happy to report we are sitting in Toronto at a strange little restaurant that has weird things like poached salmon but no chicken fingers, but it is what open. Burgers and French toast will work.
First, WHY???? Winter! Saskatoon! What on earth possessed me. 4 suitcases plus backpacks for everyone and coats that we definitely don’t need yet but will soon. We loaded up and headed to the airport at 2:30 for our 5:00 flight.Folly 1: 15 minutes from home Lucas remembers he forgot his glasses and rubber bands. So we turn around and go back home. No worries. Plenty of time!
Folly 2: Shaun pulls into the airport at 3:15. National airport. Oops. Supposed to be at Dulles. Luckily I had received a text saying our flight was an hour delayed.
Folly 3: I kept receiving texts of further delays. By the time we arrived at Dulles our flight was leaving at 8:00 and we would be spending the night in Minneapolis heading on to Saskatoon tomorrow at 1:00. Breathe. It’s fine. An adventure.
Folly 4: We head into the Delta counter. I waited in line for an agent since I knew our trip had been altered. When he asked for boarding passes, I explained the situation and he said, no boarding passes, I won’t talk to you. Go out to kiosk and check in. So 3 kids, 4 suitcases, 3 backpacks, 2 purses, 4 coats, and a Belle doll haul ourselves back out of line. Scan my credit card, PLEASE SEE AGENT. Seriously?! So back in line to wait for an agent. Luckily we got a different one who was more willing to help. And then he says, your flight has been cancelled. We have 2 choices: try again on Delta tomorrow or head to National and catch an Air Canada flight through Toronto arriving in Saskatoon at midnight (or 2am our time!). I chose the second option, luckily Shaun had waited and could drive us. He also gave us $60 food vouchers. Thank you Delta! We load back up and head to National. Kinda ironic, right?
Folly 5: get dropped off at Delta at terminal B at National. My motley crew heads up to the counter, a little less put together. You know how you start the trip all cute, with makeup and hair bows, cute sweaters and smiles? All that has already disappeared and we look more like we belong in National Lampoons Vacation. I confidently slap my tickets on the counter, embracing the change in our adventure. I’m sorry Mrs. Fuller, Air Canada will now serve these flights so you will need to walk the 15 minutes with your backpacks, baby doll, and 3 kids to terminal A. Ok. Breathe. Off we go.
Folly 6: no restaurants by our gate so we grab a banana, sub, chips, drinks, and $4 candy bars and go to self checkout. Comes time to pay, lady comes over to do voucher but doesn’t know how so she gets all my stuff and takes me to another register. He rings it up, I had him the vouchers and he says, let me get my manager. I’m sorry ma’am, these are issues by Delta. You will need to head back to terminal B to use them. Ummmm NO! I proceed to tell him that he is going to need to let me use them because I have 3 hungry kids and I am NOT walking back. I must have looked crazy because he said fine and punched them in. 🙂
our flight was nice and smooth. Kids watched movies I read my People. Started relaxing into our trip.
note: finishing at 11:56 pm
smooth and easy flight to Toronto. No problems in customs. Kids are all whiney and hungry so we stop to eat. We are two gates away from ours so no worries.
Folly 7: We hit a point where I knew we were cutting it close. I could not get the waitress to bring the bill and then it took forever for her to bring card back. We gather our stuff and rush two gates only to get there as plane was pulling out!!! We all swore it was 10:21 departure but it was actually 9:50, which was 5 minutes before we got to the gate.
On that note, I will finish tomorrow. We are tucked in at the Marriott in Toronto and will begin phase 2 tomorrow at 5:45 am, which will Lord willing be WAY less exciting than today!
The Fuller's Follies 