Detoured by death on the highway as I take Margie to the airport; bright, red, fingernails; Kalib rides the escalators
Friday, January 8, 2010 at 4:00AM ;)
The plan was for me to drop Margie off at the Alaska Native Medical Center so that she could pick up the medications she will need for the nearly four weeks that she will be in Arizona.
I would then drive to Camai Printing where I had a little business to take care of, come back, pick her up, we would get together with the kids for coffee or maybe even dinner, should time allow.
I would then take her to the airport.
But, just before we got to the South Birch Creek exit, traffic came to a halt. There had been an accident ahead.
I knew that if I could get to the exit, we could get off the Glenn Highway, switch to the Old Glenn and go around the accident.
Several other drivers had the same idea, so it was a slow process, but, after close to half an hour, I made it onto the ramp, where traffic was moving maybe one mile-an-hour - but it was moving.
See all those cars still on the highway? They are beyond the exit and they will be stuck there for hours.
;)
Furthermore, if we had been perhaps as little as one mile further back, we would also have been stuck. We would not have been able to make it to the exit.
As we crept along, a bulletin came on the radio. A very serious accident had happened and the highway was closed at this exit.
It is a strange thing when you find yourself in this situation. You are annoyed at the slowdown. You think of the inconvenience and trouble that it is going to cause you - in this case, Margie could potentially miss her flight, or have to go without her medications, which we would then need to get and mail to her.
Yet you know that, up ahead, at the source of the slowdown, someone might be badly injured, in terrible pain, perhaps facing a different kind of life from here on out. Or someone might be dead, or dying, their entire life now behind them. Several people might be.
And yet, you still want to get moving.
As we crept further, a new bulletin said that a helicopter was coming. We knew then that someone had been hurt very badly.
And still I wanted to get Margie to the airport, on time, with her medications, and I wanted to get my business taken care of.
;)
Finally, we got to where traffic was moving and then arrived in town right as the rush hour was beginning. I dropped Margie off at ANMC, then headed to Camai and arrived just before closing. I took care of my business and then returned to get her.
But she had got stuck in another long line - at the ANMC Family Medicine pharmacy. Kalib was there, waiting for her with his parents. Margie had entered an area in which only patients picking up medicine are allowed, so I sat down as Lavina helped Kalib learn how to operate an iPhone.
See how red Lavina's fingernails are?
A friend at work had chosen Saturday to be her wedding day and had asked all her lady co-workers who would be participating to paint their nails bright red. She also wanted them all to wear black dresses.
So Lavina painted her nails red, went out shopping on her one free day and bought a black dress.
Then her coworker changed the wedding date to June.
;)
Kalib watches the movie, Cars.
Lavina had heard an update on the accident - it involved a pedestrian. That seemed pretty strange, since it happened on the freeway.
Later, on the radio, we heard that a man was trapped beneath a vehicle. I hoped he was unconscious. How miserable would that be, to be broken, injured, and have a ton or more of steel sitting atop you, jamming you into the cold pavement?
;)
By the time Margie finally got her medications, there was no time to get together for coffee, let alone dinner. So all of the Anchorage part of the family came to the airport, to see her off.
;)
Kalib and his dad led the entourage toward airport security.
;)
Kalib soon dashed into the area where only ticketed passengers are allowed. Thankfully, he turned right around and dashed back out before he could get arrested and thrown into jail.
;)
Traffic was very light in the security area. Kalib gave his grandma a goodbye hug.
;)
As Rex gives his mom a goodbye hug, Kalib reaches out to hug one of his aunties. Kalib hugged everybody, whether they were traveling or not.
;)
Then he got to ride an escalator going down.
;)
He rode a series of escalators.
;)
At the entrance to the parking garage, we discussed the matter of dinner. Melanie suggested Pho Lena, a Vietnamese - Thai restaurant that was more or less on the way out.
;)
At Pho Lena, the waitress brought a toy over for Kalib's amusement.
;)
But Kalib was more amused by the paper and coloring marker that she also brought him.
After I arrived home in the late evening, I sat down right here, at my computer and found a bulletin from the Anchorage Daily News in my inbox. Robert Marvin, 76, had apparently experienced some kind of car trouble on the Glenn and had pulled over to the side of the road - but not all the way out of traffic. He was standing in front of a Volkswagon van when it was rear-ended and pushed 50 - 60 feet down the road with him under it.
Rescuers managed to get him out without help from the helicopter, but he was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Traffic had been stopped for three hours.
Now, as I write these words, Margie is in Seattle, where she has a seven-and-a-half hour layover before catching her 7:25 AM flight to Phoenix.
How miserable she must be!
I am afraid to call her, though - she might be napping.
Reader Comments (9)
The "joys" of air travel these days...
I'm going on a vacation with my sister in 3 weeks, and have to endure one of those awful crosscountry flights to have a real getaway. Shouldn't have to both dread and look forward to one's vacation.
By now Margie has left for Phoenix, so maybe by the time you read this she'll be there and you can call her.
So sad about the fellow on the highway. Funny thing, I've always thought it better to stand in front of a stopped vehicle on the highway. Guess that's not always true. Danger is everywhere.
Waiting to hear Margie arrives safely in AZ.
I hope Margie has/had a great flight from Seattle to AZ. I'm not a fan of flying, but do it because living in Alaska, there arent many other options,especially when my family is all in the lower 48.
It was very sad hearing about the gentleman killed on the Glenn. I dont think it helped matters that the news outlets were reporting wrong information about the accident for quite some time. My thoughts are with his family. I cant even begin to imagine....
As always,love the photos of Kalib and the family.
Hope Margie arrived safely and has already started having fun!
Sad about the gentleman killed. One of the most harrowing things is to be broken down on a freeway/large road. I see people all the time and it just takes one person to look away from the road (common common) and hit them.
Great photos!!
As usual; nice pix, Bill.
I'm curious what Margie thinks of her socialized medical care? I'm hoping to get that one day, too.
Karen - Margie is there and she is very sleepy, but very glad to see her mom, sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces, cousins, aunts, uncles...
Whitestone - Yes, there is no safe place to stand along a freeway.
LisaJ - I agree. I have wondered about his family several times today.
Michelle - Yes, and thank you.
Visitor - There is no easy way to answer this question, but, basically, she is glad to have it and it has served her well - far better than my very expensive insurance policy has served me.
Ew. A 7 1/2 hour layover. Poor Margie. Hope she's safely at her destination and sleeping soundly.
Hey, Bill, I was thinking about that rude comment written on the car that went off the road. I suspect it was referring to the person who ended up in the ditch. I can't think why anyone would want to say that to you.
This is a very interesting blog entry. A very honest illustration of the heartbreak of road accidents but of also the inconvenience (sigh - it hurts to type this, but it's true). I always find myself torn between my empathy and need to move forward with my day. I try to spend a moment or two thinking about the people and wishing them well. It is so easy to lose sight of our humanity in this rush around civilization. If my loved ones were hurt, lying on the side of the road, I sincerely hope that the people that passed by would feel compassion. And, even more than that, if my help is ever needed, I hope I'm mature enough to pull over and lend a hand, regardless of my schedule. I'm glad Mr. Marvin had good people helping him and good people, such as your self, wishing him well.