Our Wedding ,Shopping,Park Hopping Trip Day 12: Sick Bags and Jet Lags, yep we're Going Home

[WileyCoyote]

Day 12 Sunday 23 November

Going Home Day - the previous day is HERE

Pants

The weather forecast is for rain and in fact it looks so bad for this afternoon that we are little concerned that storms may affect the flights and cause delays.

We also learn today is one of the busiest travel days of the year at the airport ( really ? ) as people set off for thanksgiving holidays . We had no way factored that in assuming it would just be busy over the actual thanksgiving period.

I also checked our seats on line and it looked like something had gone wrong – we had paid for exit row seats but seemed to be just in an ordinary row. There was a also a big block of seats greyed out that had been empty last week. I didn’t know what to do and decided in the end to take our chances – after all exit row seats don’t tend to be in the middle of other rows and I was sure it must be something weird with the layout that was being shown

We didn’t rush to get up but ambled about assembling what was left to pack and sorting out our hand luggage. Based on the forecast we opted for multiple layers of clothes plus hoodies, coats ( for Andy) and our heaviest footwear.

Of course the day turned out to be hot and sunny and we sweated off half a stone each as all our light clothes were safely packed away.

Anyhoo, we took the cases down to concierge where we weighed them to get them dead on 23kg – that was much easier said than done and did involve quite a bit of repacking. Several items ( namely trainers!) needed to be re homed so we decided that another cabin bag would be the best idea to take up the excess.

So we stored the cases that were already ok ( and this is a great service at the Rosen) and set off for the outlets

The lobby at the Rosen



The zebra sports bar is on the right as you walk in and the gift shop/coffee shop plus cash machine are at the end of the corridor on the left hand side.

A couple of snaps of the Pointe as we passed ( I never realised how long the car aerial was …)





We arrived at the outlets at 11am and restricted ourselves to just the cabin bag - which we then spent half an hour packing in the car park.

Its fair to say all the handluggage is pretty stuffed by now.

We set off around 12pm for Fultons – so today should have had lots of pics of DTD in the sunshine. We were both very much looking forward to this – its one of our real favourites.

but sadly



Wall to wall traffic meant that we turned back as we were worried about getting back to I Drive to pick up our cases and getting to the airport and we just felt that we wouldn’t enjoy the meal if we were stressing about being caught in traffic. It was absolutely solid going towards the airport .

Never mind, it prompted Andy to say " next time we come, Fultons must be the first place we go to" . So there it is ... Next time... Kerrrrrr... Ching !

So, a return trip here instead - at least we were going to be coming in the other direction to the airport now and we felt much more relaxed



I took this just to demonstrate the gorgeous weather – talk about rubbing it in !



Ah well, yummy Red Lobster and a super lovely server and the manager came over and spent quite a while chatting to us as well- it turned out to be a lovely lunch.

Yes, it's those cheese biscuits again



They are just too nice.

Bulking up in preparation for horrible plane food, we went for starters

Mozzarella cheese sticks ( these are amazing, why have we not had these before?) and crab stuffed mushrooms ( Andy loved them, not my thing at all)




Andy went for steak and lobster



He said it was delicious. The lobster freaks me out, it looks like something from District 9

I had the lunch ( half) portion of cherry maple glazed chicken with wild rice



This was very nice and the glaze was quite sweet. It was nice to have the rice for a change.
But ...

I always have a cheeseburger on my last day, I really wanted one here but was persuaded to wait and get one at MCO but of course I didn't. Sigh, small things eh, I feel quite cheated !

Wondering if I would regret my piggery later , I had carrot cake for dessert



Now this was gorgeous with thin caramel layers in between the frosting. Oh my goodness it was divine.

And the bill



$74.27 after tax with a $13 tip suggested so we left $90 as both the server and manager had paid us so much attention and treated us really well

A really lovely lunch before the sad face journey to the airport

We head back to the Rosen and pick up our cases – that’s when it really hits you that you are homeward bound and I did feel sad.

We set the sat nav to avoid the I4 and took a really back roads route but it meant no traffic and a more interesting set of scenery.

Around 3pm we are arriving here



Is it only me that is completely freaked by this as you are driving along and a bleddy mahoosive jet lands in front of you ?

Bit disconcerting I find it personally.





Mind you, on my daily commute now I have the planes at Gatwick soaring in to land just over the top of the train so that’s a bit offputting as well !

We drop off the car no problem and trog off with our (heavy) baggage.

At check in we discover that the Good Morning Britain competition winners are coming home on this flight , hence the big section that had been block booked . They are being checked in separately though and we are put into another queue.

The cases go through – each one is bang on 23kg and our handluggage isn’t even looked at ( here or at the gate) so we were pretty relieved.

We were all done with check in within 20 minutes and were assured that we did have the same exit row seats ( near the loos) that we had on the way out.

