mrsksomeday
My Prince uses a power wheelchair!
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2006
- Messages
- 7,785
YAY!! Your trip report has started. I can't wait to hear all about it 
.
.
ANOTHER Adventure in Autism (4/15) A Taste of What's to Come...
- Thread starter KathyRN137
- Start date
estherhead
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2004
- Messages
- 3,394
Yippee Skippee! Another Adventure begins.
jordanyosh
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 17,647
Do I really need to say more Kathyand Ed.KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
Chapter Two: By the Dawn's Early Light
Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing in the east.
- JOHN MILTON
The sun had not yet risen when we set off for the airport, but I could see the morning star beginning to twinkle in the dimly lit sky. I reveled in the fact that Daylight Savings Time was ending and that the clock would be turned back an hour that night. It would be so much easier waking up early on vacation if we didnt have to get up in the dark! And we could sure use that extra hour of sleep that night after our pre-dawn start.
The ride to Laguardia was uneventful; not too much traffic at 5am on a Saturday....we shared the road with a few scattered truckers for a good part of the drive, until we got a little closer to the city. Then the thoroughfares slowly became clogged with cars, vans, and taxis and our progress slowed. Ed and Frank (the driver) talked animatedly about some mutual acquaintances while I tried to close my eyes and make up a little lost sleep. Between the man-gossiping up front and the Eee-ee-ahh-ahh! noises coming from Billy in the back seat, I wasnt able to get much. Every five minutes, Tricia groaned, Billy, quiet mouth! She wasnt getting any rest, either.
Aunt Rae dozed, chin on her chest, but waking with a start every time Billy let out a particularly enthusiastic Eeee!
She hadnt been able to sleep at all the night before, even though she had taken the prescription sleeping pill. Traveling always made her nervous. I fervently hoped that she would get to snooze on the plane; otherwise she might not be able to handle walking around a crowded World Showcase during F&WF that afternoon. Despite her recent troubles with gout, she was adamant about not renting a wheelchair or scooter. I believe that even at this point, I could see that the writing was on the wall
.
We pulled into the drop-off zone at the terminal and Frank helped us put our bags out on the curb. We were accosted by a small swarm of handlers offering to check our luggage. As usual, we had to politely wave them off. All of us, save Tricia for some reason, are on the No Fly List
so we have to check our bags inside. Now, here is where Ed did something that perplexed me.
Like most families, we have a hodgepodge of bags that comprise our collective luggage. Ed and Aunt Rae have wheeled bags; Aunt Raes is medium sized and Eds is what one might call super-sized! Tricia insisted on having a rolling bag so she could pull her own weight (literally) this year, so she got my carry-on sized bag which she would be checking since she needed to have her backpack full of homework and her American Girl doll and paraphernalia on the plane. That left Billy and me with our large, non-rolling duffle bags. On prior trips we had always utilized a small folding luggage cart-thingy to assist us with carrying the non-rolling bags. After using it, we would simply fold it up and put it inside one of the checked bags .I always thought it was quite handy.
I bent down and unzipped one of the duffle bags so I could pull out the luggage-thingy and give it to Ed. We dont need that, Kathy, why did you pack it? Its so heavy! True, it was a bit heavy, but I was surprised. We had always used it before. We only have two non-rolling bags this year, he continued. Ill hold it for you, Frank offered, and before I knew it, he had whisked it out of my hands and placed it in the back of the Navigator. Tricia put her backpack on and then she and Aunt Rae extended the handles on their modest-sized roller bags and were ready to... well... roll. I took Billy by the hand and started to grab Eds giant roller bag when he stopped me. You just take care of Billy, Ill take care of these.
Now, I of course realize that Ed is fairly strong, certainly a lot stronger than I am, but I have to admit that I was doubtful that he could carry all those bags. He put one duffle over each shoulder and began dragging the humongous roller bag along behind him. I felt a bit silly carrying nothing but my lime green baggallini, so we had the first (of many) of what I like to call our "Mars & Venus" conversations for this trip:
Me: Honey, are you sure you can carry all those?
Him: Just go!
Me: I dont want you to hurt your back
Him: Im fine, just go!
He takes off ahead of me, grunting under the weight of the baggage and getting oriented to the unfamiliar terminal. We move inside and I spot one of those rent-a-luggage cart stands. Eds face is getting redder as he drags the luggage toward the Delta check-in line.
Me: Honey, why dont we get one of those rent-a-carts?
He made a noncommittal grunt. He must not have heard me.
Me: Honey
He made an irritated grunt this time.
