I dropped Katie at the airport last week, so she could fly to Florida to check on my mom who has fallen and fractured her hip twice in the last 3 months. About 20 minutes later they were announcing they had overbooked and were offering a free round trip ticket to anyone who would wait a day and fly out on Wednesday.
She took it. Since dad died we are going to Florida every couple of month, so a free plane ride seemed worth the wait. At the time. But the trouble was, I had forgotten my cell phone and so I didn’t know I had to go back and get her until I got all the way home–about an hour and a half away.
So, the work I hadn’t done when we went to Southhaven on Monday didn’t get done on Tuesday–and I spent about six hours in the car.
So was it worth the drive?
Well, on the plus side I got to be with Katie in the car and at home. But quite frankly we were both tired and a little cranky. Let’s just say there were no romantic interludes. Just exhausted and fitful sleep.
She did, however, take care of some things I would have had to deal with, including cleaning in the cottage we are trying to rent. It freed up my Wednesday afternoon (Michael drove her back to the airport)) and I finally got the papers graded.
Then there is the issue of the money we saved on my trip to Florida next month–$150 round trip on Spirit Airlines.
But I like to think of my work as being worth at least $30 and hour, and often more–so the six hours and a tank of gas chips into that. Fortunately I only think of my work that way. So it is a real extra $150, since I gert paid for grading the papers anyway. It’s not like I’m doing freelance work.
It just didn’t seem like it was worth the trouble, or worth the drive. I’m exhausted these days, with several stressful issues all piled up. I would almost pay $150 for a nap.
And perhaps I’m too old to value the “Spirit Airlines”:www.spiritair.com no frills approach. I find my self wanting to be pampered from time to time, not that the pretzels on Northwest are any better than the pretzels on Spirit these days.
So it doesn’t seem worth the drive, although my reasons for thinking so seem selfish and shallow.
the daysman 