Return -- in which we Do a Greeley

Jane's Journal Page Notes:

Short day, no journal.

Journal entry:
OK, we’re in the Red Carpet Club at Heathrow. We had no real problems getting here.

Ate our usual breakfast at the Harlingford, and then checked out pretty much immediately. Walked to Russell Square tube and got right on a train to Heathrow with absolutely no hassle. There was even a "conductor" by the tracks from whom we could have gotten information had we needed it. But we didn't, because we are experts! Hah.

The only little issue was Sparky losing control of the small bag he was "driving" as we rode the escalator up from the train here at the airport. Sparky and I both got stopped at the ticketing window at United, so we had to have our checked bags X-rayed. Come to think of it, it may have been Beast whose passport stopped. They do share the same name after all. Maybe it’s that trip he took to China (which would also explain mine--that and Russia).

Otherwise a pretty easy trip so far--although I’m sure Beast might not use the word "easy" in discussing the movement of our luggage. We did have to walk all the way across the terminal to get to the United window. It seemed like we went past every other airline in the world. Oh, well. It’s just walking. FLAT walking, too!

I just went and got a small glass of iced rum to mix with my leftover warm Pepsi. I love Red Carpet Clubs. This one has bucketloads of food too. Unfortunately, because I simply can't drink anymore, now I'm hot and sweaty just like Beast! Me from hot flashes brought on by alcohol (about a jigger's worth, mind you!), him from dragging 40 lbs. of dirty clothes and souvenirs across the terminal (see above).

We’ve all decided we are looking forward to:

1. showers at the proper height and w/ more space
2. our own beds
3. not tripping over each other every time we move

I’m also looking forward to (in no real order):

1. seeing all our photos -- The Beast took most of 'em
2. our more normal (for us) diet
3. different clothes
4. air-conditioning and/or FANS!
5. work, a little
6. catching up on blogs
7. looking over all our souvenirs

More when we get on the plane; I’m too frazzled now.

LATER

We hit the security jackpot on this leg of the trip: all of us had to be searched before boarding the plane. Because they picked so many people for security checks, we were the last--the VERY last--people to get on the plane. Once we reached the actual table to have our bags searched, they barely looked in my purse or Sparky's carry-on, but they completely took apart the carry-on and computer bag Beast was in charge of. Probably because he was really annoyed, and showing it, at having to do this. It was annoying. In front of us in this line was a father and daughter (about 8 years old) who also had everything taken apart. And she had to go and relinquish something she had packed, too. The whole security rigmarole made the flight over 15 minutes late leaving.

I know I know, it's for our own good, and I understand all that. But it was so inequitable. The airline staff was freaking out at how backed up they'd gotten. Amazing. Frustrating. There just has to be a better way...

But we obviously made it on the plane. We have about two hours left of our flight at this point.

Here's a philosophical question for you: Why does the trip home always seem longer? Doesn't matter where you've been. A two-hour drive seems like a year when you're headed home. It doesn't help that on this flight there are six movies available to us, not one of which holds even the slightest interest for me. I tried watching "Jersey Girl"--ick.

So I'm back to listening to music while I stare at the interactive map of the plane traveling across the North Atlantic and Greenland. We just made landfall on the coast of Canada. The channel I'm listening to has some good (or at least amusing) songs that I’d like to get hold of:

Extraordinary -- Liz Phair
It’s a Small World -- Baha Men
Book of Love -- Peter Gabriel *
Hey Mama -- Black Eyed Peas
The Shrek 2 soundtrack
Try a Little Tenderness -- The Commitments

Some good oldies too: "Love is a Battlefield," "Jessie’s Girl," "A Hard Day’s Night," "Soul Man," "Pinball Wizard," "Light My Fire," and several Cole Porter songs from "De-Lovely."

I tried to sleep and couldn't; neither could Sparky. We'll be totally wiped out tonight when we get home. We should arrive around 5:00 giving us enough time to sort laundry and maybe start a load, eat the pizza we intend to order on the drive home, and SHOWER!!!!