Well, the return to Aberdeen went pretty smoothly. I returned the car OK and there were no unexpected surcharges. We checked in with United Airlines very efficiently, and went to have some breakfast.
Blogging at Asilomar
I phoned mum and dad to congratulate them on their wedding anniversary today. Ah, I hear you say, they got married on Valentine's Day! All's well at home, which is good to hear.
I then had one of those moments I realised something stupid I had done. I'd bought a nice bottle of wine to take back, and put it in my hand luggage. Of course, they are not allowing you to take unchecked liquids onto flights and there would be no alternative, but to surrender the bottle at security. Stoopid stoopid stoopid. The cleaner in the restaurant was very grateful for the free bottle of wine.
Well, so much for the sham of security. There was no exit scan of my fingerprints or my eyes. No customs to check on what I may have imported, and the only emigration control was done by the staff from United Airlines. Hmmm.
It was a long flight, in which the only relief from the child from hell came from in-flight movies. Any attempts by parents to control wayward child brought on ear splitting shrieks (similar in frequency and effect to a dentist's drill). I enjoyed The Prestige (Scarlet Wotsername), The Fastest Indian (Anthony Hopkins) and what I saw of Volver (Penelope Cruz).
We had a reasonably short turnaround at Heathrow, in which I had another "Stoopid Stoopid Stoopid" moment when I realised that we had to try and take the duty free we'd bought in San Francisco through security for the Aberdeen flight. This time, we felt there was too much to lose, so we wrapped the bottles in our coats and checked another bag into hold luggage. The pace seemed like 90mph at Heathrow. It didn't matter where I stepped or stood, someone seemed always to be rushing to get past me. Maybe I was dozy and jet-lagged, but I don't think so. The flight to Aberdeen had another child from hell. George's brother Stuart met us at the airport (which was freezing, especially with our outer coats in the hold luggage) and kindly took me home.
Everything was fine at home, no problems, and Ben and Hannah had kindly taken mail through to the kitchen. Jacko from next door brought round a box of wine which had been delivered while I was away. Something to quell the post-holiday blues.
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