Travelling East

On Tuesday morning I woke up at 3:30 am, and decided this was a good time to get up so that I could be really tired and sleep on the plane. I caught the train to the International Airport and got there in good time to get my boarding pass and check in my two bags. Inside I met up with 9 other CKC members who were on the same Qantas QF107 flight to Los Angeles.

Betty and I were lucky to have chosen seats in Premium Economy, up the pointy end of the plane, so we only had one person sitting next to each of us and there was lots of leg room. We were served lunch, and then later on they gave us a "snack pack" to sustain us until breakfast. I finished Salvation Creek and then started House at Salvation Creek. I put on ear plugs and noise-cancelling headphones when it was time to sleep, but there was still a lot of noise from the engines. I think I got about two hours decent sleep, and then tried without success to go back to sleep. It was a relief when they turned the lights back on and announced breakfast.

We arrived at LA around 6 am, a little earlier than scheduled. Progress through immigration and customs was pretty quick, though we found the staff more serious than in Honolulu the year before. I'd booked the LA-St Louis leg of my trip separately from the Sydney-LA leg, so while everyone else checked their baggage back in, I took the long way round to Terminal 4 to get my boarding pass with American Airlines and then recheck my luggage. Then it was back through security to Terminal 4 to rejoin the others for another long wait. Everyone was pretty stuffed by this stage, apart from Betty who'd taken drugs and slept all the way (the b**$%##^).

Our plane to St Louis left at 11:35 and Mary missed it because she was on a different flight that was delayed - but we were able to text each other so we knew where she was. Some of us had to check in our cabin baggage because the plane was full and there was no more room in the ovrehead lockers. The country we flew over east of LA was very dry and barren, and then as we got close to St Louis suddenly it became green and lush. Finally we landed. Betty slept all the way and everyone wants what she was having.

Our River Blender hosts were waiting for us with open arms and big hugs. Sharon (my host) had a sign saying "Sharon" and I was confused, because our Sharon wasn't coming, but we worked it out. Ros came with Betty and me to stay with Sharon for the night, so that Kitty could come back at 8 pm to collect Cathy and Mary, and then we arranged to swop them over the next morning.

Sharon and David have a wonderful home on 7 acres at Winfield, outside St Louis, and we have a bedroom each and one spare. She gave us home made chicken soup and ham croissants for supper, and we drank (okay, I drank) lots of wine to help us sleep. Which we did. Solidly. Even Betty (without drugs). I have no idea what we talked about except that when Betty told me I was slurring I went to bed and slept for 11 hours.