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"If anyone wonders why the airlines are not doing well it is because flying has been made such an unpleasant and degrading experience."
- Keith Henson

Leaving on vacation is a whole different travel experience than returning from vacation - at least for me. I don't mind the journey so much on the way there though flying, at any time isn't what it used to be. I'm old enough to remember the days when airlines actual treated passengers like valued guests rather than terrorist intruders, but I digress. The getting there I can handle. It's the getting back that I struggle with. Yesterday's trip home from Mexico was no exception.

Our flight was scheduled to leave Cancun at 8:00 P.M. which would get us to Toronto at 1:05 A.M., an obscene hour to be traveling but as I won this trip, I had no bargaining power in choosing flights. We were required to check out of our room in the resort by noon and had a 4:40 pick up time to take us to the airport. When we arrived to check into our flight at 5:30, we were advised that the flight was delayed by thirty minutes. I felt bad for Merv who was required to attend an early meeting in Waterloo this morning. But now our expected arrival was pushed to 1:35. When we boarded the plane the pilot apologized for the delay but then advised there was a problem with the plane's electrical system. Though he told us several times it would just take a few minutes, by the time we left Cancun, our arrival time had been pushed to 2:15. We did in fact arrive as finally scheduled. But there was a problem with attaching the gangway to the door due to a build up of ice on the gangway. It hadn't occurred to anyone to deal with that problem before our arrival so we had to stay on the plane until the gangway could be deiced. We deplaned at 3:05. I don't think we could possibly have been further from customs. After a walk of what seemed like a mile we arrived at customs, stood in line and waited. When we finally came close to the front of the line, one of the passengers dropped her bag and the glass items she was carrying flew out of the bag and shattered on the floor. The customs agent closed the booth and left to call for a clean up. And so we waited. Finally we were processed, collected our luggage and got in a limo. Bags still in the front foyer, we crashed into bed at 3:40. I couldn't sleep. Eventually I drifted off. When I woke at 7:15 this morning Merv was gone. I don't know how he did it.

I had a meeting scheduled this afternoon at Willow but we lost our power at 11:00 this morning and it didn't come back on until nearly 2:00. When I realized I didn't have a way to dry my hair or get my car out of the garage I decided to opt out of the meeting. I just didn't have the energy to walk to the subway, make the long trek downtown and then return home in the middle of rush hour.

I didn't even summon up enough energy to go to the grocery store so we'll have to make due tonight with whatever dinner I can manage to throw together.

I don't like the trip home from vacation. But I sure love that moment when I get here.