Me: *Sigh*
We creep through the line slowly but steadily, Ed battling and re-balancing the cumbersome bags every few steps while I looked the other way and pretended not to notice. Meanwhile, Aunt Rae asked no fewer than three times, Do we need our ID here? and although she was answered in the affirmative each time, she repeatedly zipped then unzipped her baggallini, taking her license out, fingering it nervously, and then putting it back in her wallet again before asking once more if she needed it.
Oh! A fashion footnote....I forgot to tell you in the PTR that AR loved my baggallini and asked me to order a smaller, less limey one for her. She chose a cute little bag with an adjustable strap that she preferred to wear across her chest and was thrilled that the blue exactly matched the color of her favorite jacket!
We finally make it through check-in for our 7:30 flight and are relieved of our luggage. Whew! I felt relieved, but Eds was still tense. Thats because the next step was security.
Now, its bad enough that our autistic son is on the No Fly list, but consider this Eds on that list and hes a cop! It bugs him every time we have to fly. And even though he has police ID, he always, always is given a hard time when going through security.
It is a real sore point with him and he was in full Grumpy mode as we approached the X-Ray machine. We all placed our shoes, belts, and carry-on bags in the bins provided and sent them along the little conveyor belt through the machine and passed individually through the metal detector.
Sure enough, as were all on the other side putting our shoes back on, Eds backpack gets flagged and he has to stop and empty it out for the TSA agents. Other than the portable DVD player for Billy and a couple of flashlights, there really wasnt anything suspicious in there, but they thoroughly pawed through his entire bag and made him empty out the DVD case. Hmmm. Perhaps the cords on the earphones looked like a bomb?? I dont know. All I know is that Ed stood there, police ID in hand, getting more and more peeved that he was being questioned and searched by individuals who he considered to be... how shall I put it... perhaps I would say lower down on the totem pole when it comes to the law enforcement community. I dont know why he cant just shrug it off and put up with it like the rest of us do, but its a bit of a slap in the face as far as hes concerned.
So, now Ive got Ed grumping and venting about having his bag searched and Aunt Rae fussing because she had to remove her belt and walk on a dirty floor in her stocking feet (OCD) and not having a shoe horn with her as she was putting her shoes on. I had Tricia complaining that she was really hungry, and Billy-boy jumping up and down with excitement and making lots of Billy-noise. And then there was me, wearing my ridiculously bright green shoes and bag.
We must have been an amusing sight!
We walked a short distance down to our gate and I observed that this terminal seemed much smaller than the terminals at Newark Liberty. Hmmph! Youd think that the NYC airport terminal would be larger, wouldnt you? We found seats together in a rather smallish seating area by our gate and Tricia and I went in search of food, water, and some much-needed caffeine for our group.
Next Up: Travel, Arrival, and a celebrity greets us at the Wilderness Lodge!
Kathy
Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing in the east.
- JOHN MILTON
The sun had not yet risen when we set off for the airport, but I could see the morning star beginning to twinkle in the dimly lit sky. I reveled in the fact that Daylight Savings Time was ending and that the clock would be turned back an hour that night. It would be so much easier waking up early on vacation if we didnt have to get up in the dark! And we could sure use that extra hour of sleep that night after our pre-dawn start.
The ride to Laguardia was uneventful; not too much traffic at 5am on a Saturday....we shared the road with a few scattered truckers for a good part of the drive, until we got a little closer to the city. Then the thoroughfares slowly became clogged with cars, vans, and taxis and our progress slowed. Ed and Frank (the driver) talked animatedly about some mutual acquaintances while I tried to close my eyes and make up a little lost sleep. Between the man-gossiping up front and the Eee-ee-ahh-ahh! noises coming from Billy in the back seat, I wasnt able to get much. Every five minutes, Tricia groaned, Billy, quiet mouth! She wasnt getting any rest, either.
Aunt Rae dozed, chin on her chest, but waking with a start every time Billy let out a particularly enthusiastic Eeee!
She hadnt been able to sleep at all the night before, even though she had taken the prescription sleeping pill. Traveling always made her nervous. I fervently hoped that she would get to snooze on the plane; otherwise she might not be able to handle walking around a crowded World Showcase during F&WF that afternoon. Despite her recent troubles with gout, she was adamant about not renting a wheelchair or scooter. I believe that even at this point, I could see that the writing was on the wall
.We pulled into the drop-off zone at the terminal and Frank helped us put our bags out on the curb. We were accosted by a small swarm of handlers offering to check our luggage. As usual, we had to politely wave them off. All of us, save Tricia for some reason, are on the No Fly List
so we have to check our bags inside. Now, here is where Ed did something that perplexed me.Like most families, we have a hodgepodge of bags that comprise our collective luggage. Ed and Aunt Rae have wheeled bags; Aunt Raes is medium sized and Eds is what one might call super-sized! Tricia insisted on having a rolling bag so she could pull her own weight (literally) this year, so she got my carry-on sized bag which she would be checking since she needed to have her backpack full of homework and her American Girl doll and paraphernalia on the plane. That left Billy and me with our large, non-rolling duffle bags. On prior trips we had always utilized a small folding luggage cart-thingy to assist us with carrying the non-rolling bags. After using it, we would simply fold it up and put it inside one of the checked bags .I always thought it was quite handy.
