Everything has worked as planned, so far. We got to the Elks Lodge in Blue Springs as the bar business was peaking and got set up in their camping area. Nice sites with an excessive slope so all my leveling supplies were required to get level. The PER (Past Exalted Ruler) had a bit of an issue about our leaving the coach unattended for 20 days. He invited me to a Trustee meeting they happened to be holding at which I was to answer any questions that might arise. The only thing I got to say was “Thank you” as the trustees couldn’t see any problem, especially since I was not asking for a discount from their normal site rental rate.

Caught an Uber to the airport and flights were mostly on time and tolerable, MCI (Kansas International) may be the most miserable airport in the  country. Clearly it was built before anyone thought about security and there are no decent airside amenities, no room for them. We got to the Hilton Garden Inn at JFK and found our reservation waiting and a decent room to boot.

Breakfast brought a surprise. We were seated next to a younger couple (not to say young, but all is relative) Ira and Mary and got into a conversation about life and travel. They left to get on with their day and after another cup of coffee I asked for the check. They had picked up our check and before we could thank them, or say anything the door to the shuttle closed on them and they were off. We are the beneficiaries of a delightful random act of kindness.

With time to kill, it is now noon and our flight isn’t until 11:55 PM. I found a nearby barbershop and took an Uber there and back to get what hair I have shortened for the trip. Naturally the owner of the shop is from Uzbekistan and he got excited to hear that that is where we are headed.

Now we sit, check out of the hotel room at 2 and we can’t check in for our flight until 9 PM. It is too hot and too late to go into the city so I guess we will be sitting around twiddling our thumbs and reading until we board the flight for another 11 hours of travel time followed by several hours of waiting in Istanbul for the next flight of 3 hours 40 min to Ashgabat.