Saturday, July 19, 2008
And They're Off!
We are less than two weeks away from leaving Stuttgart, well “officially out-processing” Stuttgart, and things are slowly falling into place for our departure. Phase One of our departure was yesterday when Zachary and MacKenzie flew to the states to spend two weeks with Nana and Papa before Benjamin and I join them for our annual getaway to the states.
Catering Strike = Delayed Flight
When we checked in at the airport yesterday morning, we were told that the caterer was on strike -- first time ever -- and that the flight would be delayed anywhere from one to four hours since they can't leave on a 10-hour international flight without meals. I was very relieved when I saw the Gategourmet truck arrive next to their plane a mere 40 minutes after their scheduled departure, and equally relieved that Delta decided to simultaneously load the meals and passengers. MacKenzie was a bit teary-eyed when it was time for them to walk toward the plane, but Zachary calmly put his arm around her shoulder and she rested her head back on him. As much as they can annoy each other at times, they really do take care of each other. Watching their interaction at that moment really did my heart good. Fortunately, the plane pushed back right at one hour late (instead of four).
As their plane pushed back, this T-Mobile zeppelin appeared on the runway. Apparently there’s a zeppelin festival this weekend -- I saw three take to the skies yesterday, including this one flying near the base when I picked up Benjamin at the end of the day.
My next concern about their travel was their connection in Atlanta -- including clearing Customs. They were originally scheduled for a 2 hour & 15 minute layover, so I knew it would be tight with the one-hour delay. Thankfully, there were two subsequent flights that they could have been rescheduled onto, both with plenty of available seats. Come to find out, they raced to make their scheduled flight, only to have to sit at the gate for another hour-long delay on that flight. But, they finally made it to Philadelphia and were excited to see Nana and Papa -- and they both slept on the drive home. They needed it after the long travel day they had.
I know they're going to have fun spending one-on-one time with Nana and Papa -- going to a cookout, the beach, the museum (where Zachary will work on a Boy Scout merit badge), and many other exciting summer activities. I know Nana and Papa will relish the time as well.
Catering Strike = Delayed FlightWhen we checked in at the airport yesterday morning, we were told that the caterer was on strike -- first time ever -- and that the flight would be delayed anywhere from one to four hours since they can't leave on a 10-hour international flight without meals. I was very relieved when I saw the Gategourmet truck arrive next to their plane a mere 40 minutes after their scheduled departure, and equally relieved that Delta decided to simultaneously load the meals and passengers. MacKenzie was a bit teary-eyed when it was time for them to walk toward the plane, but Zachary calmly put his arm around her shoulder and she rested her head back on him. As much as they can annoy each other at times, they really do take care of each other. Watching their interaction at that moment really did my heart good. Fortunately, the plane pushed back right at one hour late (instead of four).
As their plane pushed back, this T-Mobile zeppelin appeared on the runway. Apparently there’s a zeppelin festival this weekend -- I saw three take to the skies yesterday, including this one flying near the base when I picked up Benjamin at the end of the day.My next concern about their travel was their connection in Atlanta -- including clearing Customs. They were originally scheduled for a 2 hour & 15 minute layover, so I knew it would be tight with the one-hour delay. Thankfully, there were two subsequent flights that they could have been rescheduled onto, both with plenty of available seats. Come to find out, they raced to make their scheduled flight, only to have to sit at the gate for another hour-long delay on that flight. But, they finally made it to Philadelphia and were excited to see Nana and Papa -- and they both slept on the drive home. They needed it after the long travel day they had.
I know they're going to have fun spending one-on-one time with Nana and Papa -- going to a cookout, the beach, the museum (where Zachary will work on a Boy Scout merit badge), and many other exciting summer activities. I know Nana and Papa will relish the time as well.
Labels: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, MacKenzie, Nana and Papa, Zachary