We head through to security – Andy is sure there is a can of pop in my handbag but I didn’t put one in there so I have a quick look and can’t see anything – but sure enough, there is one in there and its fished out by the security guy . 1-0 to Andy then.

We had again got through here quickly – 60 minutes after dropping off the car we are on the monorail to the terminal . As the flight is due to be full we decide to camp out at the terminal gate rather than main lounge area so we bag some seats near the charging point and settle in for the wait.

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the airport



Andy takes a trip to duty free ( as we have SO much space to store bottles). I get chatting to the couple opposite us who were competition winners – bless them the weather had been so mixed for them and they only had a week but they had enjoyed their stay at Port Orleans and they were talking about maybe coming back one day to get married so of course I recommended the Dibb to them!

Andy also got a burger – which further added to my sense of missing out at not having my customary cheeseburger but I was still full from lunch. It was getting dark and maybe a hint of rain on the way but the incoming plane arrived on time and we got changed into more comfy travel gear .

Getting on the plane is never as much fun on the way home is it – tired and a bit cranky already . I was cheered though that the seat next to me was empty as we took off – and then promptly filled by a chap who made Andy look small – sigh, major squish in the middle seat then

I had read on the Dibb that the homeward bound food wasn’t very nice and also read that if you don’t eat on the way home, it lessens the jet lag, so I was resolved not to have anything.

But when it came round, it actually looked ok – so I ate it

By the time the trolley reached us it was a choice of cottage pie or pasta.

We both opted for cottage pie. It was in fact much better than it looked and than we had expected

The salad was very uninspiring,where do they find lettuces comprised solely of stalks and no leaves?

The little slice of apple cinnamon cheesecake though was really nice


So we settled in to watch a film, I think I may have picked Transformers as it was a longish one.

When that had finished a snooze was definitely in order and that was good

Except

About an hour later I woke up

And I didn’t feel quite right

In fact, I felt really odd

I sat there for a bit attempting to convince myself that I was in fact fine and it was tiredness

But it didn’t work...

I wasn’t fine ...
I had that horrible “ Im going to be sick” feeling creeping up on me with alarming speed.

Sigh – I have never been airsick and was still in denial but I picked up the piddly little bag and fortunately this is where proximity to the loo was a bonus.

I was indeed not well.

Not well – at all

Being not well in an airplane lav is not a very nice experience – it just adds to the general claustrophobia that having the chunders gives you anyway.

Its 15 minutes I never want to re-live – it felt like a lifetime as the whole time I was also wondering if a massive queue was forming outside.

So there I am , not well and with my delightful doggy bag in hand.

I need to put it down and in my ill induced stupor I stupidly put it in the sink – which is wet – but I didn’t realise

Until I picked the bag up again – and it split – all over the floor – seemingly it is sick proof but not water proof.


Dibbers, I nearly cried – I still felt awful and there I am on my hands and knees trying now to use the hand towels to mop up the reappearing cottage pie and stem the seeping creep from the malfunctioning bag. Honestly, it can only happen to me


Honestly, this is flight moment from hell.

I am not in the infamous white trousers fortunately but I am in light grey jogging bottoms. Not exactly a top choice.

Anyhoo, a lifetime later, the loo floor is probably the cleanest its ever been and I am now faced with what to do with the said bag – no way is it going to make the journey out the loo to give to a lucky stewardess ( as it tells you to do).

In a total panic I decide the only option is to spray it vigorously with the trusty Dove ( gassing myself a second time) , completely smother it with hand towels and shove it in the waste bin.


Which I did


I emerged from the loo to find no queue and everyone else fast asleep and none the wiser to my drama. Huge relief

But as soon as I sit down I then begin to wonder if I did the right thing and whether the loo is going to start to smell bad ( well , worse than it was before) – so I spend the rest of the flight watching to see if anyone points out an issue to the attendant( which they don’t) and nipping in now and again for another quick spray of the Dove .

By the time we land its probably become the best smelling lav ever on a BA flight.

I didn’t sleep again so it seemed like a very long flight.

Breakfast, when it arrived , was very disappointing



Freezing cold croissant,a granola bar and craisins. Fortunately the carnivore next to me was asleep and missed it, he would have laughed I think . Come on BA , you can do better than this.


I couldn’t face any food and shortly afterward Andy woke up from his kip and was somewhat bemused when I regaled my tale of woe to him.

We landed on time, it was cold but dare I say warmer than some days we had in Florida – we opted to use the kiosks and were through immigration in no time . Well I was , Andy took a bit longer as he is so tall the camera wouldn’t recognise him until he bent himself in half, hah hah.

Our lovely driver was there to pick us up and commented on the additional luggage which we did manage to get in.

I am sure I snored loudly in the car on the way home but by now was past caring as I was just too tired and still a bit sicky . Fortunately the traffic was light and we had a good run home.

