Well here we sit at Terminal One Toronto; our adventure almost tangible-the flavor of our trip teasingly waved under our noses and then snatched away, ‘no trip for you’, said Air Canada, or at least not yet.
We left this morning in a rush- (as always,) my dad came down early to pick us up and ended up waiting for us to drag our 101 bags, bits and pieces, and bikes downstairs, onto to a rush to sit in traffic, crawling along the Gardiner Expressway.
I won’t miss that commute in the morning, with people and their barely concealed rage.
The check in process went well enough; our hockey bags each weighed 60 lbs, plus our bikes, and other bags-the nice Air Canada lady let us through without having to pay extra.
For the 18th time I forgot to check my Swiss army knife before flying; it’s become somewhat of a traveling ritual for me; if I don’t have to defend myself as an innocent, and not someone who has terroristic tendencies, I feel like my travel experience is incomplete.
My girly private things pulled out of my bags (not once, but three times) and waved around for all to see.
My bags were pulled apart before the offending ‘piece’ was found, and I was duly admonished, and given the evil eye by the ever-so polite and astute security staff.
Luckily I was able to mail the knife back home, where it will wait until the next time it accompanies me in my carry-on, on my next flight.
On the plane we got, where I made a few frantic last minute calls and texts to bid my farewell, only to then wait and sit, and sit.
People starting shooting hostile glances at each other once the 30 minute mark crawled by; the flight attendants kept coming on over the loud speaker to praise us for being such good, and patient people; I wasn’t feeling anything of the sort.
It was hot on the plane and the sweet-looking Japanese lady and I were playing a secret tug of war over the air vent thingies (she was trying to commandeer mine as well as hers.) But she later gave me exotic-looking (not tasting) Japanese candies as a peace offering, which I gladly accepted.
Turns out our plane’s anti-melting device is not working, and has been sent to the naughty corner, back in the hanger.
So here I sit in the terminal, feeling terminal as I embark upon my narcissistic endeavor to capture all the self-indulged and perhaps boring thoughts that happen across my brain.
Oh, almost two hours after our departure, we are being called to board-the adventure continues!
5:30pm Vancouver time:
We made it! We’re (Lewis) is putting the ponies back together, before we venture out for what I really came here for….sushi!
