Home again, home again

 September 9, 2023

Jan and I are looking for coffee and tea but we're too early for the girls in the dining room!  They are so apologetic and one even uses the translator on her phone to tell us that breakfast isn't quite ready!  It's fine.  It doesn't take long before food starts appearing and our group filters into the room for our last meal together.  It is bitter sweet!  Jan and I are sitting with Suga and Switch and the talk turns to the various new scientific discoveries what might actually save the planet! 

We've decided that everyone will go to the airport together, since we all have similar departure times, and Gregorio loads all our (heavier now!) luggage into the back and we load ourselves into the front!

At the airport we go in several directions.  Ginger and I walk with Jan to the Spirit line and chat with her until she enters the actual queue.  Then we head for Delta and go through the process.  A girl asks us where we've been and I'm so grateful that Ginger can rattle off all the names!  The girl was impressed! We drop our bags and I'm relieved that they can tag my bag straight through to Tampa, even though it is two separate flights.

Then there's a QR code that we have to flash in order to fill out a declaration form.  We've found Ginny by this time and help her through the process, too.  The same girl that was so impressed helps us all! (I found out later that Jan didn't have to do that!)  Ginny has seen Mark and Karen, so they must have gotten their problem taken care of.

Had to have the magic email to board the plane!

Ginger has volunteered to be bumped for $800 and a hotel and food voucher!  Unfortunately she didn't get picked.  She was offered an upgrade to economy plus but didn't take it because we are in the same row.  There was a guy between us so we didn't get to talk anyway!

Good thing we got Subways in the GC airport, because there was only water and cookies or chips on the flight to Atlanta.  I go through the GOES kiosk and now they don't even give a paper receipt.  It's all in the computer and I present my passport and get waived through.  At the baggage carousel Ginger shows up pretty quickly.  Not only has she been through passport control; but she's also gotten her GOES interview! 

We claim our bags and now it's time to go our separate ways.  She's home and heads for the great outdoors. I give my bag to the nice man who is collecting luggage for continuing flights and head straight for my gate.  It involves taking the plane train and continually checking the boards for my new gate.  It's changed since Delta sent me my boarding pass;  but I've got three hours, so it's no big deal and actually uses up some of the time.

Love this guy's color coordination!

Jan got into Tampa several hours ahead of me and she hung out with Betsy and Roddy while I watched a silly movie with Robert De Niro called "About My Father" on my flight home. Jan and Betsy meet me a little after midnight and we go to Betsy's to pick up my car.  Good thing there's no one on the roads at one in the morning!  But we're home safe and sound!!

Welcome home presents from my marvelous next-door neighbors!

And the cats seem pleased that I'm back!