Well I Made It Back

Ahhhhhh home. 

Vacations are great.  They really are.  But you know things are right in your life when you start the journey home and realize you are very much looking forward to getting home and back to the routine of every day life. 

Crap there is a lot to report on here from the vacation.  We packed a lot of stuff in to two weeks.  Most of it was really really great.  A little of it sucked major donkey balls, though.

The highlight of the trip was seeing my wife's face when we walked into the Sistene Chapel.  I had been there before, but was still once again blown away by the talent of Michealangelo.  This was the number one thing my wife wanted to see, and she was not at all disappointed by it.  We walked through the door into the chapel and she smiled this huge smile and just stared at the ceiling.  And then a small tear rolls down her cheek.  It was great.  And yes, I am a girly man.

The low light of the trip had to be the beginning of it.  And now, for your entertainment, the first story about the trip...

I've mentioned before, we had been planning this trip for close to a year and a half, saving for it for almost a year.  That Friday got here and we both woke up  earlier raring to go.  We loaded up the vehicle and took off for Nashville.  We met my parents at an aunt's house and loaded up to head to the airport.

My dad is a veteran on international travel, as am I.  Between the two of us we have hit every continent (except Antarctica) and 59 different countries.  The number one rule for both of us when taking an international flight?  Get there plenty early.  9 times out of 10 something will go wrong and cause a delay.  Usually it is something minor and only delays to 10-20 minutes.  Other times it is major and if you are not at the airport in plenty of time, you will miss your flight.  But this time, it would not have mattered how early we got to the airport.

So anyway, we get there, get all checked in, grab some lunch, clear security, and head down to the gate.  Too easy.  Hmmmm.....  The time comes and the wifey is about to bust.  We hop on the plane heading to Atlanta to meet my sis and brother-in-law and then on to Paris.  But, something is wrong.  Everyone gets on board, the shut the door to the plane, and then we just sit.  20 minutes just sitting there.  No news from a flight attendant or anyone.  Just sitting.  We finally start to move and taxi over to the runway.  The captain lets us no we are cleared to take off and he lines us up on the runway.  The lights flicker for a second, feel the brakes lock up, and then those big ole turbines start to spool up and...  BOOOOOOOOM!!!!

As I've mentioned in a previous blog, I don't cuss.  But HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!  I'm on an airplane that is about to head down the runway for take-off and a freaking engine just exploded.  You heard me right.  The engine blew up.

After 45 minutes of sitting on the runway we are finally towed back to the gate.  The captain announces that on O-ring completely blew out in one of the engines and that the plane we were just on is completely inoperable.  So we have to wait for a whole nother plane to come in from ATL before we can take off.

Rest of the story cut short... we were scheduled to leave Nashville at 3:30 and then leave ATL at 9:00.  We didn't fly out of Nashville until 8:45, and of course missed our flight.  Sis and bro-in-law headed on to Paris and we spent the first night of our vacation in a hotel in Atlanta.  Not a great way to start a vacation.

All of that was a big ole not good.  But at least we weren't in the air when that O-ring blew.  That certainly would have been a much bigger not good.  Echo, if you happen to read this, that pic you posted in the forum is just a little too ironic.

More stories to come.  Pics will follow as well.  For now I am trying to play catch up at work and get over the horrendous jet lag.  My internal clock is off by 8 hours.  The wifey has been in bed by 8 each of the past two nights.  We both have been wide awake by 4 each of the last two mornings.  It is good to be home, though.  Good to reconnect to you folks here.