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| Bosco, the cute old guy |
Monday was Memorial Day, the day I was scheduled to leave. But first, there was fun to be had.
Alex and Lincoln's friend down the street was having a birthday party, and if any of her past parties were any indication, it was going to be fabulous.
We got there early because the kids couldn't wait one more second. They played in the treehouse in the front yard while I watched the caterers bring in the cake and trappings.
Seriously! And the kids were using baby shampoo to coat themselves for maximum speed. Ptolemy said it was the most fun he had the whole trip.
Champagne for the adults. Because, you know, it's already 10 am. There was also a crepe stand with made-to-order sandwich and dessert crepes. I have to say, none of the adults at the party took much interest in me. They probably thought I was some sort of weird babysitter, but the nannies didn't want me in their group, either. I was lonely, but the crepe people were nice to me. We tried out some new recipes. The winner was mozzarella cheese and caramel. I'll have to try that one at home!
This perfectly captures the hectic moments before departure. Juan and Esther took me to the airport, and Tricia stayed with the boys, settling them down for the upcoming school week.
And then we were on the move! I felt like this fish: "Wait, wha?? It's over already?"
Once at the airport, Ptolemy and I had plenty of time for one last Cuban meal.
Then we got the Beanie Boos all settled in for the non-stop to Salt Lake.
Took a nap on the runway for two hours. Then it was announced we would have to get off the plane. Sitting back at the terminal with my sleeping boy, I got a text from the airline that our flight was cancelled! Once word got around, there was a mad dash to the American Airlines counter. Everyone RAN! Except me. I had Two carry-ons and a sleeping 5-year-old. There would be no dashing. What happened next could have been a brutal exercise in futility, but it wasn't because the people around me were super nice, jovial, fun and very accepting of the fact that we were all stranded and it was now 10 pm. One family split up and the daughter sat with Ptolemy so I could go wait in line. Long story short, I was the last person in line, but they got us all on flights. It just took three hours. By 2 am, when the magic ticket agent handed me my boarding passes for early the next morning, I was slap happy. Everyone in the airport knew Ptolemy because they had stepped over his sleeping body as they moved forward in line. IT was a friendly bunch. The agent gave me a hotel voucher and meal vouchers for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Because it was going to take us awhile to get home.
First stop, the shuttle to the hotel. Kids can sleep anywhere. Ptolemy was a gem.
At two am, he was absolutely thrilled to be in this comfy hotel bed. His enthusiasm is contagious. We were on an adventure!
An adventure that continued 3 hours later when we boarded the shuttle back to the airport. But for 3 hours, dang that bed was comfy!
Doesn't have a clue where we're going, or when, or why, but he's all in.
Turns out, we were going to Chicago for lunch! Whoo hoo! Who wouldn't jump at the chance for some Chicago style pizza, IN Chicago?
But tomatoes and spinach!? Ew!
Sausage is more like it!
I love airports. I could be that Tom Hanks character who lives at Heathrow, minus the fact that he couldn't leave. There is something about the airport that is like a drug. It gets in my veins and makes me feel invincible. It's the possibility. The people going all over the map, coming from everywhere and bringing with them the vibes of all sorts of places, and the air of adventure. I love the excitement, the fatigue, the waiting, the boredom, the people-watching and just the culture of travel. I love how you can get the feel of a city just from the airport. So I would have been happy if American had flown us around to airports all over the country, except that I was anxious to get home to Scott and the kids.
I took home a big bag of Garrett's popcorn and two pizzas, courtesy of American Airlines.
And finally, I did. I went straight to the shop to teach my lessons, then to Golda's scholarship night at Davis, where they announced all the scholarships. Golda got scholarships from the U, Weber and UVU. Proud of ya, G.
Back to real life, and lots of it!
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