The distressed call came in early Thursday morning that my girlfriend’s mother, who had a stroke a few days prior, had passed away. I was already booked for a business trip to San Francisco starting on Sunday, and now the funeral was slated for that same Sunday in South Carolina. Immediately I sent an email to my boss requesting a change in my itinerary so that I could attend the funeral. A few friends were driving down and offered to take me with them. However, this would mean delaying my business trip further and driving back from South Carolina to catch a flight to the west coast. I really wanted to be there for my girlfriend and to support her family so I decided to look at all the options.

I phoned United Airlines and discussed my plight with a reservation agent. She told me I could change my ticket; she stated I was eligible for a bereavement fare if I supplied her the funeral home information, etc. She quoted me a price for a round trip ticket from South Carolina to San Francisco for about $415.00, with $100 fee change. I would then use my frequently flyer miles to fly from home to South Carolina and back, which would cost me an additional $75.00 to apply the miles. She told me to call her back with the funeral home information; she gave me her ID number and said to ask for her.

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There are some people who enter your life and become a permanent fixture on your heart. One of those people is affectionately known as “Skede.” While this blog is about chance encounters, I would like to deviate a bit and pay special tribute to a dear member of my family. 

I met Skede was I was 10 years old. She was the grandmother of one of my friends, Audrey. Skede was everybody’s grandmother. She took many of us into her heart, loved us, cared for us and prayed for us. When I would visit her home, there was always an invitation to eat a meal. She had a tea for every ailment, and makes the best-fried fish you ever want to eat. I loved listening to her stories of life and her encouragement. On my visits back home during college days, it was always such a delight to see Skede. She would make sure she told me she was praying for me. She LOVED young people and only wished the best for them. From the newborn babies to the teenagers, to the overgrown adults, no one was immune from her love. 

A few months ago, I hosted a dinner for my girlfriend Audrey’s birthday. It was good to see Skede again and to spend time with her.  I could tell she was getting up in age and was not her old self. She had difficulty remembering faces, but that was o.k. She was entitled to it; after all, she was now 95 years young. She lived a good life, a blessed life. I believe God put her on this earth to inspire, influence, and love people… many people who needed love. 

Skede is now gone, she passed away last week at age 96.  I will never forget her smile, her warm affectionate hugs, and the way she would squeeze my hand when she saw me.  She will be greatly missed. 

I was heading to Phoenix, Arizona for a business trip. The idea was to arrive before noon in Phoenix so I could  meet my colleagues for a long drive to Holbrook, AZ. So I booked a ticket on USAirways for a flight leaving my airport at 7:30am. I arrived at the airport, went through the security checkpoint and  headed to the gate. I stopped at the newspaper store and purchased a bottle of water to carry with me on the plane. When I arrived at the gate, I notice the departure information was not posted and there was no flight information. So I went up to the counter and asked the agent if this was the gate for the USAirways flight to Phoenix, he said yes. He then said it was leaving at 12:30pm, not 7:30am. Apparently, the crew got in late and this flight won’t be ready to leave until the afternoon. He then asked me if I had received a message, I said no. I told him that I was on a tight deadline and really needed to get to Phoenix; leaving at 12:30pm would be too late. He graciously offered to assist me in locating another flight with another carrier. He also said that this portion of my ticket would be refunded. With his help, I was able to purchase a ticket on Southwest Airlines that was leaving in an hour and half from another terminal. It was the last seat to be sold on the plane. I purchase the ticket over the phone with the Southwest agent, gathered my bags and headed in the direction to my new gate. As I was approaching the exit area I remembered my bottle of water that I had just purchased. There was a police officer standing near by and I went to him and ask if he could tag my water bottle so that I would not have to get rid of it at the security gate at Southwest. He laughed and said no, he stated that I would have to either drink it or throw it away. I rolled my eyes and walked away.

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Horseman at Dormoland Castle in Ireland

This was a fabulous trip. We stayed at the Dormoland Castle in West Ireland. When we arrived at the castle, we were met by horsemen and about 20 Beagles