Chapter 8

Friday morning started out with our normal workout. I tried not to think about what the weekend had in store for me. At 4:00 sharp, Bart brought the limo to the front and Joe and I left for the airport. By 5:30 we were pulling through the gate at the private plane area of the Oxnard City airport. We were greeted by Dave the pilot, who took our overnight bags and led us to the plane.

"It's a Lear Jet LJ45; isn't it a beauty. I bought it in a bankruptcy sale a couple of years ago. Had the interior reconfigured; now it seats only four people plus the 2 crewmen. It originally had a seating capacity of nine, but I had no use for that many seats. Now it has a lot more room, you can really stretch out for those overnight trips."

I hadn't counted on this either. I had only flown a couple of times and always on big commercial planes. I gritted my teeth and followed Joe into the plane. Inside it was truly beautiful, with leather seats spaced six feet apart, with a center isle that lead from the privacy wall, which separated the cockpit from the passenger section in the front, to the galley and lavatory in the rear.

We sat in the rear two seats of the four seats, all of which faced the rear. Joe explained that these seats swiveled 180 degrees for conferences. There were also two folding tables, which were in the down position on the side of the plane. The copilot was finishing his final checks as the pilot closed the cabin door.

"Mr. Taylor, we should be airborne in a couple of minutes. The galley is fully stocked. Please fasten your seat belts for takeoff."

Five minutes later we were racing down the runway. The rumbling stopped, replaced by the low roar of the engines, as we climbed to our cruising altitude. After a couple of minutes Bill, the copilot, came back to let us know we could unfasten our seatbelts.

"Does anyone want anything from the bar?"

Even though I could have used a drink to calm my nerves, I followed Joe's lead and refused.

"It'll be about forty-five minutes to Sedona. We'll approach from the north so that you can get a great view of the Grand Canyon at dusk. I'll let you know when."

"These seats fully recline into beds for long flights," said Joe, obviously proud of his company toy.

I sat there and marveled at the luxury money could buy. I just couldn't comprehend that someday, all of this was going to belong to me.

A little over a half hour later, Bill knocked on the interior cabin door,

"We'll be over the Canyon in a couple of minutes."

With seven windows on each side of the plane, we had a great view. The Grand Canyon is an awesome sight, the colors of the rock walls, the play between the sunlight and the shadows, the majestic Colorado River at its base, forever etching deeper into the earth, all contribute to its grandeur.

Ten minutes later we were landing in Sedona. The sun was already setting. The sky was streaked with shades of dark blue, red-orange and white. All around us were mountains of red rock as our taxi took us to the hotel. We checked in, went to our room, and after freshening up a bit, we came down stairs for dinner.

We each had a steak, with baked potatoes and fresh vegetables, accompanied by several pints of the local craft-brewed beer. A meal truly made for a king.

"I don't often get to eat like this at home; Betty has been given strict orders from MaryAnn about my diet. However, out here with you, what she doesn't know won't hurt me."

I thought about that, 'Here was a multi-millionaire; who employed these people, and he was more or less letting them run an aspect of his life.'

"I know what you're thinking, but they are doing exactly what I hired them to do, so how can I complain."

After dinner, we went back up to our room. The sleeping arrangement question was answered when Joe announced, "I claim the bed closest to the windows."

I set the alarm for 4:00 so that we could be ready for our 5:00 pickup by the balloon company. When the alarm went off at 4:00 I looked over at Joe's bed, which I discovered was empty. Then I heard the shower. I lay there until Joe came into the room. With a moan I got up, grabbed a clean pair of boxers, and headed into the shower. When I was finished and came out back into the room, the curtains were drawn back and the silhouette of the mountains could clearly be seen in the distance. Joe was out on the patio taking in the view.

"John, wait until you see this view; I can hardly wait for daybreak."

Joe's enthusiasm for life was contagious. Soon I forgot all about my fear of heights and could hardly wait to be picked up.

Precisely at 5:00, a jeep arrived in front of our hotel, and our guide entered the lobby.

"Gentlemen, are you ready for the ride of your life?"

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and escorted us to the jeep. We drove a couple of miles to the outskirts of town. There we found a large group of guests, along with five balloons. Everyone was pitching in with the preparations for takeoff. At 6:00, the first of the balloons left the ground, followed every few minutes by another, until all were airborne. We were in the last one. Our guide and pilot Jesse, proved to be extremely knowledgeable about the history of Sedona and skilled at maneuvering the balloon. As the sun peaked over the horizon, we were blessed with the magnificent sight of the four balloons ahead of us, against the background of the red rock of the mountains of Sedona. Joe and I both had our cameras out taking as many pictures as time allowed.