Heavenly Flight - Thursday July 10

We got up at 7 and saw that Gerald was asleep on a chair at the neighbors'. We were pretty well packed up so we had some cheesecake for breakfast and some coffee. Gerald came up and allowed me to give him a hug and a kiss goodbye. We didn't finish the last disc of The Office, so I left that for Jane.

Drove off to Frankfurt Airport, with one bathroom stop. The bathroom stop was kind of interesting - after I was done and flushed the toilet, this thing came down and clamped onto the toilet seat, and then the seat rotated like a donut. It was some kind of sanitizing method. Those wacky Germans!

Just before the exit for the airport, there was a traffic jam. As we were sitting there on the Autobahn, I was looking at the exit sign and the sign for the airport just turned over and disappeared! At the same time, the sign to the left, which was for the next exit, suddenly had an airport exit sign on it! We got into the left lane and followed the instructions to get to the airport from the other exit, which took us around the very long backup at the original exit. Again, those wacky Germans.

All week we had been quoting Ray, "I hate people." Jane would then say, "Yeah, people are the worst." Our final motto was "Cats are the best, people are the worst." Live it, learn it, know it.

Jane dropped me off at the curb because she had to get to a meeting at Europa Park (Wally World.) I proceeded to the Continental counter with my bags and my e-Ticker. Because I was stupid and honest, the lighters Jane gave me were confiscated, but at least my bags weren't overweight. I passed through security with no problem, then paid $3E for a teeny-tiny bottle of water. This was really irksome because I know that Jane pays about 20 cents for a HUGE bottle of water. Kids are getting ripped off!

We boarded the plane and as everyone was getting settled they made an announcement that someone had left a book in the waiting area. I hadn't left any books there, and my one remaining bookcrossing book was in my bag. A woman two seats behind me spoke up, reluctantly. When the flight attendant gave her the book she said, "I left it on purpose so someone else could find it." The flight attendant said, "Well maybe someone on the plane wants it." My hand went right out! She was happy to give me the book, and I asked her if she was a bookcrosser. She wasn't so I told her a little about it so that in the future she can follow where the books she leaves go. I reached into my bag and gave her my final bookcrossing book. The book I got from her is an Elizabeth Lowell novel and she highly recommended it. It does look like something I'd enjoy, so I'll give it a go.

I had gotten a seat on the aisle in the middle section. When we booked the seat, it looked as if it might be possible that the middle seat would be free. A young man was on the other side of the middle seat. He had been sailing in a regatta in England, then he and his teammates had gone to the yacht factory in Germany. I mentioned that if no one came and sat in that middle seat we would be golden. After we were airborne and able to walk around, a man came up and told the young man that there was an empty seat in the back with his friends if he wanted to sit back there. I HAD THE WHOLE ROW TO MYSELF!

I decided to blow 4E on a glass of wine and ordered a red wine. GET THIS: It was Chilean wine. We are in Germany, near Alsace, and they are serving a frickin' Chilean wine. I don't get it. They served us the usual 1/2 a peanut and molecule of water.

About an hour later lunch was served - grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots, a roll and a brownie. Not horrible, but pretty typical. I also had a Sprite with ICE. The flight attendant and I had a conversation about the ice problem in Germany and I told her my dream of getting a Big Gulp with 99% ice, 1% soda as soon as I hit the States.

My headset plug wasn't working, so I used the headset from the seat next to me which meant I had to use two remotes, making sure to change the channel on my monitor as well as the one next to me. No matter - the movies sucked. Started watching "Flawless" with Demi Moore and Michael Caine but lost interest when they tried to pass her 45 year old ass off as a 28 year old. I mean, she looks good, but she does not look 28.

After lunch, I read my book about Haut Koenigsbourg for a while and then stretched out across all three seats (!!!!!) and slept.

As I rested across all 3 seats (all 3 seats - did I mention that I had all 3 seats to myself?), I could hear the flight attendants in the cabin, which was only one seat away. There was one who sounded just like Jane. The timbre and inflection of her voice, and even her laugh was so much like Jane that I started getting a little freaked out. If I had heard her say she wanted "FRAAANNNNCH TOAST," I probably would have had a stroke.

The rest of the flight was uneventful and I passed through customs and got my baggage. Pat was waiting for me and we headed home in 83 degree New Jersey summer heat.

Got home and went up to my bedroom. Thomas was asleep on the bed. I walked in and didn't say anything. He said, "wow?" Then he looked over at me and said, "WOW!" We had a great reunion.

I had a brief nap and we went to the concert in the park and had dinner before I collapsed. We're getting up at 4:30 am tomorrow to pick Karen up from JFK.

Vacation is officially over. I think it was the best vacation I ever ever had. Thank you, Schwestie, for everything. I miss you so much!