Just A Plane Ride...

We are safe, sound, and very comfortably settled in Deutschland.  Before we share Germany with you, I think some highlights of the commute are a must:

1.  Beware of non-direct flights.  Our original flight of Charleston-Charlotte was one hour late, meaning we'd miss our Frankfurt connection in Charlotte, so we thankfully were able to shift to a Charleston-Philly flight with a Philly connection to Frankfurt, but then that flight out of Chucktown ran almost two hours late, which gave us moments to get from Terminal F to Terminal A in the Philly airport, and they were already wrapping up boarding, and oh my good Lord I didn't think we'd make it but then suddenly we were cozied on the plane and on our way to Germany.

2.  Avoid the Charleston airport at all costs.  Turns out that their Charlotte and Philly flights are always running late and people are regularly missing connecting flights -- and the airport recognizes this fact and still chooses not to add any planes to the roster.

3.  US Airways in Charleston might need a swift kick in the butt.
First, they don't find it necessary to maintain any representatives at their kiosk by the gate.  Really helpful when flights are delayed and passengers need assistance.  And the workers they do pay to stand around at the last minute have no idea what they're doing.  Zeke actually had to explain to a US Airways woman how to re-route our bags when we switched flights.  She looked at him like he had two heads, but seriously?  And she acted like it was his fault for having our bags on the original flight.  As if we intentionally booked ourselves on a flight that would be delayed significantly just so we could make her life a little more difficult by then requiring her to (God forbid) use her radio to ask the baggage guys to do their jobs and re-route our bags.  Right.  Our plan the whole time.
Second, and I believe her name is RHONDA but I'm sure the following descriptors and story will single her out to anyone who has encountered her, there was a discourteous, rude, abrasive, hates-her-life-and-blames-the-world, bitch of a woman who was responsible for removing the gate-checked bags from our plane.  Unbeknownst to most of us, the plane to Philly had zero storage for bags so there were easily a dozen bags that had to be gate-checked, including obvious computer bags and more delicate items people had been deceived into thinking they could carry on to the plane. Rhonda proceeded to complain loudly about the number of bags to be checked and then THREW the bags off the plane onto the gate ramp.  Zeke and the guy next to him both jumped up and asked her to be careful with the bags because people have computers in them.  She turned on her big fat ugly heel and accused them of being stupid for putting computers in checked bags.  THEY WERE CARRY-ON PIECES YOU CRAZY LADY.  She continued to spout rudeness and general crap-for-customer-service behavior until she muttered her way off the plane and let us go on our way.  Everyone within hearing distance of the front of the plane agreed Rhonda was a waste of flesh and should be fired.  Maybe I'll copy this post and send it to corporate.

4.  Be prepared to wind up in a foreign country without any clothes.  Of our 6 checked bags and one stroller, all but one bag arrived safely and on time at the Frankfurt airport.  Unfortunately, the one bag they missed in the re-routing was the one containing all of Zeke's civilian clothes.  And because the Charlotte flight the bag stayed on was late, the bag was not able to catch the Frankfurt flight and wasn't sent to Frankfurt until the next day.  Here we are, three days after our arrival, and he finally got his clothes.  Mind you, one of the handles on the bag has been ripped off and the bag looks like it was "ridden hard and put away wet" (thanks for that one Grandma Bobbey), but I don't think I've ever seen Zeke this happy to put on his jeans -- maybe today's joy is exceeded only by the look on his face when he rocks civilian clothes after 15 months in the desert.  Maybe.

And to end on a high note:  5.  Babies are very portable and useful.  Liam napped in the wrap while Zeke and I had drinks at the Charleston airport bar (being there for 7 hours requires at least a few celebratory beverages).  Liam's portability -- and his practical usefulness -- was also clear when we put him in his car seat and then loaded the seat into a wheelchair and wheeled him with our carry-on bags through various airports.  Genius.  And during the big plane ride over the ocean, after Liam had slept peacefully in his car seat, he wanted to be held for a bit and he just curled up on me, kept me warm, and we both passed out.  Portable, convenient, and constantly entertaining.  Babies rock.