Dec 20
i am an arrangement fail
Seriously, do NOT let me coordinate your day of travel.
None of us got a chance to eat before leaving for the airport, because there was no food left–you don’t leave perishables in your house for almost a month, right? Plus, as I told everyone, we were getting to the airport in PLENTY of time to eat there. No problem.
By the time we got to the airport and got checked in, AGAIN, (did you know Frankfurt airport does not accept boarding passes printed out from checking in online? Now you do.) we had considerably less time than we had originally planned. Still, plenty of time to eat. But, first, I told everyone, let’s get to the gate. Because there are TONS of restaurants there. That sit down one, remember? And that cool grab-and-go place with really yummy fresh food? We can eat there!
So we walked ninety-seven thousand miles from the check-in to gate C6, and I was wearing exactly the wrong shoes for doing this, PLUS I had on a light sweatshirt under my wool coat, which is FINE when you are OUTSIDE but not when you are TREKKING. Also, I was starving. So I might have been a little on the side of edge when everyone in my family kept pointing out really great restaurants to eat in and I kept telling them to wait. The GATE, people, we can eat THERE.
Turns out that lo and behold, the Frankfurt airport is NOT the Stansted airport, which is what I was thinking of when I was thinking of ALL the FABULOUS restaurants waiting for us in the gate area. Yes, I have been in and out of both airports several times in the past two years. No, I do not have a very good memory. However, the duty-free right there at gate C-6 has plenty of candy. In economy size bags meant for NO ONE to eat all at one sitting. So, that’s what we ate. Hey, for the record, I picked Godiva truffles, which were rolled in pure cocoa, which is high in antioxidants. Clearly a healthy pick. Unfortunately, not exactly filling, but really good at making you feel like you want to hurl after awhile.
Then, I, because I AM LAME, managed to book us directly into the worst seats for our Frankfurt to San Francisco flight. You know, the flight that was ELEVEN HOURS AND THIRTY MINUTES LONG. I don’t know what I was thinking, but for SOME reason, I had it in my head that sitting in the back seats of a section would be awesome. Even after I bragged about how awesome the seats were to John and he said, “Do you mean theeeeeee…seats that don’t lean back?” I was STILL convinced these were the seats to end all other seats.
Ahem. For the record, the seats in the back of a section do not lean back. However, the seats in FRONT of the back seats do, and the people that sit in them do NOT care that you have very poor seat-picking skills, and they prove it. Making for a very limited space to do, oh, ANYTHING on a plane. That you are sitting on for nearly one-half of an ENTIRE DAY.
We made it, though, home for the holidays and all that. It’s fabulous to be back, even though I am writing this post at 3:07 in the morning because of jet lag fun. Things I did on my first day: woke up reallllllyyyyyyy early, drank lots of coffee, and did not work out. Went to Target and bought one of everything, just because I could. Ooohed and aaahed while checking out every product on every shelf in every aisle, which my husband LOVED. Hung out with my fam. Went to Mexican food, because Mexican food is everything that is holy. Had a mango margarita, and then immediately got tired, and went to bed at 8:34 or something equally ridiculous.
Should I still sign off with Tschuss, even though I’m not in Germany right now? I’m really having a dilemma over that, but I think because I’m just VISITING from Germany and not here PERMANENTLY, Tschuss is still in order.
Tschuss!!
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December 20th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Note to self: NO BACK SEATS
December 20th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
At least you made it home! We, on the other hand, are trapped in our house with over a foot of snow and more forecast today, tomorrow, and the next day. With freezing rain on top of it.
Oh well, Sean thought to stop at Starbucks and the liquor store yesterday, so we’re all good. Hope you have a glorious time with the family!
Oh, and don’t plan on becoming a travel agent after you retire…. Just sayin’.
January 7th, 2009 at 6:13 am
I once had a full 12 hours in the Paris CDG gate – at least they had one cafe counter that I got to eat breakfast and lunch at… just missed dinner, got to eat that on the plane, woohoo that was. Did you know they actually CLOSE and LOCK their terminal at night? YOu might get in, but there’s nada to do! My plane arrived before 6AM and the bathrooms were LOCKED – I’m talking iron bar gate that came down. I almost had to pee in the water fountain. My EX was too cheap to rent a hotel for the full 12 hrs we were stuck waiting for our connection so, yup, we each chose different seats on opposite sides of the gate and waiting our 12 hrs by ourselves. Talk about fun times. Don’t you love traveling! We get all these good stories to share with the world!!!