West coast 2020 (just a bit early!) - Day 0 travel day

[Sweetums]

So working until lunch time in the travelodge, not too bad, just about managed to get everything done I needed to checked out midday, headed over to terminal 3 for the flight in 5 hours.
Got through security, never fun, but at least we managed to keep Keaton semi level.
Got through within about 30 mins, headed to boots to replenish the water stocks.
Then into the no1 lounge I had a precooked with my priority pass!
Only to be told that’s not a priority pass it’s a lounge club pass. You need to go to aspire lounge. Well that’s £20 we won’t get back. But at least they had room.

Food was good, coffee was a machine, and we managed to get Felicity to eat a little so worth it. I finished some “work” in the quiet area and left Amanda with the kids. I’m sure she appreciates how hard I work.

16:00 gate comes up, head over to the very furthest gate from the lounge. And Felicity is asleep. Everyone jostling to be the first not to queue before they call the first groups to board. So all us families with babies have to squeeze through all the “Not queueing” stood people in the way.
Flight departs slightly delayed. But manageable

We both watched instant family, adopting looks fun! Still 8 hours to go.

Watched Juliet naked. I feel I’ve seen it before. Watched it all the way thru. Still not unconvinced I’ve seen it before.

Still 6 hrs. Or as I’m told 5:45 that’s what I said 6 hours.

Snack break toilet breaks. Listen to some music, get 2 hours sleep. Start building up my caffeine levels.

More turbulence Fliss has hands in the air saying wheee! Is she too small for mission breakout?

We land only slightly late. Signs for ACP, area blocked off and shuttered, we go through what appears to be a maintenance tunnel, back out and in a different terminal? All ACP closed only global entry open. Everyone in a winding queue for passport control. Slip onto the disabled queue, Gil out antequared form we hadn’t been given, mentioned very time we come through I am told I have made a mistake on the form. Cbp makes mistake on my form. We have to go through luggage checks as he wrote four on the form and didn’t add me to the family group of 4 plus me!

Nice cbp guy asks why we were being sent through that line, said ok that’s fine and waves us through commenting on how late the flight must be. It’s around 11:00pm.

Head out to car rental bus pick up area; always a joy.

As ever car isn’t waiting and we are headed to the desk, kind lady upgrade us to a full SUV Ford something or other. Amanda doesn’t like it.
Looking for a vehicle that will take isofix car seat on the middle of three seats, all middle seats appear to have adopted a jump seat style. Effectively a 6 seat vehicle with an optional short term jump seat, not great for a road trip. Kia 7 seater. Mmm too small wrong middle seat,
Nissan 7 seater, too small, wrong middle seat. Can we have our original nice vehicle you upgraded us to? We are spending ages in the car. We have a different Ford something or other.

Placeholder for picture to follow, I actually took 1 for the first time ever!

It’s getting towards 23:00 it’s been a long long day!
And now I have a 45 minute drive to the hotel.

Check in at midnight, uneventful drive I was tempted to use HOV lanes. but was too scared about getting out of them for turn offs.
So it’s now day 1. And the alarm is set for 6am!

[Pussycat Doll]

Sounds like a pretty good travel day. Didn’t realise they flew so late in the day!