On the other side

I had one more city in Tennessee to visit and that was Knoxville; on the other side of the state from Memphis and close to the North Carolina border. We had a small branch office there and they were ready for some software training.

I couldn't get a direct flight and had to transfer to a smaller plane in Atlanta. Without a direct flight your chances of losing your luggage goes way up. But, this time I found the bags after a minimal wait time. A good beginning. Now all I had to do was find the office. I always managed my own travel arrangements and it always worked best for me. Except for those times when the office has recently moved without my knowledge. I searched and searched before giving up and calling for directions.

Once there, I found the office to be smaller than most and with only one estimator. This wouldn't take long at all. I had booked flights and hotel for a two week stay but now it looked like I could go home mid week of the next week.

This was a nice office with no abrasive personalities and everyone was interested in gaining some knowledge. This was rarely the case. Knoxville was going to give me a pleasant week.

Towards the end of the first week I decided to walk to my usual spot for dinner. I didn't feel like getting the car out of a good parking spot and the exercise would be great. I was still hoping to do another marathon in October.

I walked down to the restaurant and bought a newspaper to read while eating. I became so engrossed in the paper, I forgot the time and when I looked up, the sky looked very threatening. Dark clouds were boiling on the horizon and moving towards me. Fast. It was 7:30 and darkness was coming on as well. Then I saw some flashes in the clouds. Lightning. I was about a mile away from my hotel and my car was not available for my rescue. I started walking and walking fast. The lightning came closer and the thunder was right behind it. The rain started. These were huge drops that soon had me soaked as I ran. More flashes. There was a long line of trees in the parkway and I almost sought shelter under them. I dropped to the ground.Then I remembered the story about lightning being attracted to trees and that you should never hide under one. I jumped up and veered away and kept running. Lightning was now almost continuous and striking all around me. I saw the lights of the hotel and ran even faster. I burst through the doors and into safety. It was quite a workout; for my legs as well as my heart.