Something was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I sat at the gate on an Alaska Airlines flight back to San Francisco from Loreto, only a queasy sensation in my gut hinted that something was awry.
I dismissed it. Perchance it was the pile of emails and voice mails that were waiting for me after a 10 day vacation which had unsettled my stomach. Perhaps it was time to relax with my Kindle and Stieg Larsson’s final book in the trilogy, “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest“.
Admittedly, I hadn’t touched my Kindle all vacation. I love the Amazon Kindle commercials of a person on a sunny beach reading the Kindle to highlight a key difference from its competitors such as Apple’s iPad. As much as I love this concept, in practical terms, my vacations are spent in much more active pursuits.
I reached into my laptop bag, anticipating the feel of my M-Edge Latitude Kindle Jacket (yes, I finally decided on this case after much contemplation).
Nothing!
My Kindle was not there. “Think Loni!” I tell myself. Somewhere, in the recesses of my brain, an idea emerged. Perhaps I left it in the glove compartment of the Alamo rental car. I faintly recall slipping it in there when I wanted to lighten my purse before stepping into the local Loreto grocery store.
By now, the plane was about 15 minutes from takeoff. I hail the flight attendant who lets me off the plane. I explain to airport security that I may have left a Kindle (“digital reading device”) in a white rental car. Airport security calls the Alamo field office in the Loreto airport and waits a few minutes.
No, I was out of luck. No Kindle was found.
I went back to my seat. Deep sigh. I realized this was also a big difference between an electronic reader and a paperback. Losing a paperback set you back a few dollars, losing a Kindle was a significantly more expensive event.
It is times like these, I like to quickly remind myself of how lucky I am. How many other things far more terrible could have happened on my Loreto trip.
Just as I had mentally accepted the idea that I had lost my Kindle and perhaps my appetite to purchase another had waned, an announcement came over the audio system.
No, it was not a notice to buckle one’s seat belt. Instead, the flight attendant wanted the passenger who had lost a Kindle to press the call button. Overwhelmed with excitement, I fumbled for the button. Next thing I knew I had my beloved Kindle in my lap.
I looked up and shouted, “Alamo Car Rental is the BEST!”