Virginia Trip

We are back home from the trip to Virginia. While it was basically an easy trip I am so glad to be back in New England.

Last Monday we drove to Manchester Airport. We checked-in (had no issues or wait)and then had some breakfast at Dunkin' Doughnuts. As usual the people there were pretty dumb, but we got our order and ate. After that we went outside to smoke. When we came back in and were going to use the elevators we saw that there was a Smoking Lounge right there - of course it's not on any airport map.

Then we started to go through Security. There were two lines open (usually there's only one and it's very packed.) We went to the one that had no one in it. The TSA guy was joking with my mom and the TSA woman who searched her did a thorough job. You could tell they were bored and just wanted to work. We had no problems with either the TSA or Security in general. They did their job and did so in a professional way.

While waiting for our flight we learned that there is another Smoking Lounge past Security - again it is not listened on any airport map. We had no issues boarding, during the flight (it was on-time taking off and early landing), being met by my sister, getting our bag or driving the two hours from Baltimore to our house. It all went pretty smoothly.

When we got to the house we met, Princess, our new Malamute. She is just under two years old and was rescued from a vet that abused her and many other dogs. When we first got her she was starved and in-out of comas. I don't know how anyone can do something like that to a dog (or any animal.) Princess was shy around my mom and I, but was very playful with my sister. Eventually, Princess warmed up to us  - for the most part - and things were fine.

Throughout the day and a half we were down in VA we were kept pretty busy. We went to some stores and bought a bunch of things (for both my sister and Christmas.) We ate out all the time - which is one of the only good things about going to Virginia they have all the food places, closer than we do in New Hampshire. We went to my mom's appointment  (which was the whole reason to go down there) and set something up for the beginning of January. My sister had to go to her class Tuesday night from 4:30 pm - 11 pm and so my mom and I stayed at the house with Princess - and no TV. We could watch shows on the computer, but it's not the same.

Wednesday we went out for breakfast and then headed to BWI Airport. There was some traffic - like there always is in the DC Metro Area - but we made it to the airport with plenty of time. We checked-in (the woman there was lazy and told us to get the wheelchair inspected at the gate - which you are not supposed to do. Then we saw my sister off and headed through Security. The last time we flew out of Baltimore (last summer) we had problems and so we tried going through a different Security Zone this time. At first it seemed like we would have problems again. The two TSA guys were very lazy and one was even standing there playing on his phone. Then a TSA woman came to search my mom. She (the TSA woman) told me to go through and get my stuff while she took my mom. I told her that my mom was more important than our stuff and I wanted to make sure she was taken care of and treated right. I watched very closely as my mom and the woman went into a glassed-in room. I got our stuff off the x-ray machine and headed to where they were. The lady opened the door and let me come in while she searched my mom. I explained to the woman that we have had many problems at BWI before and I just didn't want that to happen this time. She was nice and did her job well and everything was good.

After security we had lunch, went to our gate (where the airline woman got upset that no one had tagged the wheelchair and said she was going to find out who it was.) We had no problems boarding and the only thing on the flight was a very annoying, talking woman in front of us, a steward that was too busy being "funny" to do his job and a woman next to me trying to take my space - I won that one though!. We left on-time and arrived on-time. I got our bags and we headed to the parking garage and our car.

This is where I have to say that Manchester Airport is not as handicapped-friendly as they say they are. You have to pull the doors to get into the garage - there's no automatic, handicapped door and there are many large grates throughout the parking garage that you have to go through to get to your car - I had the wheelchair get stuck several times while cars were coming towards us. I will have to write the airport about those as they are very dangerous.

All-in-all the trip was easy. I still would have rather stayed home, but many things could have gone wrong - and with my luck, should have gone wrong, but for the most part they didn't. My sister is doing well on her own (she even took days off work to be with us which was nice) and Princess will slowly come around towards others.

I only hope our trip down this January will be like this, if not easier.