Day 1
6/30/06 - Viva
5:15 PM – After a hard day packing and getting the various pets distributed to friends, family, and vets, we’re ready to head to the airport! The flight’s not until 8:40, but we figure if we get there and security is a nightmare, we’ll still be to the gate early and have time to eat at the airport.
5:55 PM – At the airport (thanks for the ride, Grandma) and security’s not a deal, so it’s up to Chili’s for dinner, but on the way we notice our 8:40 flight has been pushed to 9:00. Not too late. That just means we don’t have to rush for anything.
7:15 PM – Walking to the gate when we notice our 9PM delay is now a 10PM delay. I also notice that our airlines has another flight to
7:30 – We’re settled into our gate with four hours to wait; it seems the yet again time revision brings our departure time to 11:30PM. Only almost three hours late.
11:30ish – Yay! We’re taxiing! The engines rev, the safety video comes on, and … all the power dies (electrical and mechanical). Why were the engines tied in to the electrical? My son decides to end the deathly silence that broke out at the passing of all things reassuring when all our power died. “Is this gonna’ happen when we’re in the air”, he cries shrilly? Not even a nervous titter. Of course every person on the plane wanted to know why the electrical and mechanical were tied together.
Midnight – The power is back, we actually take-off, and the captain punishes our patience with a free showing of Steve Martin’s rendition of the Pink Panther. Steve Martin is NOT Peter Sellers.
4:30 AM EST (1:30 AM in LA) – We’re walking to the luggage carousel.
1:55 AM – Apparently luggage sometimes follows a First On-Last Off queuing scheme. And we’re off to the rental car counter.
2:20 AM – Waiting for the rental car shuttle bus finally pays off as the driver of said shuttle chews out a little old handicapped woman for not hoisting her luggage into the shuttle herself.
2:45 AM – I’ve managed to get to the front of the rental car line, and after taking care of the paper work, we finally get to walk outside to the “minivan” aisle which apparently is free of any infection by minivan. After more patient waiting I run inside to ask about the lack of all things mini-van. “Wait and they’ll bring ‘em to you” is the summary.
3:15 AM – The lights on
3:30 AM – The streets are packed – both with cars and people. I’m amazed.
4:00 AM – I thought the streets were busy. Then I saw the casino as we checked in. When do these people sleep.
4:15 AM – zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (x5)
