And again - the end.

And again

******read post below first if you have not yet******
*********this is a continuation***********

So we went back to the science centre, because OMG when you are in Vancouver for a day, you better spend at least 8 hours there. What are you thinking!

To see the Imax show. We decided against paying for parking until we knew if the show was sold out or not. It was not. So we got tickets. And then wandered around the place for a while, and then went to see our show. We did not make that critical step of paying for parking.

Show’s out.

Jo and Shell haul it out to the car and break neck speeds to see our cute Cobalt sitting there with a big shiny…

Nothing.

No parking ticket!

Crazy. I thought with it being the last weekend of the show and also it just being Vancouver, that we would have had one for sure.

Turns out we lucked out. Or else the guy before us had just overpaid.

Either way.

Dinner, drive around Richmond, bed in the room so hot it stunk.
Like what? Stink. Hot stinky stink.

As we are driving around Richmond. We discuss our plans for the early flight.

Ok we are pretty close to the airport, so we can leave a bit later, and we have no checked baggage so that will help. But we have to take the car back. Right. So if we get to the airport at like 630 or so, we should be good.

The flight is at 730 ya?
Ya, cool. So we can set the alarm for 515 ya?
Ya
Ok
Ok
Lets make sure to confirm the flight before we go to bed.
Good idea.

Hotel, bed, set alarm etc

5:30 am
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
Mad rushing of hands to hit the damn snooze button.
I thought I set it to music!
Guess you didn't’t
Meanwhile my cell phone starts buzzing off as I set the alarm there too.
She goes into the shower first.
Sweet.
More glorious minutes of sleep. I turn off the lights and alarms and go back to sleep.
I hear her come out of the shower. I suppose its my turn. I see her climb back into bed.

6:03am
I get up and go to have a shower. The pressure sucks and I am too tall for the showerhead. I have to duck to get under it to get my hair wet. UGH how annoying. Takes a bit=longer to shower since I am not squatting.

Bang bang. Are you done? I need a towel.

I’m done I say as I exit the bathroom. And she goes in. I grab my suitcase and throw it on the bed. I am standing there in my knickers and glance at the clock.

6:21 am
so I still have 9 minutes to get dressed and throw my hair into a knot. Great.

Jeans on.

^$^#%#%^@$*^()&^)&^*)&%&^ I hear cursing.

What? I say

Flight is at 7 am, not 730

I throw on a shirt, and jam everything in sight into my suitcase. Throw on some socks and knot my hair. As I slip my shoes on I see the clock again/

6:26 am
panic in the hallways.

You check us into the flight. I’ll check us out of the hotel she yells.

I see the kiosk and be-line it.

Sorry! Self-serve Check in must be completed between 24 hours up until 70 minutes before the flight. Please contact West Jet for assistance.

*$@)*^%&

I bolt out to the car to see Michelle throwing her bag in and starting it. I look at the window’s we can’t see a thing. I grab the world’s worst window scrapper and start madly scratching. There were 2 tiny slits on every window when I was done. Perfect. We can see fine. DRIVE

We take the exit this time, instead of the bus stop route. And get stopped at a red light

Right or left/

Right
No
Left
No
Right
No
I don’t know,.
Where the hell are those little airplane signs?!
RIGHT!

We go right. Thank the world because LEFT was very very wrong.

Driving along in the terminal lane, looking for the car rental return signs. I glance at the clock.

6:34 am

Jesus, drive faster.
I am going 60 in a 20 zone she says.
Fine. I think. I guess we are spending the day in Vancouver!
We find the rental return and pull the car to a screeching halt. I have my bag and am running for the door before the ignition feels like it’s even off.

You check in I will check the car in she says.

I run through the door and see that there is no one at the counter… good luck to her I think as I run run run

I hear a brief comment about the lady being in the bathroom and she will be right back.
I hear Shell say. Forget it, I am not waiting,. Dropped the keys and come running after me.

Outside, Inside, Upstairs, turn left
Up stairs. Skip the full escalator and hoof it up even more stairs

T intersection.
Where is west jet? Left or right.
I see and run left. Ducking I run under a few of those cattle ropes.
Hi
We are late
Window or aisle?
DOES IT MATTER AT THIS POINT?!!!!!!!!!!
We get our boarding passes
SECURITY.
Beepy Michelle had to take everything off. Belt, shoes, the works, she still beeped.
I grabbed our stuff and started to run

Down the terminal hall, trying to find out gate.

There are no signs saying that the floor can drop out from under you at any minute. If there were I missed them.

The hall is at a slight incline. And then flat, and then incline. And then flat.
I only saw the incline.
The first flat part made me stumble.
The second one made me bite it hard.
I biffed.
I slide a good few feet, burning the sweet skin off of my hands and my elbow, and a bit of my knee. My hip felt like someone hit it with a bat. I lay there on the floor. Defeated.

Vancouver airport - 1
Joanne - 0

Some guy walks by and says maybe you should take it easy.

Thanks Tips.

Michelle grabs my bag, which has at this point rolled right past me, down the incline and flat, not knowing its owner lays in mortified shame on the carpet.

Laughs ensue, we make it to the gate.
The girls are alone. Everyone has boarded.

Did someone fall?
Ugh sure did. As I limp onto the plane.
Bags in overhead bin. Sit down. Buckle up.
Time check?

6:47 am

That’s right folks.

21 minutes
From standing in my underwear in hotel, to seated in my seat on plane.

New record.

Nothing beats that,

My rug burn is finally healing.

My ego still bruised.

But I made it to Edmonton. On the flight I was meant to be on.

The End