We're up, moving and nearly conscious at four a.m. and out the door and on the road by 4:25! We're supposed to park the car in the Hertz section of the rental-car returns lot but the only signs we see are for Alamo and Avis. Wait! There's one that folded over with an "H" showing! We'll take it! Another car is looking for the Hertz section, too, and we share our belief that we're in the right place. Once parked we unfurl the sign to see "Hertz' proudly displayed. Good thing we know that Hertz bought Thrifty!
We drop the keys and paperwork and head for security, happily clutching our TSA Pre-check boarding passes. The lady hands us red laminated strips that say "Expedited Security". It seems that Kalispell doesn't have Pre-check yet. We have to remove our laptops and liquids; but at least we can keep our shoes and light jackets on!
We're at Gate 3 - there are only three! - by quarter of five and think that it might be smart to buy breakfast sandwiches since we will only have forty-six minutes to change planes in MN and we don't know how far we'll have to go to find our connecting flight.
Unhappily it is a large plane and a small crowd, so they aren't taking luggage away from us! Marilyn has to hoist both our bags because I don't have a prayer! Too much shopping! I get the window seat and Marilyn gets the aisle, so we're both happy. As we sit on the plane awaiting our turn, we get to watch the sunrise. Not having the mountains in the way sure makes a difference!
The flight is smooth and we are offered coffee and cookies, which finishes breakfast nicely, even though I sure am ready for a cup of my own coffee! Or tea!
We arrive pretty close to on time at Gate C8. That would be fine except that our flight to Tampa is leaving from G15! That's a long darn way away and it is supposed to be loading in about five minutes! Even with the moving sidewalks we aren't hopeful. Marilyn stops an airport employee on a cart and he stops a colleague who is going our way. She zips us to G15 where they are just beginning the boarding process and since we are in Zone 2, we have time to catch our breath!
As the gate attendant scans my ticket I say that I missed her announcement and wondered if they were taking bags. She says they are and thanks us for volunteering! She has no idea how grateful we are! And we both have aisle seats!
The only disappointment on the second flight was that they didn't have the lunch wraps they have been advertising and we make due with drinks and lots of peanuts! The touchdown is flawless and our bags have made the flight with us, always a plus! Kurt picks us up and takes us to my house, then I take Marilyn to hers and on the way we stop for Chinese take-out so we don't have to worry about groceries until tomorrow.
My kit kats are all fine and happy and when Jody checks in he reports that they were all well-behaved while I was gone. Life is good!!
--30--
Welcome home!
ReplyDelete