Day 1: Because it was so much fun the first time around!

It's only been 3 weeks since our vacation began, but it's already time to relive it! Actually, I'm going to write some detailed blog entries about each day, more so I can remember and record it (and the rest of the family can relive it) before I forget some of the smaller details. If I do leave out something important, feel free to add it in (only if you were there, of course!). I think I'll have to enlist Sarah's help with a few days - she (or Steve, I suppose) will have to write about their travel days, as we traveled quite separately those days. And I can't write about anything post-train trip until Sarah makes her pictures available (hint, hint). Without further ado...

Sunday, July 12, 2009
Day 1 of our Awesome Alaskan Adventure began bright and early, partly due to the fact we had a morning flight but more because Dad decided to call me an hour before my alarm was set for. He wanted to see if I would like to grab breakfast with he and David. Seeing as I am not really a morning person and I just lost an hour of sleep, I declined. It was a nice gesture but I will admit to not thinking it so nice at the time. Of course unable to fall back asleep, I got ready and watched TV until they showed up. We then waited for Unreliable Car Service to come pick us up. Ok, perhaps that isn't their true name, but any car service that says you have to call them while on vacation a few days ahead of time to remind them to pick you up doesn't sound particularly reliable to me. While waiting, I noticed that David's suitcase still had the tags on it from when he bought it the day before. I pulled them off and he gave me a pained expression before telling me that he was planning on returning the suitcase after vacation. I told Mr. Unethical that I was floored he would even think that was an ok idea. He claims he asked the customer service desk and they said it was fine. Oh well, too bad for him... The car arrived on time. Only 2 suitcases fit in the trunk, the third sat in the front seat of the car. The only reason I remember this is because the fasten-seatbelt sign flashed and beeped for awhile, thinking someone was sitting in the passenger seat. We were squished in the back seat with backpacks on our laps.

We arrived at the airport much too early, even by my standards. We were flying United, one of the 8 billion airlines that charges for checked bags - such a scam. Forty-five dollars later, the bags were taken care of. It was at that point that David realized he didn't have his license. He claimed that he had it that morning when we went to the bank but it had sense disappear (in the space of 2 hours??). As I am beginning to enter panic mode, Dad calmly pulls out David's passport. I guess it's a good thing we needed those after all. I decide to be the holder of David's passport - I have absolutely no faith that he will keep track of it.

Waiting for our flight to board

The flight itself was completely uneventful. It was at this point that David made his claim that he would have the window seat for every flight. Um, right, skippy, we'll see about that. We landed at O'Hare on time (something that never ever happens when Sarah flies there but I don't have too many problems) and headed to baggage claim. However, we weren't really paying attention to where we were going and walked from one end of a very long terminal all the way to the other, somehow missing the exit walkway halfway through. I blame it on David's need to stop and buy a pretzel in that general area. I made him give me some as punishment. Anyway, we get our baggage with no wait (probably because we spent 20 minutes getting there in the first place) and went outside to wait for Aunt Susie to pick us up.

It was during our wait that my knee began to have stabbing pains. It was the weirdest thing - shooting pains that began instantaneously. It eventually went away and I didn't think of it again for several days. We got to Susie's, chatted with Susie and Josh for awhile, and then went to the grocery store to stock up on snack food for our train trip. I think we went a bit overboard, but better safe than sorry. That afternoon, I helped David repack his suitcase. It seems he just tossed things in it in a rather haphazard manner. Lots of family (Susie, Josh, Natalie, Alan, Debra, Jill, and Mark) came over that evening for a nice, casual dinner. A good time was had by all. I didn't realize that so many of them had already been on an Alaskan cruise before.

David and Dad headed to bed early, I helped with clean-up. My embarrassing moment of the day was when I accidentally broke one of Susie's wine glasses. I can't remember the last time I broke a glass. Sorry! When I finally did get to bed, I had a lot of trouble sleeping, I think due to vacation anxieties... Monday would be the real start to our vacation - a 2 pm train from Chicago to Sacramento. What's the worst that could happen?