So hopefully you've read "Adventures in Ellensburg." If not, go back and read it first, because that's how this adventure began. After that, we arrived in Winlock to a little skiff of snow, which quickly became a huge drift of snow over the next few days. Worst winter since 1940. No exaggeration. The weathermen were all saying it. Mom and Dad easily had 18 inches. Unheard of in their neck of the woods. We bought me a plane ticket to Spokane, then changed our minds since all the flights were being cancelled. We changed it to fly me back once we got back from Peru, and I took off for Pullman Tuesday morning. We decided this Monday night after Austin had gone to bed, so I was a bit sad. I was going to have very limited time with him the next morning, since he wakes up after 8 and I was trying to leave by 9.
Tuesday morning Austin woke up just before 8 (I was going to get him up if he wasn't up by 8.) We had breakfast and a makeshift Christmas. I held him in my lap while he was watching Cars for a couple minutes. Then I quietly slipped out while he was still engrossed.
The trip back was snowy, but uneventful. About 8 hours driving I think. It's normally about 6 1/2. Zach was at work but had left me a wonderful note that I will never forget. I have the most wonderful husband in the world.
We hung around snowy Pullman sans Austin for a couple days, then spent Christmas Day with his family as we waited to head to Spokane. We drove up to the hotel, checked in, and swam and ate overpriced microwaveable food from their food cart for dinner. Lights out at 8, so we could try to get some sleep before our 3:45 wake up call. We were all up at 3 anyway.
Shuttle to the airport for 8 with 13 suitcases and 8 carry-ons. I'm sure the driver didn't like us much. Check in, go to our gate. I haven't flown since before 9-11, so the taking off of the shoes and all was new. I forgot about my belt that has "47 million" metal grommets on it, so I was thoroughly confused as to why I set off the metal detector.
Anyway, once at the gate, our flight is delayed because the jetway is frozen solid. Taxi to another gate, same thing. Third gate's the charm, we board, and worried about our connecting flight from SLC to Atlanta. Start to taxi out, and the pilot notices a vibration in the left engine, back to the gate. We are free to get off the plane, so a few do. We just get back on when Scott tells us to get off, we're not taking this flight. Shortly thereafter it's announced that no one is, plane delayed until 3:45pm. It was a 6:00am flight.
Scott's scrambling to get us there. If we go through SLC, we can't get to Atlanta until Sunday (it's Friday) We're taking turns sitting on luggage and standing in line, trying to get to Peru. Finally, around 1pm, Scott lines up flights from Spokane to Seattle (leaving at 1:30) to San Francisco to Atlanta to Lima, only getting us there a day late.
Here arises the next problem. We would miss our flight from Lima to Cusco and wouldn't be able to get there until Tuesday, and then be ready to go Wednesday. We were supposed to be there Satuday. We would miss a big chunk of our trip and the purpose behind it. As they're boarding, Scott tells the guy on the phone "Well, I think we're done." Trip Cancelled. Bummer. Scott and Sharon are sweet and buy me a ticket on the leaving flight to go get my son. I fly out to Seattle and Jason picks me up.
The biological Adams family spends the night at the Davenport, spends a day in Spokane then heads to Couer d'Alene and plays at Triple Play. (Bummer for me!) I am, meanwhile, stuck in Winlock, desperately wanting to get home. Monday we make a run for it. Mom drives me to the pass and has to drive through snow and ice (which she absolutely HATES. Chains were required unless you had 4 wheel drive, which we did.) and meet Zach and Scott just on the other side.
We have all been bumming around Pullman what seems like forever, now with Tin Man. It's hard to believe we still wouldn't be home yet if we had been able to go. Zach's classes started today, which he would have missed had he been in Peru. The roads south were closed, so he got to skip anyway. And that's how we spent our Christmas vacation.
Tuesday morning Austin woke up just before 8 (I was going to get him up if he wasn't up by 8.) We had breakfast and a makeshift Christmas. I held him in my lap while he was watching Cars for a couple minutes. Then I quietly slipped out while he was still engrossed.
The trip back was snowy, but uneventful. About 8 hours driving I think. It's normally about 6 1/2. Zach was at work but had left me a wonderful note that I will never forget. I have the most wonderful husband in the world.
We hung around snowy Pullman sans Austin for a couple days, then spent Christmas Day with his family as we waited to head to Spokane. We drove up to the hotel, checked in, and swam and ate overpriced microwaveable food from their food cart for dinner. Lights out at 8, so we could try to get some sleep before our 3:45 wake up call. We were all up at 3 anyway.
Shuttle to the airport for 8 with 13 suitcases and 8 carry-ons. I'm sure the driver didn't like us much. Check in, go to our gate. I haven't flown since before 9-11, so the taking off of the shoes and all was new. I forgot about my belt that has "47 million" metal grommets on it, so I was thoroughly confused as to why I set off the metal detector.
Anyway, once at the gate, our flight is delayed because the jetway is frozen solid. Taxi to another gate, same thing. Third gate's the charm, we board, and worried about our connecting flight from SLC to Atlanta. Start to taxi out, and the pilot notices a vibration in the left engine, back to the gate. We are free to get off the plane, so a few do. We just get back on when Scott tells us to get off, we're not taking this flight. Shortly thereafter it's announced that no one is, plane delayed until 3:45pm. It was a 6:00am flight.
Scott's scrambling to get us there. If we go through SLC, we can't get to Atlanta until Sunday (it's Friday) We're taking turns sitting on luggage and standing in line, trying to get to Peru. Finally, around 1pm, Scott lines up flights from Spokane to Seattle (leaving at 1:30) to San Francisco to Atlanta to Lima, only getting us there a day late.
Here arises the next problem. We would miss our flight from Lima to Cusco and wouldn't be able to get there until Tuesday, and then be ready to go Wednesday. We were supposed to be there Satuday. We would miss a big chunk of our trip and the purpose behind it. As they're boarding, Scott tells the guy on the phone "Well, I think we're done." Trip Cancelled. Bummer. Scott and Sharon are sweet and buy me a ticket on the leaving flight to go get my son. I fly out to Seattle and Jason picks me up.
The biological Adams family spends the night at the Davenport, spends a day in Spokane then heads to Couer d'Alene and plays at Triple Play. (Bummer for me!) I am, meanwhile, stuck in Winlock, desperately wanting to get home. Monday we make a run for it. Mom drives me to the pass and has to drive through snow and ice (which she absolutely HATES. Chains were required unless you had 4 wheel drive, which we did.) and meet Zach and Scott just on the other side.
We have all been bumming around Pullman what seems like forever, now with Tin Man. It's hard to believe we still wouldn't be home yet if we had been able to go. Zach's classes started today, which he would have missed had he been in Peru. The roads south were closed, so he got to skip anyway. And that's how we spent our Christmas vacation.
4 comments:
Oh, I'm so sorry that everything turned out so crazy! (Although the Ellensburg portion of your trip had me laughing out loud.....and since I'm laying in my bed, I'm sure my halfway sleeping husband is either annoyed or thinks I'm crazy). Isn't life as a mother wonderful? We really don't have enough hands.....and in my case, composure.....to survive some of the stuff we're forced to deal with, now do we?:)
That sucks! I was wondering why I saw you around!
What a mess! I bet it was super stressful.
Sad Crystal!
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