ahhahaha. ba-dum-dum!
SO happy for you, Steak-Boy! And I know about the whole "Once you get something in your head" thing. The husband and I went on a search for hot chocolate at 11:30pm a couple of weekends ago. Seemed totally rational at the time.
Love sounds like Omaha's Eppley ... Bend/Redmond is even smaller and easier to use than Eppley.
Your post today makes me wish I had a family. What a sweet post.
Reunions are what make my hubby's business trips bearable. Glad they're back!
Nice hook to get me to read the rest of your entry, T! ;P
It's good to read that your family is back at home and everything went smoothly with the traveling and what-not. I'm sure they're just as glad to be back home with you as you are!
Aww! How sweet! So cute and warming! Glad they are back with you, and loved the people-watching :)
I have only been to Love Field once, and I did not like it. I like the big airports so I can shop while I am waiting :)
Hey, people surfing at airports is nice. But it is always nicer to reunite with family and friends.
You brought back memories of Love Field. When I lived in Mansfield, by brother and I would hop a plane at Love Field every other weekend to fly into Hobby. My dad had custody of us growing up. We had to fly every other weekend to see my mom.
I'm glad your family is home! :)