Scotland 2007, Day 15, Glasgow to USA

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Friday, August 10th- Leave Glasgow and head back home:

Mom, John and I board the bus for the last time around 8am (can’t remember when actually- just know we were on the 2nd shuttle to the airport). No Frank- he took off the night before so we just have Margie. She isn’t quite sure she believes my mom when she says we went to The Waterloo last night, so I whip out the computer and show our proof. Think she wishes she had joined us.

It’s raining pretty good today, and when we get to the airport, we all get a second shower. Mom forgot her raincoat in the hotel (Margie is suppose to be mailing it to her) and I had packed mine. So, we give Margie a final hug and take off in the direction of her arm point “There’s only one entrance, you can’t miss it”. Well, there were about 10 of us, and we saw multiple entrances. As the rest of the group stared at the door of the closest one, wondering what to do, I said “fuck this” and went inside- low and behold, where we were suppose to be. We then get to begin the fun process of checking our bags and what not.

Again, since I’m writing this a month later, the details are scattered. However, I do remember that, to Glasgow, Mom looks like a terrorist. John and I made it thru the checkpoints with no problem, but mom is pulled aside twice. Now, before leaving the hotel that morning, mom chugged some potent cough syrup that we picked up in Inverarary since you’re not allowed to take more than 3ml of liquid on the plane with you. She then dumps the remaining extra down the drain and keeps 3 ml (estimate) in the bottle. So, at the first checkpoint mom is pulled aside and the security lady looks at the bottle and says that mom has to drink from it to prove that it is nothing dangerous. Mom is standing there in her socks, swaying slightly due to the bronchitis she has and the amount of syrup she already drank, and she is drinking more of it. She tells the security lady that she is going to be drunk before getting on the plane.

Along the way to our gate, I search for more Cadbury Crème Egg Candy bars to take home (they don’t carry them in the States except at Easter). I also search for that damn t-shirt, but no luck. After bashing my already bruised leg into a chair, and buying 35 candy bars (don't judge me), we head towards our gate.

Two gates before ours, we see part of the gang! Melissa and her parents and Burt. They were supposed to have left already but their plane was delayed and they have been sitting at the airport for hours. We sit and chat with them and listen to Burt telling us that the first thing he’s going to do when he gets back to NYC is to call his manicurist. All of that said in the delightful Burt accent. Melissa and I go on one last expedition when she tells me about a chewable toothbrush machine in the bathroom. We snap some shots, I buy a couple and give her one, and that ends our quest to find trouble- never really found it, but it was fun thinking it was just around the corner. After about an hour, we have to say goodbye to the stranded because our plane will be leaving soon. We hug and say goodbye, again, and head two gates over where we have to be careful when we sit, because there are numerous beer bottles lying around. Even though we’re all seated together, John is in a different boarding zone so he boards first. Mom and I decide to be rebels and not stand in that long line and we just wait ‘til it gets near the gate then we join in the fun. In the plane, John has the window, I’m in the middle and mom has aisle. To assure that I get at least one armrest, I link arms with her so that we both can use the armrest. Good idea until she has a massive sneeze and my arm is caught between her bicep and forearm- that woman’ has muscles! It was then that I saw the flaw in my plan and I took the armrest for myself (never said I was nice). The flight was blissfully uneventful and we pretty much slept the whole way to Philadelphia.

In Philly, we get to go thru customs and claim and recheck our bags again. We finally get into the right customs line (after standing in the non-American with Agriculture line) and John goes to one line while mom and I go to another. I go first and answer the questions. I tell him that I all have to declare is beer, I’m cheap. He clears me and I start to move on when I hear mom whisper in a croaky voice, “Mandy”. I turn around and she is motioning for me to come talk for her. Vengeance is mine. I put on a evil smile and walk back to the woman who I may, or may not, know. I tell the guy that yes I know her and confirm that she was on the same trip. I then look at mom and smile and say “Remember when I wanted that pony and you wouldn’t get it for me?” We all laugh and I proceed to answer the same questions again. The custom guy asks if she also has beer in her suitcase and I say “No, she’s classier than me, she has whiskey”. He’s very disappointed to hear that that is in her checked baggage and he pulls out the red folder and says, “You should have bought her that pony.” Again, laughter, because let’s admit it- mom and I are friggin’ adorable. We say goodbye and promise to share the whiskey next time and we move into the luggage retrieval section from hell. The Philly airport does not have my vote.

We wait about 45 minutes for our baggage which is not good considering that mom and John’s flight to Rochester leaves pretty damn soon. We finally get our luggage and try to fly thru the airport. Ends up, I have to check in my bags in one direction, and mom and John in another. So, we say a very quick goodbye as the crowd pushes us along. I drop off my bags and see Mom & John at the counter rechecking theirs and that they’ll be rejoining my line, so I wait. We go thru security, where mom is pulled aside again, and then it’s time for the real goodbye. They head towards a shuttle to take them to their gate, and I head towards my gate which is very close (of course it’s close- I have the later flight). I finally board the plane, and we start to back away from the gate when there is a loud “clunk” and we stop moving. After a few moments, the pilot gets on the speaker and says that the truck that was pushing us back from the gate got over enthusiastic and broke the push bar. The plane isn’t damaged, but the truck and bar are broken and they have to find another. Finally we get away from the gate and we sit on the tarmac for an hour because it seems the airport is very busy- guess they had a lot of unexpected flights (yes, I’m being sarcastic.) We finally take off and I pop a few pills and bid adieu to Scotland.

Sam picks me up at LAX and I grab a double cheeseburger with extra fries and a shake on the way to my house. And it was good.

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Photos

Doors of Scotland
Yes, I took all these pictures and then photoshopped them into one large image.
I did, however, borrow the idea from the photographer who did "Doors of Ireland".

Comments

[Callie]

the heck with the blog, i like the pictures :)
i love the picture with the doors :)