I am using my iPad for this blog update so no pics until I get my Macbook opened up. However, I wanted to share the adventure that we had in getting here to Kauai.
First, security at airports. What an embarrassment. Vastly over weight grandparents and small children bending over to remove their shoes and anything metal. Forget a coin in your pocket and you might as well get prepared for a full on cavity search. The good thing, once you have made it through the security gauntlet you are good to go. Unless you have a connecting flight in a different part of the airport. Then you are once again viewed as massive security risk.
Seeing as we were flying Alaska Air from Bellingham to Seattle to Kauai, we only had to do the security gauntlet the once.
Speaking of Alaska Air. If I ever have to fly again, I would fly Alaska Air. Super people. Professional, personable and courteous. Amazing people.
Seatac Airport was cool. They have entertainers running and rolling the airport to make your wait less exhausting. Our girls lived the clowns. Pics to follow.
On to the flight. Let me begin by saying that our girls were awesome. They napped for at least two hours of the flight even as the babies in the seats all around us screamed and screamed and screamed.
Our girls played with their colouring books and read books even while the medical emergency in the front of the plane unfolded. Yes, a medical emergency.
The captain of the plane came on the PA system and asked if there was a doctor on the plane seeing as there was a medical emergency. Nobody moved. Until for reasons unknown to me, I tapped the shoulder of the person sitting beside me who was listening to an iBook and her husband who was playing Scrabble on his iPad. They had not heard the announcement.
I tapped her on the shoulder and said, “are you a doctor? There is a medical emergency on the plane.” She jumped out of her seat, grabbed her husband and bee-lined it to the front of the plane. They were both medical doctors.
An elderly woman on the plane had experienced some kind of heart attack or stroke and was unresponsive. They brought her around, stabilized her. At this point we were halfway between the continental USA and Kauai. The decision was made to continue to Kauai instead of turning the plane around.
If the emergency had happened 20 minutes earlier I would be blogging from LA right now.
The woman lived and was lucky enough to be the first one off the plane. On a stretcher. Apparently she will be spending at least a portion of her Kauai vacation in a hospital.
Did I say that our girls played and coloured and read and were perfect little angels during this entire episode? Yes they were.
Enough drama for one flight? Not over yet.
Another announcement comes over the PA, “Would the passenger in seat 22C please open the little parcel in the overhead bin.”
Everyone is watching, wondering what the … is going to happen. She gasps, and the voice on the PA says, “I would like to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me.”
Massive cheers from the rest of the passengers. Relief. The drama is over. No, not yet.
During the landing a wind catches the plane just as we touch the runway. The plane hits the runway with the wheels on my side of the plane at what feels much too fast a rate. It then bounces back into the air, wheels touch down on the other side of the plane. Bounce again. I’m sure that the wing is going to touch the runway on my side of the plane. Full reverse thrusters, not soon enough the plane comes to a stop. Cheers of relief form the passengers this time.
Funny thing is, while the plane was bouncing and careening all over the runway I was literally trying to figure out how I would get out of the plane with Sweetheart and both girls. What were my baby girls doing? Laughing and squealing with glee, clapping their hands and smiling from ear to ear.
We were landed. The drama was over. More on the great staff at the Sheraton Kauai soon enough.
Comments
4 responses to “Robinsmith Family Vacation Day Two; Seattle to Kauai”
Wow! Never a dull moment on the Robinsmith family vacay! Way to go Story and Annalie. That’s amazing.
And the doctor part – weird … and thank goodness.
Love the proposal. Aaawww.
Wow … what a start .. way to go girls … you are travel troupers !!!
Glad all ended well and what a way to get a proposal. Did she say yes ???
Keep the blogging going! Love reading them and thinking I’m there with you guys.
She did say yes!