The travels and adventures of Mary, Part I.

When I was in elementary school, my friends and I played "spin the globe", whereby we'd close our eyes, spin the globe, then jab out a finger to stop it. Wherever the finger landed signified the country we would visit someday.

Mine inevitably landed on the USSR, as it was known at the time. I was thrilled; the land from which so many famous Russian composers sprung fascinated me. My favorite pasttime was reading through my family's set of Encyclopedia Brittanica purchased from a traveling salesman. I looked at the pictures of youth from the other side of the world and wondered much about their lives - were they forced to practice gymnastics or piano for hours until they excelled far past their western counterparts? Was it true that the Russian youth, pictured in an orderly formation for exercises, would turn in their parents to the police for "crimes" against the state? Did they wonder about me as much as I wondered about them? What was it like to live in the frozen parts of Siberia?

I would go there someday!

These were the cold war years, and I wondered why "The Russians" hated us so much, but took comfort in the fallout shelter symbols on the sides of buildings, indicating where a person would be safe if and when the bombs hit.

Fast forward just a few years.

When I graduated with My Big Fat Engineering Degree, I looked forward to some traveling.  Did I mention my wanderlust?  Well, I gots it.  Always have.


My first big trip was to Washington D.C.

There and back on the same day.

There was just one problem.

"Stay here in the library!" my boss had sternly warned.  As I nervously watched the clock, I decided his synapses has misfired, and he wasn't coming back for me like he said he would.  Quickly leaving the FAA building, I hurried to the nearest Metro station.  But alas, it was rush hour and trains were SLOW.  When I tried to buzz myself in at the Washington National FBO, the voice on the intercom said, "Little Lady, he left already." 


He had left without me.  Bastard!  Happily, the airline counter took my personal check for airfare (didn't have a credit card), and I arranged for a ride from Columbus.

I later found out that I wasn't the only person to whom he'd done this; he left one of the new students from Nigeria IN TEXAS.  He was stuck there for a few weeks, I'm told, but I don't know why.  (That student now has a Ph.D. and still works here.)

Strangely, my boss was adamant that we NOT visit any tourist locations, ever.  It was his policy that we NOT visit the Smithsonian buildings, one of which was directly across the street, even if our meetings were done.  Instead, we must visit the library!  To this day, I've never been to the Smithsonian.

Another time, we traveled to the FAA in Oklahoma City.  The folks there was so sweet and friendly.  (And not Stephen King-CREEPY friendly, either.)  Particularly fascinating were the tunnels under the building complex that guaranteed safety in the event of tornadoes.  My boss took us to a restaurant called Molly Murphy's.  The wait staff specialized in abusive behavior - really!  When the waiter yelled at him, he seemed to........LIKE it.  That explained a few things.

I traveled to Binghamton, NY several times when I worked at a company dealing with things that were Generally Electric.  That was great fun.  I worked on my test stand and everyone left me the heck alone.  At night I drove around the city and surrounding areas without a map, which was a favorite activity.

Some years later, I interviewed at United Airlines in San Francisco.  I flew into the airport, interviewed at the airport, and left the airport.  Nice to see ya, San Fran.  (I was actually offered that job, but turned it down.  Boo hoo.)

Been to Alabama several times - met the in-laws twice on the gulf coast, and went to EWTN and the Hanceville Shrine.

That pretty much wraps it up.  I've tried to console myself with the knowledge that IF I make it to heaven, it won't matter what I've not seen here.  But still......

On the other hand, the OU Singers might be traveling to Spain in June.  And by golly - I am in the Singers!  Yay me!  All I have to do is come up with the two grand or so that I'll need to actually get there.

Oh - and the CANADA magnet on my refrigerator reminds me constantly that I've not been there, either.  It's right in front of me.....mocking me.....

I travel down my driveway quite frequently, though.

(The curious reader may wonder why I labeled the post "Part I" if there's nothing else to say.  If I get to go to Spain, then there may be a "Part II".  Just planning for the future!)