Dear Henry

Walking into National Airport instantly took me back to last year when we left on our trip. I thought back to us going through security. I was carrying you and our bags and they made me sit down and take off my shoes and do all this stuff. I wasn't psyched about this because we were phyically separated for a few minutes. That was on top of me being so worried about you getting sick from the people around us.

Mom was off getting water when they announced they were "pre boarding" the plane. I got really sad. I clearly recall carrying you on and settling into seats in the very back of the plane. You laid down and slept a lot of the way. I had brought with us some Star Wars activities books that I bought at the JPDS book fair with Jack the night before.

I was so nervous about flying. There are a lot of germs on airplanes. I didn't want a sick person getting you sick even though you were wearing your mask. You went on a corporate jet back to Washington from Minnesota after your transplant to make sure you didn't get sick. Dr. Wagner told us that you were more susceptible to infection when we were going back to Minnesota last November than you were right after your transplant.

On this flight I was squeezed in the middle seat with a man on the aisle and Mom at the window. It was really cramped. I wish I had your mask because the guy on the aisle was farting something awful. Maybe he was nervous about germs or something.

It was the worst but I was stuck with nowhere to hide. I wanted to write something on the computer and show it to Mom so she would know it wasn't me. After we got off the plane I said to her, "What was the deal with that guy. Oh man!"

When Mom and I walked through the gate at the Minnesota airport it seemed to me that everyone in the airport was coughing. I still hear coughing and get nervous. I am sure that will go away some day.

When you and I got there it was night time. It was the first time we ever had a motorized cart meet us at the gate. That was kinda cool. I wondered why we had never requested that before. I don't think I made things as easy as I could have.

At the baggage claim you were incredibly miserable. You were so uncomfortable in your mask that you didn't want to wear it. You sat on the baggage cart and cried. You were inconsolable. I called Mom. Nothing was helping. We went and got our car from Hertz and drove to our home away from home at the Radisson and settled in.

This time with Mom we rented an Avis car because they have XM radios in them. I am usually very loyal to people and companies that were good to you and the Minneapolis Hertz people were always a big help. But since I work at XM I thought I better get Avis.