September 27, 2020

 

I awoke at 5:50 am to allow enough time shower, have some coffee, and pack all of my belongings prior to my departure pick up time of 7:30 am.  I don’t like to be rushed so two hours was more than enough time to do what I needed.  Once I completed the tasks I took a short walk to the dining center to grab a cold Starbucks and take one final stroll across the bridges and around the lagoon. The morning was cool and hardly anyone was out.  I am quite the sentimentalist trying to soak in the atmosphere one final time.  I was ready to leave.

Mark Garza texted me at 6:45 am regarding where were to meet our shuttle to take us to check out and then the airport.  I relayed the information to him and was surprised to hear from him so early.  “You’re up early” I texted back as well as I thought he had packed everything the night before.  “Never went to bed,” was his response.  I made it back to my room, laid on the bed for a bit, then headed for our pick up point.

Mark and I were the only TNT guys that chose to depart in the morning.  We wanted to get home and see our spouses.  Our driver loaded our overstuffed bags then drove us to the Gran Destino where we forfeited our credentials and proximity sensors and that was it.  We were no longer greenies in the NBA bubble.  We shuffled back to the shuttle and departed for the airport, our driver, Mark, and I.  Our time in this incredible social experiment, the NBA restart, concluded.  Let’s go home.

Our driver dropped Mark off first at the Delta concourse.  We said goodbye and actually gave each other a brief hug.  Wow!  More human contact!  I watched him make his way inside while we departed for the American terminal.  After I tipped the driver for his service and conversation, check in was a breeze.  I had seat 1A to Dallas and seat 3A to Tucson.  One of my bags weighed a few pounds over the regular allowance but first class seats allowed that to be waived.  Off to security I went, way ahead of schedule. 

There was no line at security.  I had to pull down my mask so they were able to see that I was who I said I was.  Before I knew it I was on the tram taking me to the concourse then comfortably seated near the gate where I watched one more episode of Shameless before boarding the flight to Dallas.

I have the bulkhead seat.  I hate the bulkhead seat.  I had to place all my carry-ons above the seat after unloading what I required for a relaxing flight.   I ordered a quick Bailey’s coffee before takeoff while the plane was being loaded.  The passenger next to me quickly fell asleep with not only a COVID mask on, but an eye mask as well.  I so much wanted to take a picture but that would not have been appropriate.  Once we took off I had a Bloody Mary and breakfast of cheese and crackers and fruit.  Oh, and another Bloody Mary.  See the key while flying is if you are eating and/or drinking your mask can be lowered.  Hence, I always had a drink in my hand. I knew I didn’t have COVID so I was threatening no one.  I watched “Call of the Wild” until landing in Dallas.  Sure, I was a little buzzed but don’t judge me. I was halfway home.

My short layover in Dallas was appreciated.  As soon as I got to the gate we began boarding.  Once in my seat, yes, another Bloody Mary, please.  Thankfully I could easily store my carry-ons under the seat and have legroom to spare.  My neighbor was staring at his phone the entire time so, as on the other flight, there was no conversation to be had. Rather than getting caught up in a movie I decided to watch several episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and enjoy close to a bottle of American Airlines best Cabernet.  I was pretty much mask free the entire two hours.

As we were landing I looked out the window to observe the landscape I hadn’t seen in two and one half months.  The mountains looked fantastic as Orlando does not have any.  The sky was cloud free and I could see all the way to the horizon.  The familiar saguaro cactus dotted the ground as far as the eye could see, then the jolt of the landing gear hitting the runway told me I was home.

My bags were first off the carousel then I called for an Uber.  By the time I arrived at the pickup location she was waiting for me.  The air was dry, there was little humidity, and loading my bags was perspiration free.  In Orlando I would have already been moist with sweat.  I jumped in the car for the twenty five minute commute home.

When I was a mile away from home I texted my wife that I was close.  She wanted to record the dog’s reaction when I entered the front door.  She knew that they would attack me when I got there and understood our reunion would be after they calmed down.  I unloaded my bags, thanked the driver, and went through the front door. As expected both Carson and Cocoa rushed me although Cocoa was a little reluctant at first.  Carson spoke to me the entire time with a constant bark while Cocoa jockeyed for the best position of affection.  My wife laughed in the background while recording the reunion. It seemed to go on forever.

Finally I was able to embrace my wife that I hadn’t seen for almost eighty days.  We held each other for a long time, then she pulled away and asked “Don’t you want to touch my face?”  We laughed as I stroked her nose, cheeks, and lips, then embraced once again. I was home.

I will never forget this extraordinary experience.  The friendships I made, the deeper friendships that were strengthened, the daily tests, the basketball, the broadcasts, the rocket launches, the whiffle and pickle ball, the conversations by the pool, the constant ingestion of broiled chicken, the walks around the lagoon, the isolation, the loneliness, the joy of participating in the 2020 NBA Restart in Orlando, will never be forgotten.  But it is something I will choose to never participate in again.  That is, until I am asked again…