Day 3 May 30 NY to Lisbon
Wide awake at 6:30 a.m. and flight isn't until 10:15 p.m.
Ernie continues to monitor our new house cameras
Three alerts:
- Spider web on camera
- Bird flying by
- Wind, we think
Notify banks and credit card companies of travel
- American Express doesn't care and doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee
- Bank of America cares and charges a foreign transaction fee
- Capital One doesn't care and doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee
- Chase cares and doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee
- And the list could go on and on
Finalize international plan with Verizon
- Already spoke to Verizon twice before about international plan
- Ready to activate the Travel Pass which charges $10/day only on the days you use it.
- Now they say plan may not work on my phone
- If it doesn't work, I will be charged full ridiculous amounts for any usage
- There is no way to know if it is working until I get my bill
- Maybe a fourth call will get better answer
- Forget the phone
Create itinerary from many emails and notes so family at home know where we are... sort of
Discover WinBook doesn't have enough disk space for the trip
- Ernie goes to Costco and buys 128 gig micro SD card
- Doesn't work in WinBook
- Maybe it's defective, try it in tablet
- It works
- Try again in WinBook
- Doesn't work
- After much research, give up
- Ernie puts 128-gig card in tablet and puts his 64-gig card in WinBook, it works
- Nothing is easy
Try to locate a sewing machine so I can reinforce my day pack which is looking worse each day
No one Robin knows has a sewing machine
Robin works a miracle - gets shoe repair place to do the job by noon (much negotiating)
Print out reservations for hotels, Airbnbs, flights and car rentals in case no internet access
Pack up brownies and blondies that nephew Jonathan made for us
Final packing
- Everything important is in our carryon bags
- We broke the golden rule and have to check one very small bag that holds oversized shampoo that we are bringing for a Swiss friend and our walking sticks
- And I cheated and lightened my carryon since I have to check a bag anyway
- Don't tell Judy
- Passports, US money, Euros, credit cards, ATM cards - all secure
- Ernie has his super pickpocket proof pouch that he threads his belt thru then it hangs down inside his pants. It even has two different loops so you can match it to your belt color. It is now loaded with all his credit and ATM cards.
- I double bag my cards and money and hope no one steals my daypack at the airport.
- Shaina and Mo have their own secret storage system which they won't reveal.
- Everything important is in our carryon bags
Mike drives us to JFK extra early so he can get home before the thunderstorms
Baggage check lady laughs at us and our extra small bag as in 'Why are you checking this, are you for real?"
Uneventfully pass thru TSA Pre-check (I love that perk)
Not many restaurants to choose from so eat dinner in food court area
On our way to the gate, two things happen simultaneously (literally, no exaggeration necessary):
- Mo starts to feel ill but since he didn't sign a HIPA release form, I cannot reveal any more information. A garbage can is involved.
- Ernie asks me if I see a loop on his belt - as in his super pickpocket proof pouch with all his cards
- The answer: NO!
- We haven't even left JFK!
- We haven't even gotten to the gate!
- I ask, "Didn't you take your belt off at security?"
- You see where this is going
- His buckle set the alarm off on the last flight so this time he knew to take it off
- He didn't think about the pouch
- He didn't think about it falling down his pant leg
- He didn't think about it disappearing someplace along our route to dinner
- Meanwhile, Shaina is helping Mo
- Ernie heads to TSA security
- I have a panic attack
- I check for any card use - none
- Ernie can't find security, he's as lost as his cards
- Shaina goes back and forth between Mo and the search for the pouch
- Ernie finally finds it
- Guess who has his pouch!
- Ernie is happy - he has his cards
- I start to breathe again
- Mo is feeling less ill but still worried about taking the flight
- Shaina helps Mo and stays calm
- I pace
- Ernie sits, calm as can be - after all he has his cards
Almost time to board
Mo is good, Shaina is good, Ernie is good, I am good
As we line up to board, Shaina realizes that Good Omens TV show was finally released an hour earlier.
She frantically downloads all episodes in case of plane insomnia
And then the plane is off only 45 minutes late!