A few weeks ago, after returning from Charlotte, I decided it was time to visit the Dublin site. In talking to Wes about it and remembering how we were robbed of or Dublin trip a few years ago due to baby being born. We figured it’d be “entertaining” to travel together. After obtaining buy off from our wives, I booked us 6 tickets and canceled four of them. Today we’re in the airport waiting to take off.
Six tickets you ask? Well, I spelled Wes’s name wrong on the first booking. Immediately called British airways to change the name and was told they have to cancel, at no cost, then book new flights to fix the name. Ok what ever, 20 minutes later, new tickets booked, and I end the call with the airline. Then an email arrives in my inbox containing the flight data, and Wes’s name is spelled wrong in a different way; airlines fault. I call back in and get the gal sitting next to the last gal I talk too. They both say sorry and work out fixing the problem. –
NOTE || When you cancel and rebook you end up buying a new ticket and waiting a week for a refund. According to the amazon visa the extra charges have been finally been removed.
Kids, Nails, and stuff
Last night, before leaving the family for a week, the kids wanted to paint my nails to make sure they were pretty while I was gone. Being a dad who will do nearly anything to entertain his kids. I let them paint my nails darn near anytime they want too. They are actually starting to develop some skills and turn out a descent end product.
The morning of flying out was business as usual i Breakfast, getting dressed, getting the kids to school and back home for a few minutes with wifey. Only difference really was I told the kids I love you, see you in a week. Vs. my normal I love you see you in the morning. I’m betting it does not sink in that I am gone untill tomorrow or the next day when I get to call them on Skype before breakfast; time zones are complicated.
Before leaving I took the time to make the kids little heart eggs with some candy and treats in them which ended up under their pillows. Michelle says she forgot all about them by the time she made it home to put the kids to bed after gymnastics. The kids ran out of bed with them showing her what I’d left. Maddex already wrote me a thank you note, and had mom take a picture to send me.
Driving to YVR
On the way up we’d planned to stop by netriver in Lynwood and swap some hard drives but we did not link up with the drives. We did stop by Target to pick up some pants for Wes, and a rest stop for a potty break. Not stopping in Netriver brought us to YVR a good hour earlier then expected. To kill time we made a few stops. After Costco, and Tim hortans we ended up at the airport a good 3-4 hours before scheduled departure. Walked around for a few hours before boarding the plane.
Security in YVR is spectacular compared to SEA. I didn’t feel like a terrorist who might require an anal cavity search at any moment. Only thing that could have made it better is if they were handing out free TimBits while you waited. I got to keep my shoes on, everyone was nice, no one was armed, No one got to look at my junk in a body scanner, the line was simple – It was all around pleasant compared to traveling in the Land of Freedom and Mexico walls.
YVR to LHR
We ended in near the back of a British airways 747 in a 2 seat row. Between me and the window was a foot or so open space we used to stash our bags. Our slot on the plane was hot: I did not stop sweating most of the flight. Being trapped on a plane for 9 hours turned out to the right time to watching the new Independence day movie – It was what I expected; how do these movies get made?
Then I stuck my leg out the side of the seat in my window space, curled up on my side and slept for about 6 hours. Not too bad of a flight for me. I guess Wes was up and down a few times exploring the plane not able to create comfort and obtain sleepy time.
In LHR we walked about a mile to a bus that took us to another terminal where we had our pictures taken at customs, then we walked a bit to wait for our gate information to show up. They don’t provide your flight a gate untill an hour before boarding it seems. While waiting we walked about and had some food. Being on holiday I went for something I’d never had before and ordered a duck stir fry, which was brilliant.
LHR to DUB
We had a 3 hour lay over for a bit more than hour flight to DUB. We were in about the middle of an Airbus A319. Not much of a view of anything being dark out. Sad face I like looking out the window as we fly. Before boarding the plane the UK government took another picture of us – ” Please stand on the yellow feet, take your cap off, and look at the camera, thank you” We deplaned directly on the tarmac in DUB – NEAT. Then made it past immigrations without issue.
In DUB night one
We walked around the airport looking for some maps for Ashwin. When we arrived where they were the kiosk had closed a few minutes prior; No maps. From there we hoped on a bus with ads over the windows preventing me from seeing much of the city we drove through. We found Ashwin and Bailey who took us out to dinner, then back home to sleep. In bed by 0:20 Dublin time where I called the kids then passed out.
The rest of the pictures
