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Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 11:44PM 
Andrew. Photo Jennifer Weber 2008Our son, Andrew, is flying to Nebraska on December 14th. For a week he will be the guest of Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, in connection with his duties in the Tennessee Air National Guard.
He's been home for a few days on Christmas break from Bible college, and we've been having a good time.
On Thursday evening he treated us to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.
This morning he sang Zion's Hill in church, and our pastor asked him to preach for the evening service.
The title of his message was Five Things God Cannot Do.*
It was good.
Tonight as he was making last-minute preparations to catch his flight in the morning, he came to me with a dilemma.
Since he serves in a church while he's in Omaha (he spent six weeks there last summer), he needs a suit because that's what he wears to church. But a suit involves an overcoat, and he also wanted to pack his heavy Carhartt work coat for off hours spent in mufti, and he's required to wear Air Force-issued outerwear when in uniform.
He'll be wearing one coat and packing two more.
I counted three bulky coats, and so did he, and he didn't like that number -- even though, being a member of the military, the airlines' per-bag charge for luggage does not apply to him. In other words, there's no particular need to pack light.
His solution: reduce the number by leaving his dress overcoat at home, packing the other two coats, and flying into Omaha tomorrow afternoon wearing only a thin suit.
(He wants to travel in the suit -- with an open-collared dress shirt -- so that it won't get unduly wrinkled in his suitcase.)
"And I'll just be walking outside, like, to my car," he rationalized.
"Andrew. It's very cold in Omaha right now," I said. "What if you break down or something?
Andrew looked at me as though tutu-clad lobsters were executing perfect pirouettes on top of my head.
I forgot. The young never encounter unplanned emergencies; flat tires and broken water hoses -- not to mention fender benders or wipeouts on black ice -- only happen to old fogies.
TG spoke up. "Why don't you go look at the weather forecast on the Internet," he suggested.
Andrew and I trooped into the office to do just that.
High in Omaha for Monday: fourteen. Low: minus four.
Andrew paled. "I think I'll buy me some thermal underwear as soon as I get there," he thought out loud.
He'll be wearing one coat and packing two more.
God bless our troops! And keep them warm (or cool, as the case may be), and safe. Above all, safe.
* Lie; fail; remember our forgiven sin; bless disobedience; accept any other way of salvation besides His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jennifer
NOTE: Andrew arrived safely in Omaha this afternoon, just slightly behind schedule due to airport delays. The high temperature today was actually ten degrees; tonight's expected low is five below zero. With the help of the sun it may reach fourteen degrees tomorrow.
Andrew said he was glad to have packed so many coats.
Reader Comments (6)
I am sure that Andrew will be glad for all the coats. I had to smile when I read about your suggestion that there may be an accident or something. All mothers think alike. However, kids today view our comments as being "negative."
haha, good thing he brought that extra overcoat. Sounds like Chicago out there in Omaha!
Been to Omaha...it's to Nebraska what Fargo is to North Dakota. Never been to North Dakota, but know someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who spent a winter in 15 minutes once in Fargo, and said it was like an iced porcupine enema.
Extra coats was a wise choice ;-)
Ah, the adorable hubris of the young. It's what gets things done - esp. when tempered with the sadder, but wiser old. (Will I ever be able to get the image of an iced porcupine enema out of my head? lol!)
@ Cheryl ... I know; right? The young dwarf life, thinking they are nine feet tall and bulletproof. The old know that life dwarfs us all, and that whatever can go wrong probably will!
@ Audrey ... sounds to me like Omaha could teach Chicago a lesson it wouldn't soon forget! BRRRRRR~!
@ SF ... oh my soul, your colorful language just sent a chill up my spine ... think of how many times a porcupine suffers when his spines get chilled!
@ Tracie ... ain't it the truth? Ol' Skunky certainly has a gift for creating the unforgettable visual!
Adorable hubris ... that's the best description of Andrew's attitude I've heard yet!
that boy looks like a million bucks!!!!