Catching Up

We've had some Internet connection challenges since my last blog. Thanks to our most excellent hosts at Hotel Mainstation, we are hooked up to a network of free wifi hotspots. Here's a blog I wrote, but couldn't post, from the Humphrey Terminal in Minneapolis-St. Paul (note the next blog for my subsequent internet troubles):

Waiting For The Plane, Thursday, June 24:

We made it to Minneapolis-St Paul just fine, but Mom's luggage (once again) had trouble with this airport. The last time, all our bags except Mom's big one made it all the way to Reykjavik without our intervention. Just by chance we looked at baggage claim here at MSP on that trip, and there was Mom's bag in the Lost Luggage room! We retrieved it, and took it over to the International Terminal to be re-screened and checked through. So we ended up with luggage success that time.

This time, we only checked the bags through to MSP so we retrieved them from the baggage carousel. However, the extending arm that slides out for easy pulling was broken on Mom's big bag. We couldn't extend it. Good thing we had a six-hour layover at MSP. We stashed our bags in the Baggage Service office (no lockers – they've all been removed for security purposes) and made our way via Light Rail to the Mall of the Americas. It was 75 cents each for the ride, and since we came back within the two-hour timeframe listed on the tickets, we didn't have to pay our way back. It's a really great train – a train arrives at each stop every ten minutes. The bike racks on board had an intriguing design.



Between all the luggage drama and the long schlep over to the Light Rail and back, plus rummaging through the immense Mall of the Americas for luggage and a neck pillow, then Mom's metal in her legs setting off the beeper in security, we arrived at the Icelandair ticket counter on time but tired.



We thought we'd ask if we could fly the plane, but we're probably too tired to do a good job.