I bent down and unzipped one of the duffle bags so I could pull out the luggage-thingy and give it to Ed. We dont need that, Kathy, why did you pack it? Its so heavy! True, it was a bit heavy, but I was surprised. We had always used it before. We only have two non-rolling bags this year, he continued. Ill hold it for you, Frank offered, and before I knew it, he had whisked it out of my hands and placed it in the back of the Navigator. Tricia put her backpack on and then she and Aunt Rae extended the handles on their modest-sized roller bags and were ready to... well... roll. I took Billy by the hand and started to grab Eds giant roller bag when he stopped me. You just take care of Billy, Ill take care of these.
Now, I of course realize that Ed is fairly strong, certainly a lot stronger than I am, but I have to admit that I was doubtful that he could carry all those bags. He put one duffle over each shoulder and began dragging the humongous roller bag along behind him. I felt a bit silly carrying nothing but my lime green baggallini, so we had the first (of many) of what I like to call our "Mars & Venus" conversations for this trip:
Me: Honey, are you sure you can carry all those?
Him: Just go!
Me: I dont want you to hurt your back
Him: Im fine, just go!
He takes off ahead of me, grunting under the weight of the baggage and getting oriented to the unfamiliar terminal. We move inside and I spot one of those rent-a-luggage cart stands. Eds face is getting redder as he drags the luggage toward the Delta check-in line.
Me: Honey, why dont we get one of those rent-a-carts?
He made a noncommittal grunt. He must not have heard me.
Me: Honey
He made an irritated grunt this time.
Me: *Sigh*
We creep through the line slowly but steadily, Ed battling and re-balancing the cumbersome bags every few steps while I looked the other way and pretended not to notice. Meanwhile, Aunt Rae asked no fewer than three times, Do we need our ID here? and although she was answered in the affirmative each time, she repeatedly zipped then unzipped her baggallini, taking her license out, fingering it nervously, and then putting it back in her wallet again before asking once more if she needed it.
Oh! A fashion footnote....I forgot to tell you in the PTR that AR loved my baggallini and asked me to order a smaller, less limey one for her. She chose a cute little bag with an adjustable strap that she preferred to wear across her chest and was thrilled that the blue exactly matched the color of her favorite jacket!
We finally make it through check-in for our 7:30 flight and are relieved of our luggage. Whew! I felt relieved, but Eds was still tense. Thats because the next step was security.
Now, its bad enough that our autistic son is on the No Fly list, but consider this Eds on that list and hes a cop! It bugs him every time we have to fly. And even though he has police ID, he always, always is given a hard time when going through security.
It is a real sore point with him and he was in full Grumpy mode as we approached the X-Ray machine. We all placed our shoes, belts, and carry-on bags in the bins provided and sent them along the little conveyor belt through the machine and passed individually through the metal detector. Sure enough, as were all on the other side putting our shoes back on, Eds backpack gets flagged and he has to stop and empty it out for the TSA agents. Other than the portable DVD player for Billy and a couple of flashlights, there really wasnt anything suspicious in there, but they thoroughly pawed through his entire bag and made him empty out the DVD case. Hmmm. Perhaps the cords on the earphones looked like a bomb?? I dont know. All I know is that Ed stood there, police ID in hand, getting more and more peeved that he was being questioned and searched by individuals who he considered to be... how shall I put it... perhaps I would say lower down on the totem pole when it comes to the law enforcement community. I dont know why he cant just shrug it off and put up with it like the rest of us do, but its a bit of a slap in the face as far as hes concerned.
So, now Ive got Ed grumping and venting about having his bag searched and Aunt Rae fussing because she had to remove her belt and walk on a dirty floor in her stocking feet (OCD) and not having a shoe horn with her as she was putting her shoes on. I had Tricia complaining that she was really hungry, and Billy-boy jumping up and down with excitement and making lots of Billy-noise. And then there was me, wearing my ridiculously bright green shoes and bag.
