Georgia on My Mind

If you will recall, I always have an adventurous time when I fly (If you missed these tales, just peruse the posts labeled "Flying").  Last month I had a meeting in Grand Rapids, & this trip was no exception...

I have a friend, Beth, who lives near Chicago who also would be attending the meeting, so I decided to fly to Chicago, stay with her for a day, then we'd drive down together for the meeting.  Another member of our meeting squad, Alicia, recently moved to BC, & we encouraged her to join us for our mini road trip, but she couldn't make it work.

I flew out to Chicago  Monday afternoon.  A straight shot, one flight, no problem.  We spent the next morning thrift shopping, & enjoying some delicious donuts.  My friend Allison used to live in PEI & now lives within a few miles of Beth, so Beth & I decided to go visit her for coffee that afternoon.  While we were there Beth keep getting texts from a number she didn't recognize.  After we left Allison's, she checked the messages, & they were from Alicia.  Her flight was delayed, then cancelled, & the airline wanted to fly her through Chicago, have her stay in a hotel overnight, then fly down to Grand Rapids.  The three of us decided a better, & more fun course of action would be for us to pick her up in Chicago, & she could drive down with us the next day.  Sometimes flight problems end up better than planned!

After our meetings, it was time to head home.  My flight plan was Grand Rapids-Atlanta-Calgary-Vancouver. I decided since I was travelling alone that I'd offer to be bumped.  I figured with 3 flights my chances were pretty good.

The first bump in the day was the security line.  I have NEXUS, so I can go through the Trusted Traveller line in the airport, but I have had it twice now in Grand Rapids that they do not view NEXUS as the same as TSA Pre-check, so I had to go through the regular line.  (I have since discovered when you're checking in online you have to enter your NEXUS number as the "Known Flyer Number", then I can use the quick line.  It's like they try to make it difficult!)  Now, whenever I go to the States, I usually stock up on some of the candies & foods that I can't get in Canada.  I had to take all the food out of my bags.  Apparently I forgot to remove the box of Suzy-Qs from my suitcase, so they had to open the suitcase, open the box & check them.  Then I had the joy of repacking them all.

When I got to Atlanta I went to the counter for my flight to Calgary which was scheduled for 5pm. They were over booked but didn't seem all that concerned about it.  There were several people in line trying to get seats on the flight.  There was a couple that the man had a seat, but the woman didn't, there was a lady trying to get tot Calgary for a transplant, & a few others. So when I got to the ticket agent I said, "I'd be willing to give up my seat."

The agent said, "You're volunteering?"

Me: "Sure, I'm not in a rush."

Agent: "Would you need a hotel?"

Me: "I don't think so."  I figured I'd maybe get a morning flight, but it's a lot of hassle to leave the airport & try to get a morning shuttle back in time for the flight.  I could handle a night in the airport.

The boarded all the other passengers & the ticket agent said, "Ok, see you tomorrow!"

Me: "What is my new flight info?"

Agent: "Same time, same place."

Me: "Oh... could I get some food vouchers?"

Agent: "I should be able to get you some.  Hang on."

He got on the phone to whoever deems people worthy of food vouchers, & he keep saying, "She volunteered."  Apparently, since I had not used the word "Bumped", & the airline had not asked for people to be "Bumped" I was just a kind soul who bequeathed her seat to a lady so she could fly with her husband...  The airline deemed me unworthy of food for my troubles.

The agent took pity on me & said, "Come with me."

So, I followed him a short way down the hall, to an ATM, where he took $20 out of his own account & gave it to me.

So, I had 24 hours to wait in the airport, & $20 American dollars!

I wandered around a bit, decided to have dinner at TGI Fridays (why NOT have a long leisurely supper, it's not like I was rushed for time!), then found a Delta customer service desk & attempted to become their new best friend.  Since it was still more than 12 hours before my flight, I had not been given a boarding pass, & no one could print me one since there was not a WetJet desk inside the terminal.  If I wanted to talk to WestJet personnel, I could leave the security area & go to the main area of the terminal, but I didn't want to get stuck outside of the area where the amenities were, & have to deal with re-entry, especially since I had no boarding pass.  It looked like I'd have to take some lessons from Tom Hanks in the movie "The Terminal".

