Now that I have my computer desk somewhat cleared off I can start working on the various scrapbooking projects I want to complete. I was asked when I'd tell all about England so that will be my main digital project for January. Although I took more than 500 pictures while we were there I won't be scrapping all of them (aren't you glad you won't have to look at all of them!) Some layouts will have quite a few pictures - like Madame Tussaud's', others, like Windsor Castle and St. Paul's Cathedral not so many. I may do a paper-and-glue layout for them since I took very few pictures but bought postcards for the areas where I wasn't allowed to use my camera.
So, after all the OMENS warning us not to go, we left for London on Dec 26, 2012, at 6:55 on a 747, Virgin Atlantic flight 7. We had upgraded our seats from economy to premium economy (Virgin's version of business class) and John and I were seated right at the entrance to the plane. Everyone had to pass by us and we didn't have a seat in front of us to stow our stuff under and the compartment above our seat was too small as well. So our carry-ons ended up in a cabinet just before the economy section. While they were boarding I watched a mechanic and flight officer go up and down the stairs to the first class cabin several times. We pushed away from the terminal and sat on the tarmac for half an hour when the captain came on and told us we had a light on the number 1 engine that wouldn't go off and would have to move off a ways so they could get a mechanic to fix the problem. So we pulled over to another terminal and parked for a while. They finally fixed the problem (at least they said they did, but with all the omens we'd had prior to this I wasn't so sure) and, after topping of the fuel and an hour-and-a-half late, we set off for London, a ten hour flight.
Besides no storage there are a few other disadvantages to being seated at the very front. Our video equipment had to be pulled out and perched in front of us and we couldn't watch it while we had our food trays up. (The food was good, by the way; John even had wine with his dinner.) And my controller didn't work as well as I would have liked when I tried to use it. I eventually gave up and went to sleep. The other premium seats have foot rests under the seat ahead that can be pulled down to make sleeping more comfortable. We were brought block footrests that kept sliding on the carpeting. I slept okay until we were leaving the North American landmass and making the jump over to Greenland when we hit turbulence. The fasten seatbelt light was put on and that's when my body decided that constipation was a bad thing and it was going to fix it. Now! So here I am making my way past rows of blythly unaware passengers to the nearest toilet trying to walk/stumble upright and not fall in anyone's lap while the flight crew worries about me. Twice. About the time my body settled down so did the plane.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and we arrived only 30 minutes later than we were supposed to. I was a little concerned about getting our carry-on luggage when we disembarked but the flight attendant told me she'd block people exiting the plane until we got our stuff. We couldn't stay in our seats because we'd actually be in the way and we'd be stepped on and tripped over as people tried to cut the corner and leave. So John and I walked against traffic to get our carry-ons and then back up front so we could leave the plane. Then it was go through customs and wait for everyone to get together (we had three bus-loads of cheerleaders and family all going to the same place at the same time) so we could get to our hotel.
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