The Road to Sweden - Chapter 1

Flight is delayed. Sounds like we're going to be here for a while. This is my thing about flight schedules - they're all a 'ballpark'. Has a plane ever taken off when it was advertised it would?

Oh - announcement - changing gates. This may explain why there's no airplane outside the window at our gate.

Stay tuned...

Hmmm. New gate. No airplane here either. Best to settle in for a while.

Today started off ok. Things to do, but nothing overwhelming. Friends popped in yesterday or emailed / texted yesterday so I was in a good place. I was sent off well by the people I needed to be sent off well by. It all started to hit the fan about 2pm. The car to take us to the airport was supposed to arrive at 2:30. Mareika and Graham aren't gone 5 minutes yet, I'm not changed, a bunch of stuff wasn't done yet, and the guy is loading our bags into the car! Fine. We get all loaded, and I set him up to take a picture of us, a leaving shot if you will, and he doesn't like the way I've framed it up, so he moves. I hate patronizing men. The car is a stretch limo. It was the only thing big enough for us and our stuff (5 suitcases, 1 box, 3 carryons, 1 cat). The air conditioning in the car doesn't work. We have to open the windows. Salem starts to meow. It's hot in the back. Every time this guy brakes, we all go flying. Fortunately, it only takes about 1/2 an hour to get to the airport. We get the bags checked through - none overweight (minor miracle there - heaviest one was 64 lbs) and carry through to security.

I never manage to pick the right line. There was a reason that doorway had no one waiting at it. I think it must have been the girl's 2nd or 3rd day on the job because she was VERY THOROUGH - sent my purse through twice. Slower than molasses in January. We had to take Salem out of the bag to go through. One of the other security guys thought it was a hoot that a cat was travelling today. Too bad he wasn't scanning our stuff through. We'd have been through in 5 minutes instead of 15.

So that's about it for now. We're in a holding pattern until the plane is ready. It's now here, so that's a step in the right direction. A&E&I are travelling first class and Peter and Salem are going sardine class. I'm a little spoiled from flying first class. It is the best way to go. Mostly, I'm really tired and am hoping for good food, good wine, and a good movie before maybe getting a chance to rest before we get into Copenhagen.

OK - off to browse the duty free....