I spoke with a few Delta agents, & they told me that since the ticket was WestJet, they couldn't rebook me on any other flights, only a WestJet person could.  Since I have a Canadian cell phone, they let me use one of their phones & call the WestJet helpline.  I spoke with a very pleasant man who tried in vain to help me, but since my flight was booked through a travel agent, even WestJet couldn't release my ticket to another airline.  He could rebook me on other flights, but the only way from Atlanta to Vancouver involved more stops than the one I had in Calgary, therefore it would cost the airline more to transfer me, so he was powerless.

He asked me, "How did you get yourself into this position?"

I said, "Apparently I 'volunteered' to give up my seat instead of being asked to be 'bumped'."

Agent: "Oh I'm sorry to hear that.  You sound like a very nice person though!"

Me: "Thanks!  Would you like to reward my kindness bu getting me out of here sooner than tomorrow at 5pm?"

Agent: "I would like to, but there's unfortunately nothing I can do."

So I went back to talk to the Delta ladies& they kindly gave me a blanket, a travel kit with toiletries, & told me where the area with the comfortable chairs was.  I headed that direction, since it was now 10pm, & I wanted to get a good spot.  The area I'd been told about had big wide cushioned seats that were moveable & didn't have armrests.  I maneuvered 2 chairs so I had comfy couch I could stretch out on.  I had my laptop with me, so I found a movie to watch & settled in for the night.  I managed to sleep quite well, despite the location of my accomodations.  About halfway through the night another traveller left their little couch/bed, & left behind a blanket & a pillow.  I snuck over & claimed them.  When I awoke in the morning I was very confused trying to figure out what had happened to the extra blanket & the pillow... Turns out, that was just a dream, there was no extra blanket or pillow, but perhaps I slept better since I believed I was warm & comfortable!

In the morning I made my way to McDonalds for a delicious Egg McMuffin, the breakfast of champions!  I still had 7 hours until my flight, so I decided to look for souvenirs & see if anything really got my attention...

Did you know there's a train in the Atlanta airport?

Did you know there's a moving walkway in the basement of the Atlanta airport?

Did you know one section of the basement is made to look and SOUND like a jungle in the Atlanta airport?

Did you know there are 7 concourses in the Atlanta airport?

Do you know the Concourses are labeled T, A, B, C, D, E, F?

I made it to every concourse except T.  I decided to leave something for next time.

I rode the train from one end to the other, around the end of the line (where you are supposed to get off, but I didn't feel like it).

I walked over 12 km (7miles) in the 24 hours I was in the Atlanta airport.

I ate at PF Chang's for the first time in my life while I was in the Atlanta airport.

I was given a free glass of champagne at PF Chang's while I was in the Atlanta airport!

I discovered I don't like champagne when I was at PF Chang's while I was in the Atlanta airport!

I discovered champagne is not improved by having Dr Pepper added to it when I was at PF Chang's while I was in the Atlanta airport!

I visited several souvenir shops, & found many different shirts...

Should I get a "Georgia" shirt?  No, I can't really say that I have seen much of Georgia.

Should I get an "Atlanta" shirt?  No, I haven't seen much of Atlanta either.

Then I found the souvenir I needed...

A hoodie, with the Atlanta airport code!

As I wandered around the airport I realized I had been in the airport too long.  I was beginning to get amused by the strangest things...

"No, YOU thart!"

Why did they choose to do the lettering colouring that way?  It made no sense to me...

It was getting closer to my departure time, so I headed off to my gate.  It was the same group of agents as the day before.  The $20 man said, "Are you finally going home?"

Me: "I'm going to try!"

Agent:" Well, the flight's pretty full, who knows, you could get another day here!"

Me: "Only if it's worth my while!"

Agent: "You should have waited about 10 minutes yesterday.  We would have asked people to be bumped & you could have been compensated."

Me: "NOW you tell me!"

Agent: "Yeah, when you volunteer you get nothing.  You got to be BUMPED!"

Amazingly they did not have more guests than seats, so I managed to make my way onto the flight.  I even got a window seat!

