Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Kids are Back from London

You probably have to be at least 40 to 70 years of age to think like this but my daughter and her boyfriend (22 and 26) are back from London. And so for me at least, "The kids are back from London".
I hadn't heard from them since about the 17th of October so by yesterday I was getting kind of nervous without even a phone text. But finally, the day before they returned to San Francisco Airport from London I got a postcard addressed to my wife so I knew at the very least they were okay the 20th when they sent it. and yesterday, after fretting all day I realized at bedtime that my daughter had sent me a text at 2pm earlier in the day (around 10pm London time) which made sense that she sent it just before she went to sleep last night. Then at 6 am (2 pm) London time she said in a text that they were on the plane so all systems were go for me to go pick them up at the airport. Luckily, they had a tailwind and arrived about 1 hour before their expected arrival in San Francisco. I had arrived early (3:30 pm) so I wouldn't get bogged down in rush hour traffic but by 4:30 when she texted that the plane had landed I was getting kind of tired of waiting and since I was in shorts because of the outside hot weather the air conditioner where I was sitting waiting for arrivals was too cold. So I went outside and stood in the sun for a little bit. A taxi driver asked me if I wanted a taxi and I said "No. I was just trying to warm up because the air conditioning is too cold inside for shorts and sandals. He nodded and I wandered back inside to wait. Finally, at Exit G from customs I found where they were going to come out. So, by 5 pm I started to look carefully at the close circuit TV that shows you all people just leaving customs about ready to exit into the public area from where I was sitting. Finally, after about 1/2 hour of watching the people slowly saunter out from all over Europe and beyond, I saw what could not be mistaken for my daughter and her boyfriend. So I hugged them both and he was just so happy to be off the plane after 11 hours the he sort of rode the cart playfully carrying their luggage. Soon, we were at my 4 wheel drive pickup truck, a 2011 Toyota Tundra, and they threw their traveling backpacks in the back and climbed into my 6 passenger truck. My daughter too the back seat so she could eventually go to sleep as she looked sort of pale from it being about 3 or 4 am London time and having been there about a month now and being really used to that 8 hours of difference from our time zone. But they both stayed awake until I took them to an In and Out Burger (which are really famous in California for having the best Ham Burgers anywhere) and after that first my daughter and then her boyfriend nodded out and I had to drive the rest of the way alone. But it sure is good to have them both back safe and sound. Sweet Dreams!

No comments: