Last Post in the US

The 4:25 flight for Nassau just left. I'm unfortunately on the 5:25 one and there was no room for standby...so alas...another hour breathing clean US airport air and enjoying the cheap imitation of Chinese food found at the Chinese Steak Escape.

My last three days in the US constituted my entire "summer break." I'm not quite sure that I "breaked" enough to make up for my 72 hour no-sleep marathon I had leading up to my two final exams, but it was a blast. Started with the last lobster dinner of the summer at the lake house with the whole Hanover side of the family. I was nearly drowned by my very energetic cousins who couldn't quite grasp that Betsy was too tired to sit up straight, let alone swim with two girls on her back. (They're only entering first grade...their days will come.) Then onto a great mommy-cooked meal back at 17 Rope Ferry for all the Dartmouth kids that were famished enough to put down their books for a few hours and share a nice meal. The next morning I flew out to Buffalo to see that part of the family. I fit in all the Buffalo musts: pizza and wings, a beer before noon, a visit with Dawn, riding with my other cousin (who also seems to over-estimate my swimming abilities), and roast beef (with gravy, not on weck). I was also introduced to two new favorites of watching America's Got Talent with Grandma Susie and having breakfast with Grandpa. ...No idea how I've gone all these years without knowing that we order the same exact thing for breakfast (and those of you that know me well know that I do not change my breakfast order).

So these were all much needed - if not relaxing - visits to be had. Oh and there goes the plane to Nassau. Good bye plane to Nassau.

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Today's Adventure:

Apparently my lacrosse stick is considered a club and, therefore, cannot be a carry-on. So after waiting in line behind all three other passengers at the Buffalo International (read: to Canada) Airport, I had to go back to the check-in counter to check my lacrosse bag. Cursing airlines and how creative they have gotten at making money (No, I will not pay $5 for a pillow, thank you very much.), I went up to ask how much it would cost to add a third checked bag. Turns out...it's not even allowed. Something about international flights and laws and stuff like that. At this point I did what any newly independent-for-the-first-time-in-her-life-going-more-than-an-hour-away-for-a-term girl would do, and I called Mommy. That made things better.

I had to get them to recall my bags so that I could somehow stuff my lacrosse sticks back into them. I found a paper clip leftover in my tote bag from the useless greenprint terminals in Berry basement (honestly - why can they not just put a stapler there?) and used it to unscrew the heads from my lacrosse sticks. And tada! They all fit in my checked bags - weighing in at 49.5 lbs exactly.

I told you I'm an all-star packer.

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Just got off the phone with my brother. If you want to win the competition for last phone call I make in the US...you have 25 minutes...time starts NOW.