We arrived at the Washington Dulles airport on time.
   The trip was good and we landed shortly after the 5.8 earthquake that hit the east. Sheila had heard someone mention this and when we stopped at an airport shop we mentioned this to the clerk and she went on about the actual event and her immediate contact with family to check to see if they were ok! I guess because I have gone through a number of shakes in California, the fear and anxiety she exhibited was somewhat of a surprise, as it was with others at the airport. The quake was felt from North Carolina to Rhode Island, which is far more extensive than my experience on the west coast. The earthquake had truly effected many people in the Airport Terminal and many were anxious to talk and connect with others. I flashed back to the Loma Prieta event in California and witnessing so many people who were outside and almost seeking discussions with others as a relief from the quake. Perhaps it is survival relief or something of the sort.
  We were able to find a sit down restaurant and had a light meal, while watching the news regarding the earthquake. Sheila asked that the News be audible, and the bartender explained that 'Mad Money' was a favorite program, but did turn on the sound for the news. After taking a relaxing break we meandered down to C 1 section for our 924 flight to London. We still had over a two hour wait. Sheila and I spotted a woman who was wearing a very pretty hat, dressed in jeans and travel attire. Later, as we took our seats in boarding area, we saw the same women a few seats from us. I told her that Sheila and I had noticed her beautiful hat earlier. She told us that she had just received word that her 92 year old mother in Africa had died and she was going to her funeral. The hat did not fit in her luggage so she chose to wear it. It was a interesting shape, a stove pipe top with a downward sloping brim, made of a stiff white mesh with a very prominent black, white and silver flower above the brim. We chatted briefly and expressed our sympathy regarding her mother's death. We finally boarded the plane and found our seats, j and h toward the back of the aircraft and took off early enough to know that we would arrive in London a few minutes a head of schedule.