Yesterday’s dawn brought mixed feelings–Friday’s notices had shown three flights headed to Spain with room for passengers. Saturday morning, the notice changed and there was one flight with only sixteen spaces. Kevin popped into the terminal before breakfast to check us in and we were second on the list–right after a family returning to their home base in Rota after a month stateside. Since we had our truck, Kevin helped the family return their rental car and then came to grab us. We floated onto base with optimism and confidence only to see that the list dynamic had changed and with sixteen available seats, we were passengers seventeen through twenty-one. The boys read books while we waited for role call and looked around for alternative options. All of the passengers ahead of us on the list were present for role call, so we found solace in a bag of homemade chocolate chip cookies I had packed for the flight and then brainstormed our next steps over chicken wings and fried cheese.

Spain was giving us the Heisman. . . then this happened!

We found a flight to Germany leaving Sunday afternoon from New Jersey so we set out to see what we could do for fun while we were stateside for another night. The Giant is pretty sure that a military academy is in his future and, though he has another branch in mind, we noted the proximity of the Naval Academy at Annapolis on the map. One quick phone call confirmed prospective student briefings if we put a little sauce on our timing, so I Nascarred our way through the Maryland countryside doing my best to run every old codger in an aging diesel off the road and we squeeled into Annapolis for a two o’clock tour. In an effort to keep Kevin from observing how raucously I was abusing his truck, I asked him to Stubhub the area for a night game and, because the universe is a lovely cat, we found one.

The Ginger is working on his RBF this vacation–nailed it!

I love a baseball game. Really, on an American summer evening, there is nothing finer than fans, cold beer, a hot dog and a game. And, if I’m honest, I will admit that I think that a double play is one of the sexiest things that has ever happened. And the designated hitter is the least. The home team didn’t pull through, but it was a fine spectacle and the fans in Baltimore are top notch.

Sea of Orange and Black.

While our first plan didn’t pan out, I am having the grandest adventure laughing and hanging out with The Giant, The Ginger and my fantastic husband who has thrown all spreadsheets out of the window in order to fly by the seat of his usually gnat’s assed pants with me for a while.

The Giant and me working it for free junk.

Edit!!!  The plane we “missed out on” was broken and the passengers say on the Tarmac and in the terminal all day in the heat until the flight was eventually rescheduled for the following day.  We actually got to have a great day together as a family doing amazing ad hoc fun and it was BETTER than if we had actually caught the flight!

Beer, ball and the love of my life.