Home again, home again, jiggety jig...

  Well, we made it home all in one piece, or four pieces, since there were 4 of us. I have never in my life slept on a plane until yesterday. I spent ages the night before repacking the cases to make everything fit and not be overweight, so I got about 3 and a half hours of sleep. (probably less because I kept waking up. When I was asleep I was dreaming about packing cases! In part of one dream I realized I didn't have to worry so much because I had another case. Then I rolled it out and it was the size of a mattress, (only thicker.)! Add the lack of sleep to the fact that I was so sleepy in the first place. On the plane I was trying to watch a documentary about Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, who managed The Who, and I fell asleep a few times. Then on the short flight from Atlanta to Columbus I slept almost the whole way. I have been pooped out the whole time. I had varying levels of sleepiness though and one day at Ken's sister Marjorie's I was nearly falling asleep sitting there while everybody was talking. We did so much walking that I should have lost weight, but I think I gained. It feels like it, but I can't remember what I weighed before we left. I at least should have built up some leg muscles.Of course, that day Marjorie served all those different cheeses probably cancelled out all weight loss I might have managed! (It was totally worth it though! Especially the lemon cheese!) I also bought a few Bakewell tarts. If I had been over there longer I could have become totally hooked on Bakewell tarts. I only had one Galaxy chocolate milk though, and it was amazing.I wish I hadn't kept not getting one because it was a bit expensive, because after I finally broke down and tried one I couldn't find it again. I was going through milk withdrawal while I was there though. You totally cannot find milk most places you go that sell drinks, and I need my milk. I start feeling creepy without it. Fortunately, (for me. Ken was disappointed.) English milk is totally Americanized now. I always said the only thing I'd miss if I moved to England would be American milk, but now English milk is just the same as American milk.Ken was looking forward to the cream lumps and now it doesn't have any.  

   Maybe I did lose a little weight because my wedding rings were slightly loose when I left home and on the plane home I was showing Ken how loose they were. They were so loose I was beginning to worry that I might lose them. Minutes later I started to brush some crumbs off Ken's shirt and the wedding band flew off my finger and into the next aisle. We were close to landing, so we were supposed to have our seat belts on, but Ken took his off and got down in the floor to find my ring. Luckily he found it quickly because I was panicking. I was imagining the plane tilting even farther back and the ring rolling down the aisle under the seats, never to be seen again.

  When we arrived at the airport in Atlanta we found out Emma's friend John, who was picking us up, had had a problem with the van when he went to our house to get it: it had a flat tire! He went out and bought an air pump, which died before completing it's job, and some Fix a Flat, and he and Fuzzy got it fixed. (Fuzz doesn't drive or he could have picked us up.) He was at the airport minutes after we got outside to wait, so it worked out ok in the end.
  As I said,I was worried about fitting in all the stuff Ken wanted to bring home. His sister Gloria said whatever he didn't take home of his old stuff was getting thrown away because she wanted to clear her attic out. He doesn't have much stuff because he left it over there in the first place, so I wanted to make sure he brought it all. I only wish Gloria had gotten it to us when the kids were little, so they could have played with his wooden blocks and his push horse, and covered up in his baby blanket. They played with a lot of my stuff and they, all three, used my baby quilt. It would have been nice. 
  In the end Ken managed to take home about 4 bags of candy, a big box of crisps,4 steak and kidney pies,a bottle of curry sauce, a jar of cockles and a jar of mussels,a container of banana Nesquik,a bunch of different biscuits and a couple different kinds of minirolls,a Christmas pudding and a box of mince pies that Marjorie gave him,2 bottles of Warniks Advocaat,a jar of Marmite, a jar of Boveril,4 or 5 boxes of his slides,all his childhood toys that were left,a bundle of birthday cards dating all the way back to his first birthday, part of his matchbook collection, and some other bits and pieces. (We were worried about bringing matches in the cases, but they went through fine. We had been so worried that most of the ones we took we tore the matches out of the books and dumped most of the boxes. I did leave them in a few of his extra special ones.I figured if there was a problem we could remove the matches then. They never said anything though.They were in the checked luggage, which didn't go through the TSA anyway.  We also brought home a couple of different cheeses. There was some debate as to whether or not you are allowed to take cheese through. The sisters were after us not to try it because we'd get fined, but Ken Googled it and found out you are allowed to. They still didn't believe it and kept wanting us to leave it. Fuzzy loves cheese so I wanted him to get to try it. It was fine though. The agriculture guy even confirmed that you are allowed to bring it. It was in Gloria's insulated lunch sack, so it was even a little cool when we got home. 
  The TSA wasn't nearly as intimidating as I was afraid it would be. It went pretty smoothly except yesterday Ken had stuff in his pockets so they made him go back through the archway several times. I had stuff in my pocket too, because after the wedding ring incident I took them off and put them in my change purse and put the purse in my pocket. They didn't say anything to me though. Maybe Ken just comes off as a guy who is trying to pull something.We did have a problem with the British TSA as we were leaving though, because Ivy had forgotten to take her liquids out of her bag and put them in the tub.We got that straightened out, but then she had bought one of those things with the oil blobs that run down a spiral. (She collects those, oddly enough.), and she had forgotten about it being in her carry on. Luckily the TSA lady was really nice. She asked Ivy if she had any weight left in her check in suitcase and Ivy said she had a couple of pounds left. So Ms. TSA had her wrap the oil blob thing in the blanket she had in her bag, and put it back in her back pack and Ken was to take it back to the luggage check in desk and have them check it in. They were nice down there too, because an extra bag is supposed to cost 65 pounds, but they checked it for nothing. I was sure at first Ivy was going to have to leave that thing behind, but it all worked out. I had my carry on looked through, but I'm not sure why. Ken had all the stuff with metal in his carry on, (His horse push toy and his clown pull toy.) and they didn't bother his.
  I'll be posting about the trip for the next week or so, until I get it all covered. I hope I can remember the details that long!  I have some interesting things to show you.