In Calgary we had to go through customs, & after that you exit into the main area of the terminal, & you have to go back through security to get your next flight.  I was in the "Trusted Travelers" line (I had read through all the rules during my stay in Atlanta, so I knew where to put int information in when I checked in).  I was waiting behind a mom with a crying toddler who was having some trouble getting all their stuff put on the table because of all the tears & sadness the child was bringing on her journey.  A man lined up behind me, & then a security agent came up with a woman in a wheelchair beside me, & the wheelchair lady's entourage.  The man behind me decided he had waited long enough, said, "excuse me," & pushed past until he was behind the crying toddler.

Now, remember, I had been in airports for about 30 hours at this point, so I may have been a little snippier than usual. I said, "We're all in line here."

Man: "Well, I was ahead of you."

Me: "No, you weren't, but by all means, go right ahead."

Man: "You came with the wheelchair."

Me: "No, I was here before them, waiting, but I'll go after you."

Man: "Oh, I thought you were with them."

Me: "I'm not."

Man: "Well, you can go ahead of me."

Me: "Thank you!"

After that I got through security, made it to my gate & on my flight without incident.  The only other issue with the flight was that apparently, everyone likes to take a carry-on suitcase now, since checked luggage costs money to take along.  However, there is not enough room for everyone's carry-ons, so they offer to check your luggage to your final destination at the gate, but it ends up on the carousel & you can't pick it up at the gate at the other end of your flight anymore.  I was very thankful to have not checked my luggage though while I was in Atlanta, since I could then change into clean clothes (I could have put my PJs on for the night, but I figured that was a step too far).  But in Calgary not enough people wanted their luggage gate checked, so the last 6 people's luggage didn't fit, & they had to take their suitcases all the way back to the agent for a tag to get checked, so our flight was about 20 minutes late.  The pilot even offered to give them "employee" tags so they could be picked up at the gate, & we could leave on time, but the agent wouldn't allow it.

So, I made it home, one day later than planned, but with lots of stories!  I still can't figure out why Chad is so averse to flying with me. It's always so exciting!

Homeward Bound

We arrived tired & hungry in Toronto around midnight. Wandered around & found Subway & had a snack. We had been told to go to a special area to sleep, & after going there we discovered there was a TV show filming there, so the area was closed, & the extra seating was also full. Eventually found a quiet spot with some heat vents to sleep on, & had a nap.

At 5 o'clock we parted ways with Luke & Tara so we could get through security & go to our gate for our 7 am departure. Boarded on time, & slept as best I could for most of the flight. Retrieved our luggage, & caught the shuttle to get our car.

Went home, dozed on the couch, got the lowdown from Mom & Dad about the week with the kids, made an easy supper, put the kids to bed, had a bath & early bedtime for us since we had essentially been up for 40 hours.

Overall it was a great trip, the people we met in Cuba were all wonderful. They were super friendly & the staff at the resort bent over backwards to help with whatever crazy request we had. It was great to spend time with Luke & Tara again, & for me to have a partner in crime as we went on our crazy adventures. I definitely want to go back to Cuba again at some point & experience more of the Cuban culture!

The Longest Day

Woke up & started packing things up. Met Luke & Tara on their way back from breakfast, they were going to pack, & we were going to eat! After breakfast we decided to check out of our rooms so we could get a jump on the rest of the crowd. Dropped off our bags by the front desk, & waited for Pablo the bellhop to put them in the locked room. Then Tara & I went to talk to Jorge at the towel stand to see if he had been able to find some Peso coins for me. In Cuba there are 2 currencies, the Tourist Pesos, & the Cuban Pesos. I had some of the Tourist Pesos, but I was trying to acquire a few of the Cuban Peso coins.

Jorge let me down! He totally forgot to look. Oh well, we stood & chatted to him for quite a while, & he managed to find a 1 Peso coin for me. He also showed us a ₱100 bill, & told us a lot of the history of Cuba revolutions, & who was pictured on the bills. He went to ask some other employees if they had any coins. Jorge gave me a ₱5 & ₱1 bill he had managed to find, & told me maybe I could get someone to trade with me.

