Heathrow was absolute chaos yesterday. I decided to go and risk it despite the chaos because a) I wanted to get home and b) I didn't know whether things would improve much and it would be worth delaying for a few days and also c) I figured it was about as safe a time as any to fly.
Having called BA and been told that my flight may well be cancelled, Auntie Kay & Uncle Ken drove down in convoy with me so that after I'd returned Dad's car and posted his keys through, in the event that my flight got cancelled and/or I had to wait at Heathrow for hours with the kids, I wouldn't be stuck or stranded.
They told me to get there 4 hours early - a complete waste of time. Nobody was allowed into the terminal building until their flight was booking (max 2 hours prior to take-off). Meanwhile we had to mill around with thousands of other people in and around specially erected Marquees (complete with chandeliers on the ceiling) wondering what on earth was going on and with heart sinking further every time the next few hundred people were called to be told their flight had been cancelled.
When finally we were called into the Terminal building for our flight - we were told to join a (very enormous) line. After being in it for a while, someone came by telling us that electronics were finally being allowed onto the plane - hurrah! Nintendo's and iPods to entertain the kids! Then someone else came over and told us that we were in the wrong line ..... so we all moved. Checked in and were given Bulkheads, result! V happy, we went through security (very quickly) and got a snack then boarded the plane. While texting on my mobile I was asked by the plane staff whether it was OK to bring phones on board now. Yep. OK. (Amazing security, lol). Then someone else told me she had a bottle of Ibuprofen and nobody had queried the liquid!
Once on the plane we left the gate only a little late but then ended up being stuck on the tarmac for 3 hours while the passenger manifest was cleared by US Immigration. Tedious. The kids were a little fractious to say the least. Then we finally took off and had a pleasant if lengthy flight. The kids slept for around 4-5 hours, as did I.
Arriving in Seattle we were met off the plane by 15 (I counted) armed guards lining the corridoor and 2 sniffer dogs. Getting to the enormous and slow moving Immigration queue my heart sank, but miraculously they pulled me to the front because Harry was grizzling a bit (this NEVER happens!) and we got through very quickly. Collecting bags, we did all the other faff and finally met Gareth and came home.
Home. A place which is a bloody nightmare. I came in to 3 inches thick dust everywhere from the construction that's being done, and no kitchen. Washing up in the bathroom sink. No method of cooking other than the BBQ. Did I mention the dust? And the revoltingly dirty bathrooms after man + 3 weeks alone at home to contend with? G proudly announced that he'd done 3 loads of laundry. I recall that I left him with no laundry to do so it was all his own stuff! Oh and let's not forget the DUST.
The kids went to sleep about midnight last night and woke up at 4am.... I got up at 7 (G got up with them at 4) and ended up cleaning the dust for ages .. only for it to resettle and look just as bad 1 hour later. We then went out to Lowes to buy a microwave so that we could at least warm some food up at some point. G is now grouting the tiles. The kitchen is NEVER GOING TO BE DONE. EVER.
I'm tired and grumpy.
Grrr.
Posted by katie at August 15, 2006 06:52 PM