We must have been an amusing sight! We walked a short distance down to our gate and I observed that this terminal seemed much smaller than the terminals at Newark Liberty. Hmmph! Youd think that the NYC airport terminal would be larger, wouldnt you? We found seats together in a rather smallish seating area by our gate and Tricia and I went in search of food, water, and some much-needed caffeine for our group.
Next Up: Travel, Arrival, and a celebrity greets us at the Wilderness Lodge!
Kathy
blue_river
<font color=coral>I do believe in fairies!<br><fon
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
- Messages
- 8,233
Woohoo...we're getting to the good stuff
I can see why Ed would be peeved
I'm sure you were an amusing sight!!! Where are the pictures??????
ETA: I'm first....I'm first LOL
I can see why Ed would be peeved
I'm sure you were an amusing sight!!! Where are the pictures??????
ETA: I'm first....I'm first LOL
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
I'm sure you were an amusing sight!!! Where are the pictures??????
For some reason, I never get around to taking pix at the airport. By the time we get through all the check-in stuff and grab something to eat, we're usually boarding!
Thanks to all for the lovely Welcome Back Wishes.... they ease the "pain" considerably!!
Kathy
dismom9761
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2005
- Messages
- 5,331
I haven't been able to Dis much lately so I am a little late but WELCOME BACK!!
The first two installments were awesome and I look forward to reading more.
The first two installments were awesome and I look forward to reading more.
/
jordanyosh
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 17,647
Almost there......
whgrn
<font color=red>This is SOOOOOO not the life I sig
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2007
- Messages
- 2,027
Why on earth are you all on the no fly list? Hopefully with this new plan to get a bunch of people off the list, you will have less hassles flying in the future!
Kathy, I'm LOVING your TR! You should write a book. You write so descriptively, I feel like I'm actually there with you. Makes me want to go back and start editing my own TR!
And don't worry about that lime green Bagallini--that's what I first noticed about you in Pizza Planet! I just knew you had to be a DISer!!
Kathy, I'm LOVING your TR! You should write a book. You write so descriptively, I feel like I'm actually there with you. Makes me want to go back and start editing my own TR!
And don't worry about that lime green Bagallini--that's what I first noticed about you in Pizza Planet! I just knew you had to be a DISer!!
askelton
Disney Cosmo
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2007
- Messages
- 2,336
Security is by far the worst part of flying. I have been flying all my life so I know it's important, but AR is right about walking on a dirty floor. 
I used to wear house shoes but that's not allowed anymore so it's a pair of heavy socks for me.
A celebrity?
I used to wear house shoes but that's not allowed anymore so it's a pair of heavy socks for me.A celebrity?
Halloweenqueen
Whenever Candle Lights Flicker...
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2007
- Messages
- 5,334
Karen, you are such a tease! I'm dying to know about the celebrity!
BarleyJack
<font color=peach>And a pirin tablet? Why? Are you
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2007
- Messages
- 1,329
Great Trip reports
Avivasmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2003
- Messages
- 734
Great start Kathy...you have me in tears....I can just picture you all walking to the gate waiting for your flight.
I have a question for you not related to the trip....did you use PECS with Billy and if yes...what did you think of it? I am writing a research paper on PECS.
Thanks.
I have a question for you not related to the trip....did you use PECS with Billy and if yes...what did you think of it? I am writing a research paper on PECS.
Thanks.
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
MRYPPNS
Practically Prefect in Every Way
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2007
- Messages
- 4,901
What exactly is this No Fly List that you are on? I don't understand why you would be flagged. All I could think of when I read "no fly list" is that they won't let Cat Stevens (whatever his name is now) back in the country and you're all on the same list as him!
I'm all for security and don't really mind the wait but the shoe thing bugs me. I have more electronics on me (ipod, laptop, digitally camera, cel phones, sometimes even dive computers for scuba) then Apollo 13 had computing power but they are more interested in my flip flops. [rant over now]
Here's to a smooth flight
Heidi
I'm all for security and don't really mind the wait but the shoe thing bugs me. I have more electronics on me (ipod, laptop, digitally camera, cel phones, sometimes even dive computers for scuba) then Apollo 13 had computing power but they are more interested in my flip flops. [rant over now]
Here's to a smooth flight
Heidi
Jen32113
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2007
- Messages
- 111
Hey Kathy I have a question? Do you use a note from your doctor for Billy at WDW? We were thinking of doing this with my son since he throws a complete FIT if anyone is next to him in line that isn't familiar to him. Heaven help us if they accidentally bump into him! In the past, we would just by pass the ride all together if it had a wait of longer than 15 minutes... needless to say he has never ridden Dumbo or Peter Pan. Anyway, just looking for your opinion on this. I have read that some people have been given a hard time. Thanks
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