We chatted a bit more & told him of my mistake telling Rollie about our candle, which Jorge thought was quite funny. I gave him a pack of Skittles for his troubles, & went in search of more cappuccinos.

At one point Ivan ran up to me with 2 more Peso coins for me, & a hug. I thanked him for finding them for me. We all 4 rotated between reading in the lobby, & wandering around the resort. The weather wasn't great again, so at least we weren't missing out on a good beach day, but it was not the most exciting day we have had here.

Tara & I asked at the front desk about some of the seeds we had founds on the trees.  She had found an odd shaped green seed & had even bit into it a bit, but we couldn't figure out what it was.  We were told it was an almond that wasn't ripe yet.  So I asked about the red seeds on the palm trees if they were the kind of seeds that were fed to pigs.  Immediately the desk clerk told us, "Don't eat them!"  I assured him, "I didn't eat them.  I only  tasted one a little bit, but it didn't taste very good, & I don't recommend it.".  He said, "Either you are ok, or you are a zombie!"

I ran into Pablo at one point & asked him about Peso coins, but all he had was a ₱20 bill. I offered to trade him for the ₱5 bill I had since I had 2, & he said that wasn't really a fair trade. He let me keep the ₱20 & the ₱5, & I gave him 2 decks of playing cards. He was pretty happy about that.

As it got later in the day closer to our departure time I decided it was time to get changed, so I asked Pablo if I could get my bag from the locked room. He let me in & I asked him about the 'hospitality room' to get changed in. He said, "Ask at the front desk... wait, do you need a shower, or just to change?" I said I was just going to change, so he offered to leave me locked in the room while he went to check on another room. So I quickly changed, & waited in the locked room. Chad thought that was a little strange, but it sure was convenient!

I had one last drink from my favourite bartender, & tipped him the few coins I had left telling him, "Lo siento, no tengo mas." He started singing, "No Tengo mas, no tengo mas!"

We got on the bus around 4:30, rode the hour to the airport, & waited to check in. At security I put my bag & phone onto the tray, & the man told me to take my watch off, so I did, then he said, "Look at me." I looked, & he said, "You have beautiful eyes!" I think that was a misuse of his authority, but I appreciated it!

We sat for 2 hours at the airport, but we did finally manage to find some nice shirts for the kids! Talked to a few of the vendor ladies, & traded the ₱5 bill for a ₱3 peso coin, two ₱1 coins, & a 20 cent. Another lady gave me a 20 cent, & a 5 cent. In the end I had ₱45.45 in Cuban Peso (which is only worth about $2US)!

We decided that on the plane the girls would sit together & the boys could sit together. I went to my seat to discover it was wet, so the stewardess told us to shift into the 2 seats next to us, since the flight wasn't full. Two older couples came to sit, & apparently we were in one of their seats, so we explained that the seat was wet & we had been told to move over. "That's not our problem!" one of them declared. We replied that we were happy to go wherever the stewardess wanted us.

One of the couples decided to move into the exit row, but the stewardess told them they had to sit in their assigned seats, & gave the exit row to Tara & I instead! The 2 of us chatted for awhile, then Tara went off to another row to sleep. The boys each had a whole row to themselves as well so we had lots of room to relax on the flight.

We're Going to Cuba!

Ever since Chad & I got married, we have talked about going to Cuba. Cuba has been calling to me ever since I married a Canadian, knowing that as soon as I got my Canadian passport I'd be able to go. The timing never really worked out until this year. We decided it was a good way to celebrate my 40th Birthday, & our 20th Anniversary, what better way to celebrate than to go with friends we had not seen since moving from PEI 3 years ago!

Chad & I got up at 330am to get to airport for 645 flight. Waking up early is never difficult when I'm heading to the airport for a fun trip! We flew to Toronto to meet up with our friends from PEI, & after wandering around the airport for a bit we found them, & had lunch together. As usual when I fly, we had a flight delay, but we were quite happy with that as it gave us more time for a leisurely lunch.

