Holding it In

I just got back from what you would call a couple of whirlwind trips. One by air, the other by car. In rapid succession, I visited Brooklyn and New York City and then the mountains of Southwest Virginia.

I knew that my son was heading up to New York so that he could be with his sister/my daughter ahead of their 30th birthday. As soon as I found out about that, I knew I wanted to go too. Three decades in, and the bond among us remains strong, thank God.

Imagine my surprise when I got a group text from daughter Taylor and daughter-in-law Leigh that I was going with Wes. They gifted me a flight to and from New York. Wes was on the thread too, and he said, “You’re in, Jonna” – the words Malcolm Young used to welcome Brian Johnson into AC/DC.

This was to be my Christmas present from Leigh and Taylor (more in later posts). It was one way up on Delta and one way back on Spirit – on the same flights as Wes. The fact that we wound up sitting together on both flights was a bonus, with no add-on fees or hassles.

The last time Wes and I flew together was to Miami was in 2013 to see the University of Miami beat the Florida Gators (thanks Frank) – so I was excited to travel with my son once again.

And thank you, Brenda for getting us to the airport very early. Myrtle Beach is a breeze as far as airports go, but it has come a long way in the years since my mother called it a “jerkwater airport.” But still, Wes didn’t want to mess around. I will say he might be a bit more “reasonable” than his sister about getting there early, but apparently not by much.

We flew into LaGuardia. I had only done this once before, but the flight was uneventful, pleasant and quick – I think with just over an hour in the air. And as we headed down an escalator, there was Taylor, holding up two signs like a limo driver – BRUDDER and DAD.

Taylor is very good at these cute and funny moments. (Don’t get me started about Leigh’s hilarious sign for Taylor when she arrived in Myrtle Beach once. “Welcome Home From Prison, Taylor…”)

I was relieved to see Taylor. Otherwise, Wes and I would have to navigate the MTA system, which included a bus and a train from Queens to Brooklyn. In retrospect, the process was simple, but having our own guide was a definite plus.

On the bus to the eventual subway stop, I had to pee – and I indicated to Wes and Taylor that I was reaching critical mass. We continued to the subway and got on the appropriate train, When the twins realized that it was becoming painful for me, we got off the train in the middle of who-the-fuck knows – somewhere between Queens and Brooklyn. It was raining and cold, but after some slogging, we found a small bakery with a tiny bathroom available for customers.

It was then that I realized that I would face a particular challenge for the remainder of the trip. Wherever you go in and around The City, bathrooms are scarce. And with my propensity to relieve my bladder frequently, this would prove to become an issue, with me on high alert for options.

Bladder aside, this trip was chock full of memory-making.

Much more to come.

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• Brooklyn
• Fathers
• LaGuardia
• MTA
• NYC
• Restrooms
• Twins