Monday, December 20, 2010 – Going Home - UPDATED

Monday, December 20, 2010 – Going Home:

It’s hot this morning.  Not much air movement and running around in long pants getting everything together we are sweating!

Gerald called the golf cart company to confirm they will meet us at 9:15 am to turn in the cart…and of course, they didn’t know what he was talking about!  Good thing he called.

So today’s adventures begin! Wish us luck!

Love you all!

UPDATE:

Said goodbye to Linda and headed to the airport. It didn’t take long to get there and we didn’t lose any luggage on the way, despite Gerald’s attempts to ditch them once or twice! When we got to the airport, checking in was nothing – tell them your name, give them your luggage, get your genuine, authentic, laminated “boarding pass” and wait.  Gerald stayed outside to wait for the golf cart company to retrieve the cart and check it out.  He doesn’t have much patience and is having a heart attack because it’s 9:20 and they aren’t there yet.  But…in true non-American Caribbean timeline fashion, they were a few minutes late and the whole thing was done in a flash.  Plenty of time before we have to get on the plane.

We’re called to board, and I end up having to sit in the last row in the very back of the plane with two other ladies. It’s bumpy and bouncy back there! We stopped on Caye Caulker (to pick up 1 guy), and then we finally head to Belize City.  We get off the plane, pick up our luggage, go to check in at Continental and get ready for that ordeal. Actually, that didn’t take long either…and as it turned out they offered us an upgrade to first class! I’ve never flown first class before. Always wanted to, but I’m not willing to pay the price! However, it was only going to cost us $35 each!  So…guess what I did…I said HECK YEAH!  Are you kidding? Mark that one off my bucket list – I’m doing it!  I don’t think Gerald cared less one way or the other…but I was not going to let that opportunity pass without taking advantage of it! It will never happen to me again! The only problem was that our seats were not together, but the clerk said one of the two people in the next seat would probably switch. As a general rule she is right…and the worst is that we don’t sit together…which might not be all that bad of a thought anyway! =)

So our suitcases tagged with “priority” stickers off they go, and off we go through security to wait for the flight.  It didn’t seem like it was all that long before they were making the call for boarding … and being in first class we got to go first (I felt like I was sneaking on the plane!).  We get on the plane and tell the flight attendant (her name is Jan Burke) of our dilemma and she says no problem, then tells us she thinks there is an open seat anyway, so tells Gerald to go ahead and sit next to me anyway and they will deal with it if it comes up.  So we wait. 

(my tag finally pays off!)

The entire plane boards and we think we are home free…then suddenly a guy gets on and stands at the doorway and has a not-so-happy look on his face.  Apparently it’s his seat. He’s not happy.  Jan asks him if he would be willing to change his seat to the first row so Gerald and I can sit together.  He’s quite grumpy but consents.  Then he proceeds to complain profusely to Jan about it. We were trying to get her attention to tell her he can have his seat – it’s not that big of a deal to make an issue out of it, but she is already telling him he can have his seat back if that is what he wants. She told us later that he just wanted to find something to complain about and for us not to worry about it. There goes my excitement of being in first class! I hate to generalize, but it makes me wonder if people who regularly ride in first class are total jerks. I hope not, but if memory serves me correctly, I’ve never really noticed anyone in first class having a happy face. Hmmmmm? 

Despite all that, (and thanks to Jan’s kindness) it really was a grand ride.  Lots of room.  Grand leather seats. Definitely a smoother ride than in coach.  We got drinks before we even sat down, then we got our choice of meals, and a really good meal too (not like the frozen gross stuff like there used to be in airplanes – like frozen chicken). This one consisted of fresh fruit, mushroom soup and a hot turkey and cheese croissant pocket. It was yummy. Gerald actually ate all of his! The seat reclined way back and had a nice head rest.  We each had our own TV monitors.  And it was pretty quiet! (except for the little kid next to Gerald who was allowed to roam the isle, and grabbed his arm while he was sleeping!) But, all in all, well worth the $35! And what a great memory! (despite Mr. Jerk O. McCrabby).

Our fantasy first class ride came to an end in Houston.  Then came the 6 mile walk to immigration, 2 more miles to customs and a 1.25 hour walk (more like a wait, shuffle, wait, shuffle, wait, shuffle) through security to get back into the airport that we never left to begin with. Surviving all of that (barely) we got an ice cream (cause we couldn’t find a Twinkie) and waited for our next flight. Unfortunately, even though we were in row 4, it was not first class. Bummer. Especially since the people behind us couldn’t figure out how to shuffle cards without slamming and beating them on the tray table and talking about body cavity searches in security. Good grief - people are inconsiderate nits sometimes!

We land and step off the plan and the cold air hit me like a ton of bricks! BRRRRR!!!! OMG IT’S COLD!! I don’t like it! Whaaaa!

We called Carla to let her know we landed, then proceeded to the luggage carousel to wait for our bags and call Avis to pick us up.  We figured we would have to wait for a while but the suitcases were going around the carousel when we got there! That’s a first! Now it’s time to go outside…and I don’t want to! But Avis is already here, and we can’t live at the airport! So we get in the car and head to Avis & Bob’s house. We had a bite to eat, visited a bit and the travel lag hit us hard so we decided to just stay there for the night and come home the next day. Avis turns on the electric blanket on the bed and hooks up the satellite for us and man it was so warm and comfy!  It took me a whole 2 minutes to fall asleep!    ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz