The Journey Home...

Tuesday, May 29th, we were up and at 'em early. We wanted to be sure we got a little breakfast before the adventure of getting ourselves home happened. We had to be disembarked and down to meet the bus to the airport by 8:00am. We managed to get all that done just fine.

We made it to the airport and got checked in. Sure enough we were questioned about our suitcases. We clearly were standing there with two bags to check and the ticket was for no checked baggage. We were asked if we paid to get them to Denmark. I rehearsed to them the situation in Newark and that the bags were so light they were check as carry-on luggage. I also told them we were informed then there would be a charge for each bag to return from Denmark. Sure enough it was $95 for each suitcase. Ugh!! They took our money and checked us in to Newark. 

We found our gate and waited. You have to be at an International terminal hours before you leave just to be sure you get through the security and have no issues. So we had time to sit at the gate. Claude and I took turns watching our carry-on's so the other could walk a bit. In my walking I found the cans of Danish cookies. There is a standing joke in our family about those cans and every Mother and Gramma has one of these filled with thread and things. I bought four cans to take home as souvenirs for our kids and Bonnie. 
We boarded a full plane to go to Reykjavik. Flight went fine. When we arrived in Reykjavik, the plane stayed out on the tarmac. We walked down stairs and boarded a bus to take us to the terminal. As Claude I stood on the bus I felt a prompting to look in my purse. I had no cell phone. When the plane landed I took my cell phone out and turned it back on. Then I put my Kindle and Sudoku book into my back pack. What I didn't do was put my cell phone in my purse. It was in holder on the back of the seat in front of me. I started calling out, "Stop the bus! I left my phone on the plane." Others heard me and started to call out, "Stop the bus!" They were not going to stop that plane. So off to the terminal we went without my cell phone. Great!

In the terminal I cornered the first official person I saw. I showed them my ticket with my seat number and explained what happened and asked what I could do to get the phone back. I had one hour before our next plane left. The forwarded me to a service desk with a line of people. 

I finally got a man at the service desk to ask if he could help. I explained again and showed him my ticket. He called someone. Then he told me that had one vehicle that could drive the tarmac. It was on an errand but would go right after that errand was finished and get my phone. We were to walk to the gate and wait there. They would deliver the phone there if all went okay. 

We hurried to the gate and I told the girl at the gate the story and showed her the ticket. She told me that I needed to go to the service desk near the gate and tell them. They phone would probably be delivered there.

We went to the service desk where there was a line of people waiting. I got in line. There were at least 12 people at the desk but only two were talking to the line of people. What in the world! I turned to Claude and said, "My phone is on. Start calling me and repeat calling me. Hayden is my ring tone singing Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head. Someone will hear that and know there is a phone on that plane. Claude started and kept it up. After standing in that line for what seemed an eternity, a girl came up and wanted to get ahead of us. She explained she had to catch another plane and she left something on her previous flight. I just looked her and in the kindest voice I could muster I told her, "I left my phone on the last plane and my next plane leaves in a few minutes too." Please go to the end of the line. I thought the lady in front of me was going to cheer. 

After a bit a lady came in with her arms laden with things. She went to one of the girls on a phone helping someone and handed her my phone. The girl raised up my phone and I left the line and retrieved my phone but not before I gave a huge thank you to the girl that brought my phone into the terminal. 

When we got back to the gate everyone was boarding. I checked my cell phone and there were 20 missed calls from Claude. I really think that poor girl was so ready to stop hearing Hayden singing in his 5 year old voice that she put the pedal to the metal to get that phone back to me so it would stop ringing.

And we were off to Newark.

We arrived in Newark, made it through customs. We got in the line for the Global Entry. They assured us we were not on their list. Claude pulled out our cards. It seems when we got to Customs we should have used the kiosk to get to the next step. However, there was an attendant who said the kiosks were all full and sent up to the next step. Once this lady understood, she let us go on through. Whew. 

We called the hotel and they told us know to pick up their shuttle. We would dine at the hotel and then get a good nights rest before the taking the shuttle back to the airport to fly to Cincinnati.

We boarded our plane to go to Cincinnati. I had a window seat. Guess what? No window, just a wall.

Fortunately, the plane was less that half full. We moved to the row behind us which was an exit row. Lots of leg room and...a window!

We made it home in great time, unpacked, Claude went out to mow and I went into Georgetown to check on Papa. What a great vacation. Absolutely superb.