And we’re off… not

There’s nothing like the rush of arriving at the international terminal of the airport after the last minute running around prior to departure.  When you arrive at the airport, that’s it; everything that's going to be packed is packed; the adventure is all there is before you; there’s no turning back.

Unless, of course, you arrive at the airport on the wrong day.

Here’s how the conversation went with the man at the Cathay Pacific check in counter at 10pm last night.

Me (handing over our passports): Hello.  We’re heading to Kathmandu.
Him: Okay, let me look.  (Long pause as he is typing away on his keyboard.) Hmm.  I have no record of you.
Me (smiling and thinking of Tiffany, our travel agent): Oh.  Gideon?
Him: Let me look again.  Do you have any confirmation papers?
Me:  Gideon??
Him: What is your itinerary?
Me: San Francisco to Hong Kong to Dakar to Kathmandu.
Him: Ahh, yes, there you are.  You leave this time tomorrow night.
Me (bursting into laughter after consciously deciding to see the humor in this): Oh!  Well!  Isn't that something?  Sorry about that!  My bad!

And off we went to hail a cab to take us back to our friends, Brian and Katie’s house for the night.

You know, I’ve been watching the Olympics a lot over the past few weeks.  I particularly like watching speed skating.  But nothing is more annoying than a false start, don’t you think?  That’s really taken on a whole new meaning to me and Gideon.

So, we've got another day to putz around here in the good ole U.S. of A.  Tonight, by golly, we will be on a plane heading somewhere... hopefully to Nepal.