On the flight to Cuba I sat next to a lady who had been to Cuba 20 times, so I chatted with her a little bit about what to expect. We boarded a bus at the airport headed to several resorts. They were selling beer for the bus ride, but we were seated in the back of the bus, & didn't get offered before we left, which was good since it was dark, & the road was very bumpy.

We arrived at the Iberostar Daiquiri resort around 1030pm. Everyone was hungry, so we set out to find food. We went to "Mexican" restaurant at it was the only one open at that time. By the time we got there it was 11 o'clock. The waiter introduced himself as "Rollie", he was playing some music, & asked what our favorite band was. He mentioned he liked Guns n' Roses, so I said I liked the song "Sweet Child o' Mine". He went into the back & returned with his cell phone, then had his friend behind the bar call it. The ringtone was "Sweet Child o' Mine", & I had a new best friend! Next he brought his speaker to our table playing "November Rain" very loudly & asked me to dance. I had nothing better to do at the moment, so I did. Chad had been out getting his sweater since the restaurant was chilly, so when he came back to the restaurant, he was a bit confused as to what was happening!

After all the excitement we asked for some menus, & we were told the chef wasn't there yet. So we had to keep waiting for food. Once again Rollie came back, this time with the speaker playing "Sweet Child o' Mine", but I didn't want to dance, so I sang along instead, which delighted him to no end. Chad said he wasn't sure which was worse, that I knew all the words, or that I knew all the key changes as well! At the end of the song I moved the speaker to another table, & some guests came in & started singing along to it, & Rollie turned the speaker off & said it wasn't for them!
Then, after waiting about 40 minutes, we were served the only option of food... Ham & cheese buns, & fries.

According to Chad, it was the weirdest start to holidays ever!

Back to Canada!

We drove up from the Grand Coulee Dam to British Columbia.

We opted to drive the Princeton-Hope highway, which was pretty, but very twisty.

Now we can say we've done it, but unless I'm on a motorcycle, I wouldn't have to drive it again.

We struggled through a few bouts of car sickness, & got stuck behind a slow moving RV in a line 35 vehicles long!

Grandpa had talked about donuts quite a bit on the trip, but they never actually materialized.  At Hope I had had enough, so I directed Grandpa to Tim Horton's so we could stop talking about donuts that didn't exist!

We had a great 3 weeks with my parents & the trip was a lot of fun!  Maybe we'll have to do it again next year!

Berkeley Pit Mine & Grand Coulee Dam

We were back on the road & decided to stop in Butte, Montana to see the Berkeley Pit copper mine.

The kids seemed to have a bit of trouble with the binoculars...

You had to walk down a long tunnel to get through the hill.  Then you could see the pit.

It's huge, & this copper mine has a long history.  It was a quick stop, but interesting!

 We stopped to look at the sale table & scored a set of 3 shirts for Asher for $4!

One less thing to buy for school shopping!

Asher couldn't figure out why I wouldn't let him go see the trolley!

On the road again!  We spent a lot of time listening to our iPods!

(it was either iPods, or American politics!)

We made it all the way to the Grand Coulee Dam!

We watched a short video about the building of the dam, then walked around a bit.

After being in the truck all day the kids had a little trouble sitting still for the video, so we opted not to see the 45 minute, more in-depth video. 

I'm surrounded by craziness!

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

My mom grew up in Montana, & it was always my favourite place to visit as a kid.  I love the prairies, horses, & all the fun things to do on my cousins' ranch.  My kids feel the same way.  Asher & Chancery are city kids, but I try to get them a taste of farm/country life as often as I can!

We stopped to visit my Great Uncle Gordon, the kids said hi, then went right back outside because there were kittens!

We stopped at the cemetery where quite a few of my ancestors are buried.  Look at this display of sibling love while the kids stand by their Great Grandparents!

And we found the grave of my Great-Great-Grandparents.

Then it was on to the ranch!  The kids were eager to go for a ride on the Quads.  My cousin Justin was kind enough to take us through a few fields for a nice ride.

We found this old log cabin, & the kids enjoyed looking around, but decided they did not want to live in it.

We drove up to the radio tower & the kids both wanted to climb it.  SInce it was pretty windy, & the tower is over 100 feet tall, I told them they could climb it as long as they would stop where I told them to & go no higher.

