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Published: November 28th 2006
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Ready to go!
Getting settled in our seats on the plane...check out the weather in the window! Superman Returns:
…well, I’m airborne, or at least I was while writing this. (I'll post from the airport) The kids quietly curled up at my side on the seats between me and the window with a gorgeous morning sunrise.
Oh! Right….now that seems a nice little glimpse of this trip so far.
Let me fill you in on some details thus far.
T minus 24 hours to trip: Snow storm hits Nanaimo. Not completely hopeless but a bit too close for comfort as we prepared to get ready during our last day in Nanaimo. Unfortunate that my insurance ran out and I didn’t notice until the nice police officer mentioned he was going to have to tow my car…so sorry you are going away, have a nice night…righto officer…..will do.
$600 dollar ticket later.
Three hours to my expected time to leave the house to make the 5:45 ferry and I check the weather details. Yep, flights still on, yep, ferry still running…wait a minute…where is the listing for the 5:45 ferry that will get me into Vancouver early enough to get to the airport at the right time according to my itinerary. Oh…there is NO 5:45
ferry…the next one is at 6:30.
Three hours travel time gets me into Tswwaassen at 9:30, already half an hour late at the check in counter…..why did I leave this to the last minute?
Dian and Brian make it across the island from Ucluelet to drive us across and make the ferry trip to help with the kids…(awwwww thanks)….we arrive at the terminal at 5:30. Just in case there is a full load or what have you. We settle into line, pull out the DVD for the kids and wait. One hour and a half later …ferry shows up. Late.
Of course…..
7:18 pm we make it onto the ferry and disembark at 7:22.
9:39 finally make it to the other side and drive off the ferry into another world of white.
White stuff and VANCOUVER drivers…..for gawd sakes….five cars in the ditch (yes I counted) between the terminal and River Road. At 10:16 we finally pull into the international departures gate. Kids are by now passed out in the back seat and I am mentally calculating how much weight I can manage while dashing-through-the-snow to the line of carts and keeping my body temperature to
a low minimum until I can apply another coating of deodorant to cover the panic sweat starting. (I was supposed to check in at 9pm)
I should clarify…I didn’t HAVE to check in that early…only if I wanted an isle seat was I supposed to be there that early. Before you all shake your heads at my silliness and stress, how many of you have been in a car with Miles before? How many of you for longer than 20 mins……got the importance of being able to GET OUT OF MY SEAT OCCASSIONALLY?
Well, lucky me, I managed to get an isle seat and there appears to be lots of kids on this plane as well so IF Miles looses it his screams MAY be drowned out by another equally stressed child.
(Oh, Daniel…yes, Boone…..I found your son’s twin. He is sitting across from me about 5 months old and has been awake a total of 7 hours so far (refuses to sleep at all)……he is mostly happy but his poor parents are about done in.)
Back to the terminal.
The kids and I went through security at 11:30, a full half hour earlier
Required view through the window image
I took this photo just as I sat down to type this blog. It was about 9 hours into the flight and we finally caught up with the sunrise somewhere in the middle of the Pacific than needed…Miles and Marrin were awesome. They both took responsibility for their packs and helped me with pulling out the gear for the security people to check. They were so sweet in fact that when the guard said she didn’t need to have the kids checked with the wand they swipe over you Marrin only made a face at her once, and Miles only knocked over three of those lineup pillars…..
All in all a success.
We waited for a bit at the gate and the kids explored some of their new pack toys and were calm. As we boarded I couldn’t help but realize again the enormity of what we were doing……
As I am flying thousands of miles above the earth with stratosphere above me and clouds below I think the same thing again….
Oh…Miles is awake…hang on a sec….
Game Boy sorted out…all good again. Thank God for electronics!
We managed to get onto the plane without further incident and prepared ourselves for the take off. Marrin was so excited about the flight up and out!
Well, we waited…..and waited…..and watched a movie….and waited…..
I think we finally took off about five and a half hours later. Yes, It SUCKED, but I got to see back to back superman movies without sound as the headphones didn't work....
It’s now about 7 or eight hours into the flight and the kids have managed pretty well. Numerous bathroom trips, a cool trip to the big back window to see the view (WOW)
And a few trip round the plane to wear out the legs.
I have managed to sleep about three hours, maybe…..
Ouch.
I’ll fill you in on more when we land in Taiwan!
**Quick notes as I am posting this....Marrin and Miles rocked....the kick ass as travellers.
I am sick...throat really sore and breathing in everyone elses recycled germs on the plane probably mutated my slightly irritated throat into what a mess I have now....Chinese Doctor here I come...
We are safe and exhausted....more later.
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Lici
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Forever in awe.....
Wow .glad you all made it safely! I have been keeping track of your flight, as much as humanly possible from one’s computer. I am incredibly proud of all three of you. You are an amazing family! Take care .get some rest and rehydrate. Thinking of you always!