Catching a glimpse of the red sun moving past the horizon of the D.C. countryside reminded me again of differences between there and here (there being Colorado). In the Springs the sun stays bright until it passes over the peaks… you can’t even watch the sunset; it is too bright. Hmmm….

John and I flew into D.C. with our unbelievably considerate friend Alana who was flying to North Carolina for a wedding. Right before she parted from us for her gate, she glanced toward her gate, to the bag in her hand, back up at John and confessed that she made us some chocolate chip cookies for our long flight. My mouth dropped. She must be as busy as I am…, if not more so. And yet, Alana hands over two dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies… for us. People amaze me.

Soon after parting with Alana, John went to work. After five minutes with a frazzled United worker, each of us had $400.00 in vouchers and we were bumped from an overbooked flight to an underbooked flight on BMI to Manchester, England. ENGLAND! Didn’t I tell you—he is the travel sleuth! By this time Drew has met up with us, and we watch John making magic money vouchers appear before our eyes. (All of the sudden I have a way to get home for Jill Jackson’s wedding.) He is our own personal Gandalf, retreating from the customer service desk with the sun setting behind him… in slow motion, of course! Drew and I glance at each other, raise our eyebrows and fall in step behind him.

Now that I have taken a seat in a BMI First Class Chair, champagne is handed to me in a petite flute… to be precise a flute of Champagne Pol Rogernlv from Epernay, France. Drew passes over a bag of cookies and I realize that not many people have ever had cookies and champagne. The sun slips beyond the western countryside of Washington D.C., I sip on my champagne, and we all nibble on chocolate chip cookies. They really do complement each other.

Dinner tonight, or should I say breakfast, includes a beef fillet and a lobster salad. Fresh tomatoes and a Spanish red wine, watching the Matrix… on my way to England… then to Paris. I feel like I’m going on adventures like Tolkien’s characters, but on my own journey into the wardrobe is easy… padded… comfortable. Tomatoes, cookies, champagne, and fresh bread… it feels a little like smoking pipe weed….