Day 25: Home

Paul and I made it home with little ado this morning. We caught the shuttle from the hotel at 6:00 a.m. and were at the airport in just a few minutes. I think we sat longer in drop-off traffic than the rest of the travel time--it was very busy and the line at curbside baggage check was daunting. Because it was a brisk 45 with a brisk wind to boot, Paul and I opted to chance it inside. From the time we got in line to check our bags until the time we got through security was right around 20 minutes. All the self-check kiosks and security lines were open, other travelers were mostly smart about things and still cheerful, and our plane had a few empty seats so it made for a fairly pleasant travel morning.

When we got back to ABQ, the shuttle driver told us that it had snowed while we were gone. We probably missed the only snow of the year. There was still a few remnants on my car when we retrieved it. We were both amazed at the number of cars in the parking lot. We thought it was full when we dropped the car off on Tuesday but on holidays, they park cars in the middle aisle and every possible place to squeeze a vehicle. It was a bit of a maze just getting out of the parking lot but when it was all said and done, we were back at our house by 10:00 this morning--and have had a pretty normal Sunday.

Paul had to work in anticipation of a trip he's leaving on tomorrow morning. He's got an 8:00 flight tomorrow morning for a conference in Florida. Hopefully it will be the last trip he'll have to take this year. I didn't set up the Christmas tree although I debated it. Instead, I wrapped all the presents we've bought so far, which is most of them, and have them ready to go when we do get the tree up. I have found most of the gifts and decorations that I've bought throughout the year and squirreled away. I should create a better system to keep track of what I've purchased and for whom. My mom will either be heavily gifted this year or I don't have to worry about what to get her when her birthday and Mother's Day come around. Unless, of course, I forget that I've already bought her something which can definitely happen because I am her daughter.