Boarding Air Canada

Last Edit September 29, 1999

We get on board and settle, sort of - the plane is packed.
It is obvious - my son really needs more room. A bigger car. Bigger seat. First class. I need to sell books.
We need to look at upgrades in the future. For now, we settle in as best we can. I tell him he can hang over into my space.
This does not go over with pesky older children like it does when they are little.
My son is slowly fading - passing out more like it - it is now 8AM.
I am wired on decongestant.
I will be crashing later tonight.
For now....
I am amused at what we watched from the terminal window.
The plane's outer windows were hand-cleaned - by a guy hanging out the side windows.
After cleaning the windows, he proceeded, with spray bottle and wipe cloth, to spray and wash the airplane above the windows. Taking time to take a streak of dirt off. He continued this mysterious behavior until he had done all he could reach.
Ever see "Airplane!"
We checked for the Madonna on the dashboard.
The luggage crew was also entertaining. The tractor drove in circles - delivering one bag bin at a time in some mysterious order only he could understand.
For each one, he would line it up with the conveyer belt., then hop off the cab and kick - with a running start mind you - the container until it fell off the truck and onto the conveyor. The conveyor dragged it all the way onto itself and then pivoted it around to a preferred position (90-degree swing) and then raised it up before dragging it into the plane. All without human hands.
The belt woiuld then drop back down, and the driver would hop back in his cab and make another donut.
We boarded behind a couple with a kid and little travel savvy. They held us up so long that the crush came behind us. We managed to add to the delay as little as possible - but we are now squished into the seat.
We get a beverage?
On how many flying hours?
Egad.
Ah no---
We get - cardboard eggs, a few potato puffs (I think that's what they were) and some cooked veggies. A fruit cup and a roll. And coffee.
My son has three OJs, I have decaf. I have eggs, one veggie and just a little of the citrus.
Icky coffee.
My eyes are watering.
Mt head is numb.
I need a bed!
Pick up the tray! I will try to sleep.
And listen to "Tea with Mussolini".
Hard life.
Flying Air Canada is different than flying United stateside.
On this flight, English is NOT the primary language. French is everywhere. I know enough of it to pick out the nuances in the different messages.
The magazines have the articles once in English and once in French.
The flight attendants roll duty-free carts up and down the aisle.
First clue that we are leaving the country.
Let the adventure begin!