We arrived home around midday to find Andy’s Mum had decorated the house for our homecoming which was lovely.



And in our room she had decorated our mirrors and put some candles out





The pooches were pleased to see us



And we were pleased to be home with a nice cuppa and starting the mammoth unpacking task



I made up two gift bags for the boys with their treats and purchases ready for their return home from school.



Jamie had requested a yellow minion to go with the purple one he had acquired the year before

And the afternoon passed quickly and they were soon home.


Andys Mum had done a fab job of keeping the house and boys in order and it was nice that the next day we were both off and had the time to unpack at leisure .

I was constantly hungry and stuffed myself with carbs and appeared to have no jet lag at all this time – I am sure that’s to do with being sick. Andy was still out of sorts and struggling by the following weekend. So maybe mid air yakking has its up side after all !

I wrote our highs and lows not long after – they are HERE

I wouldn’t change any of them – except after going through all the hassle of reporting the phone lost etc , we found it two weeks later tucked into a pocket of the laptop case – doh !

And so what next ?

Our plans for this year before we set off to Florida had been a Tennessee road trip – but the boys were less keen on the road trip bit although the smoky mountains cabin time appealed to them.

Nick said he didn’t want to come away with us this year so I set to planning for the 4 of us. After a number of discussions we had decided on New York and Florida for the 4 of us ( to celebrate Connor’s 18th ) and hence we upgraded to APs.

Then Nick said if we were going to NY and FL he would in fact like to come – it was Tennessee he hadn’t been keen on. Good job we hadn’t booked anything then !


So , as it stands , we may well have no holiday this year.

I have had to replace my car, we are currently refitting both bathrooms ( omg the shower looks like a spaceship) , we have an 18th and 21st birthday coming up and I started a new job 4 weeks ago which pretty much consumes my life with my 6 hour a day commute ( but the job is an amazing opportunity, the people are great and I love it ) .

With all that going on we haven’t had the time or inclination ( or the cash !) to book something.

It may be that we just go back to Turkey for 10 days or we invade my parents new home on the Isle of Wight !

But plans are afoot for next year – NY and FL it seems is the preferred family choice. Connor and Jamie finish school in June ( A levels and GCSEs) and Nick will finish early July – so we could get away slightly earlier than the normal term break up time around here.

But so much can happen between now and then– I will start to watch the flights from June onwards and look at hotel prices for NYC . I have lots of Dibber trippies to research from too !

This is the first time I have written a trippie and not been sad about having no plans.

This was such an amazing holiday and with our special wedding day as well that it feels as if our Orlando experiences are pretty complete for the moment.

It will be nice to wait a year until the DTD work is completed and I think its likely it will be a Universal and SW Group of parks based holiday if /when we do go back.

To everyone who has read along, laughed, cried or cringed with us – thank you.

I hope it made you smile.

It certainly did for us.

Your posts and kind words have encouraged me to finish and I am very grateful to you all.


So, in the time honoured tradition of how all my trippies to date have ended : ...



It’s definitely no Florida for us this year…………. And this time we mean it !

See you next time around xxxx

[disneylover]

Ahh Amanda it seemed that your last day was really stressful! Make sure you do a sandy said and go to futons when you next go and maybe get a cheeseburger chaser? I'm glad uour red lobster meal was good it certainly looked lovely. Every word I was reading about your horrible plane sickness episode I was feeling for you. What a horrible experience for you to endure. Can't wait to hear all about your future plans. Thanks for writing it up.

[Cutiepie]

I'm sad that your report is now finished as I have really enjoyed your report & sharing your holiday & wedding!

I really feel you being sick on the plane & completely understand how you felt. It happened to me once on the commuter train on the way home from work, I'm sure the whole carriage heard me embarrassing doesn't come into it!

Hopefully you will get some sort of holiday this year & if not you always have next year.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Kelly xx

[Dissie]

Really enjoyed your report. Sorry you were sick on you're flight home, hope you felt better once you were home. Thank you for sharing

[mrs rcch]

Thank you for all your hard work completing your trippie, I have loved reading it.

[disneymadhouse]

Have loved reading your trippie Amanda, thanks for sharing

[Momofboys]

Thanks for yet another great trippie. Will keep an eye out for your next pre-trippie

[Grapesoda]

Well done Amanda I can only imagine the time and effort that goes into writing a trippie, I really enjoyed it... thank you so much for sharing it x

[Dixie Dot]

Loved reading your report... So sad it's over x

[Beaker's Fluff]

Amanda, it's been fab, so sad it's over
Glad that the job is going well. Getting away early when the boys finish school will be great. We are going to California when my two finish Y13 and Y11, it will be good to get away at the start of July that year (2017).
How sweet decorating the house for you, also I love the bulging gift bags for the boys.