Eureka

So coming home from Ecuador was horrible and great at the same time. We were going home, and yet we weren't. We had to fly to Costa Rica, then Guatemala and then LAX and then Utah. They made us get off the plane EVERY TIME. And most of those flights were very full, so we didn't get an extra seat to put the baby on while she was sleeping. But it was great to be going home . . .sort of.

Anyway, once we got to LAX, we realized that we didn't have our boarding passes for the Delta flight, and so we would have to check back in at the Delta counter. We didn't think that was such a problem until we realized that the Delta counter wasn't open and we wouldn't be able to check in until that time. Again, I will say this loudly TRAVELOCITY CAN SUCK IT. Great job making us stay in the LAX airport for 5 hours until the counter opened. And not in the good part of the airport where there are restaurants and vending machines. No! On the outside of the airport right next to the drug dealers who are driving by trying to sell their meth to weary travelers. It was seriously upsetting

Marcelo and I tried to find a corner to sleep, but we both couldn't sleep because what if someone ran off with our child? True, she was sleeping, but she was sleeping in her stroller, so it would be really easy to roll her away! The ticket counter finally opened up, and they tried to tell us to go to one of the kiosks, but we got to go to the front because they wouldn't check us in at the kiosk. After a diaper diarrhea blowout from baby, and a very overcrowded flight to SLC, we were HOME! I was so excited to be back where I could drink the water from the tap!

Reagan picked us up from the airport, and she drove us home. It was to be a short visit home, though. We were only there for about 4 or 5 hours. Because that night we went back to the airport to get on a plane to California! I know, we are crazy!! But my mom pulled every string in the book to get this vacation planned at just the right time when everyone could be there. And it was only going to be for 4 days, so I knew it wouldn't be that bad. Again, I was wrong.

I went and tried to do as much laundry as possible to be able to wash all the bugs out of our clothes and to have clean stuff to take to CA. I did pretty good! I had to take a load to the laundry mat down the street to dry it in time, but we did it just fine! Marcelo went to Target to buy another DVD player because I broke the other one in Ecuador (CLAAASSSSIC ALICIA!!!) We had no time to sleep: we packed up, and we were gone.

So the last time Marcelo and I had a complete REM cycle was the night of the 23rd into the 24th. For some reason we were late. I don't know why. I think it had to do with Marcelo needing to stop to get a Red Bull at the Mavrick so he could be awake enough to drive to the airport. But I know we got to the airport about 40 or 45 min early. Not great, but not too bad. We knew that we would be leaving our car in long term parking but I didn't know if I should drop Marcelo off and let him check in alone, or drop him off with baby and luggage, or he drop me off. We ultimately decided to park together and then go and check in together.

BIG MISTAKE!! We missed check-in. Apparently you have to be checked in 30 before or they sell your seat. We were there 24 min and they sold our seats. (that shuttle from long term parking takes a LOOOOONG time. PUN INTENDED)

Please note that we were on NO SLEEP. Our baby is on NO SLEEP. Poor girl is being jacked around so much, she has no idea which way is up! And we get there and are told that there are no seats. My mom is supposed to pick us all up at the airport in Redding, and if not, she has to make a 3 hour trip to come later!! It's so not good.

These are our options:

1) Pay to fly out tomorrow. This will cost the purchase of whole new tickets and will be over $1000 each.
2) Pay to fly to LAX on another airline. Only Southwest still had a flight going out there that same night. But to make our connection up to the other flight was WAAAY tight and she didn't think we would make it. Oh, and the cost to fly Southwest would be $1000 for each ticket.

Then the lady asked us if there were any other airports nearby. In my drunkenness, I was only thinking about Lake Tahoe because they tried to sell me a ticket there before thinking it was "close" to Redding. I am on no sleep and it takes me longer than it should to say, "Oh yes, Eureka is close!! You guys have a direct flight there! Do you still have a flight going out tonight?" And she said yes!!! And the cost to "change" our ticket would be around $360 each. Not great. The money becomes the issue now. Marcelo is freaking and saying that he's not going! If it's that much money, he's not going!! Screw it! He's going home and going to sleep!

I tell her that is the best option, because for sure we can get someone to pick us up on their way to the cabin. It will at least get us there, and then we can figure out how to get 3 hours away to our cabin. I'm sure there are a few people still in Eureka waiting to come up!

Nope. There is no one there so we have to rent a car in Eureka. We call about 45 million rental companies (actual number: 5) and are told they can get a car for us, and then at the end they say, "oh, sorry, we don't have any cars here" Crazy. The car is expensive, but by the end of the day, I'm so tired of calling places and I feel lucky that we even FOUND a rental car!

So at the end of the day, our plane is OF COURSE late getting to CA because the flight crew was on another plane delayed in Chicago. They had to call in a whole new flight crew and wake them up to get us there! It made us even later getting to Eureka, where we then had a 3 hour drive to the Cabin. Which I did. Without any sleep for the past 2 days. All I have to say is that Sunflower seeds + Dr. Pepper=Crazy Delicious. And a crazy jolt to the system. While Marcelo was falling asleep in the back in the middle of conversations, I was feelin' fine!!

And then we were there at 2 am!! And our travel problems were over!! I think we are done traveling for a very VERY long time.

So here are some pictures of our great time at the Cabin:

The family picture of just us kids, spouses and grand kids. There are tons of us!!

And then the "everyone" picture. We take one every year. It's a lot of blood, sweat, tears, yelling screaming and crying to make it happen. And I'm not kidding! But we get one every year!!

Oh, and P.S. we didn't have to pay the $360 to change our tickets because apparently they gave our seats away too quickly. We didn't have any bags to check, so they shouldn't have given them away until 20 before take off!! So due to "their error" they changed them for free. THANKS DELTA!!

And be on time for your flights, people!!