 I told Asher he had to stop 2 sections below where he is, knowing that he'd go a little higher...  He loves to climb!

We had a great time at the ranch & we were sad when it was time to go.  We got to spend a little more time with Justin & Uncle Leonard though since they decided to join us for supper!

If you ever want to know how to restore sibling harmony, tell them they can share a milkshake, but only if they agree on one flavour!   They chose chocolate, & shared very well!

Wyoming Wildlife

Welcome to Sheridan, Wyoming, the only place we took pictures all day!

It started as a rest area stop, & turned into a lunch stop because we didn't think there would be another rest area for a long time.  We saw some wild animals here.  There were baby swallows at the buildings main entrance...

There was this fierce warrior...

 We even captured a photographer in his natural element!

(Funny story:  Grandma took this photo.  Then a few minutes later discovered that Chancery was standing on a counter area, & then told Chancery she shouldn't stand on tables... notice where Grandpa is?)

At the playground Chancery found a bunny! 

It was a combined effort to try to feed the bunny a little bit of carrot, but it was not the least bit interested in our carrot, choosing dandelion leaves instead.

Minuteman Missiles & Needles Parkway

Another day on the road, with a few extra pit stops!

 My brother, Kurt told us about the new Minuteman Missile museum along I-90, & we decided it was worthy of a stop.

They had a kids activity book, that once completed the kids would receive a badge.  Asher & Chancery dutifully filled in the answers (though if you asked them about it, I'm not sure they could answer your questions), then brought their booklets to the rangers for their badges.

There are also a few missile bunkers you can go look at to see how they were stored, & signs explaining how they were maintained, & could be launched. 

After an exciting morning, we had a picnic lunch in Custer State Park, & I found two dimes in the parking lot!  It's the little things that make it memorable!

 We found the pack of donkeys, & I was shocked by what I saw!  So, it's fun to bring some fruits & vegetables to feed the donkeys.  I get that.  What I don't understand is people who bring a big bag of full-sized carrots & feed the donkey carrot after carrot until the bag is gone or they donkey loses interest.  There were celery stalks & apples all over the ground that the donkeys were not eating because they were being over-fed.  This also means that the next people who come to feed the animals won't have a chance because they are not hungry anymore.  Moderation, people!  Leave some fun for the rest of us!

We continued on seeing lots of unique rock formations on the Needles Parkway. 

And we squeezed through the eye of the needle!

 Chancery & I found a little crevasse to explore.

Photo op!

Once again, the kids wanted to climb on the rocks for a picture!

Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Homestead was another place I had always wanted to go, but it just seemed a bit too far out of the way to justify a stop.  So, we made it a stop!

 We got there just in time for a picnic lunch

I drove everyone around the homestead
(not really, sadly there were no horses here)

Asher & Chancery pumped water out of the original well that Almanso dug.

Asher decided to try cutting the grass the old fashioned way, which technically is the modern way since we have a lawn mower very similar to this at home.

We found the horses!  The kids each got to have a slow, lead ride to the end of the field & back.  They both really enjoyed it, & I probably would have asked for a turn, but I would have wanted to go faster!

In the barn there were 2 kittens!
One cat for every kid!

The kids got to do some hands-on stuff.  They each made a rope out of 2 pieces of twine, & made a corncob 'ninja'!
(according to the lady who assisted in this task, ninjas are much more popular than dolls these days)

I was glad I finally made it to the homestead.  There was a lot that we didn't have time for, but maybe now I can convince the kids to read the books, then come back once they have done so!

Corn Palace

The Corn Palace was another new stop for me.  I had been to the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, but I had never stopped at the Corn Palace.  Every year they put murals up all along the outside, as well as the inside made up of all different colours of corn. 

Just chillin' with Mr. Corn 

Inside the Corn Palace there was a children's activity area, & Chancery decided to build herself a fort of giant lego. 

Asher tried his hand at being a grocery store checker.  He enjoyed it quite a bit, especially when Grandpa gave him real money! (but Grandpa did ask for it back)

All in all the Corn Palace was a hit!