Flexibility

We got back to Marathon last night just 8 days later than planned - flexibility is easy where you are retired. Our flight out of Rhode Island was cancelled due to the huge Nor'easter that hit (remember we are the harbingers of bad weather wherever we go). Tristan did not leave Saturday morning as planned because his orders were screwed up (imagine - the government messing up paperwork). These two things came together to cause us to go to the airport ticket office where we begged and whined until they exchanged our tickets for an Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale flight yesterday. They were reluctant at first but I bought all my powers of persuasion to bear.

Armed with new tickets we sponged off the new officer and his government travel per-diem for the 1,000 mile trip, 3 day, road trip to Athens GA. In Athens the base gave him a suite for the 3 of us. Apparently, new officers showing up with parents in tow is not unusual. We helped him find a very upscale apartment and rent furniture for his 6 months at the Supply Officers School.
The Ensign:


On Saturday we left Athens for Atlanta. The goal was to surprise De Anne's Family. The surprise could not have worked out better. When we pulled in her father and both sisters were out on the terrace with De Anne's 65 year-old brother from Austria, whom she had never met and did not even know about until a few years ago. Before I even shook his hand I knew he was her brother. He is the spitting image of his father - no DNA test is necessary here! The visit was great and De Anne's german speaking ability quickly returned. We even saw snow Monday morning in Atlanta (remember we are the harbingers of bad weather wherever we go).
De Anne's father and brother: