January 3, 2008

Time to leave, :(
Get up at 6AM, it's -8 plus windchill, so far the coldest day yet. Go go close my suitcase, the zipper breaks!!! DH had to drag one of his old ones down from upstairs and everything fits. Actually, we started stuffing the suitcases with junk becasue neither of the 3 of them were full. We get on the road at 7AM, drive along 1/2 awake and there on the side of the road, in all his glory stands a HUGE male moose! Munching away at breakfast! YAHOOOOO, after 7 years of living in New Hampshire I get to see a moose! I was and still am so excited! If the kids were awake, I would call them! Too bad the cameras were packed.
Get checked in, no problems on this end, check the passports, tickets etc no problem. We just want the luggage when we get there! The flight back to Washington DC is fine, we walk the terminal for hours. Then they call our names to come to the check in counter, what now? Apparently they moved our seats, to an exit row, kids can't sit by exit rows, you got the best seats in the house the guy says. Naturally the flight is overbooked and packed but we have LOTS of leg room. We sit on the plane for an HOUR before takeoff AGAIN! but at least the flight attendant is a very nice lady and talks to us.
January 4 - Get to Paris, have NO clue where we are even though we've been to Paris in October, this is totaly different and since it's EARLY in the morning, nothing is open to even ask as to where we are supposed to be. Finally find it, go to the area since we have never been here before only to find it closed, just stand in line. French security dumped my purse out looking for something but I have no clue. NOTHING is open to get even a bottle of water! Board the flight and wait AGAIN! Sit and sit and sit. The flight is sort of full but still several empty seats. This flight was miserable, the flight crew was rude, my special meal wasn't there but DH's was, my feet kept swelling and I just couldn't get comfortable, the view of the French Alps was absoultely stunning though! They were beautiful from up above.
Land, get through passport control, baggage claim and guess what? Only 1 out of 3 suitcases come off! ARRRRRGGGG, I HATE UNITED! I don't care how cheap the tickets are, I will NEVER fly them again! So off to file a claim form. After an HOUR we were the LAST ones out of customs. At least they didn't need to look in my bags so off we went, home, UGH, back in HELL. At least it was above zero.
Get home to find cat shit and pee all over the living room floor, thank you Roxie. She refuses to pee or shit in a litter box so if you don't let her OUT when she starts screeching she goes on the floor. There is nothing medically wrong with her, she just won't use the litter box.
The cats were so glad to see us and wouldn't get far away but they were glad to go outside.

January 5- Well the luggage went on to the final destination of the flight, to the next city in the country so they will be back here today so DH can go get them. They can't deliver them to the house because you have to take them through customs to be x-rayed and opened for inspection. They wanted to look in mine but didn't take anything this time, thank you.

So that vacation is over, now the countdown to June begins. Outside of the horrors of the traveling, it was ok, short but ok. It seems like we never get to do everything we set out to but it's always an adventure.