GOING TO ENGLAND: FLYING (A LOT) + NO SLEEP = WACKED OUT KAT

Not too busy at American Airlines

Not too busy anywhere
at Lexington Airport
(which is why I love it)

Having spent most of the night before I left choosing, discarding, packing, repacking, and generally making a huge mess out of both my house and my sister Sue’s living room, I hung out with family members until it was time to go to the Lexington airport. I had plenty of time to kill and probably visited the bathrooms about ten times along with buying yet a final t-shirt (bedazzled with KENTUCKY) for my good friend Kathleen’s teenage daughter, Martha. I just hoped she liked a lot of bling on her shirts. I just hoped she knew what the word bling was.

From Univ. of KY (UK)
to the United Kingdom (UK)

Blah blah blah – fast forward through more waiting, texting to see how my brother-in-law Ronnie was doing (about the same – still not gotten a room in a Louisville hospital), mods bathroom visits, conversation eavesdropping, etc. – then I actually get to board and, after a bit, we’re off. Bye bye, UK (University of Kentucky), hello, UK (United Kingdom). 

Pretty O'Hare Terminal
WHY did I have to walk so far????

Well, after a stressful layover in Chicago that was about 30 minutes shorter than it was supposed to be and where the terror level has been upgraded so that everyone going on international flights goes through serious checks. I do love O’Hare International with its mall-like atmosphere  and amazing food smells (Chicago – Pizza capitol of the world) but walking 3 terminals over to where I was instructed to go and then finding out that the last British Airways shuttle stopped running there 30 minutes earlier and I would have to go BACK (back!!!!), go outside, catch a train to TERMINAL D and then go through security … well, let’s say stressed was a very applicable word at that point. 

I love watching clouds
underneath me

After what was practically a full body cavity search (terror level was high - not sure why - could have been they knew my brother David drove me to the airport), I barely squeaked onto the British Airways plane bound for Heathrow. I watched the clouds underneath, ate a good chicken curry dinner, started watching a movie and promptly fell asleep. Had a pretty good snooze but I did get some photos while in the plane. I always think cloud photos are awesome and got about 100 but will not bore you with them.

Please note, I told my nephew Zach

"Zach" gets his first view of
Europe - Ireland!

Summers I would "take him along" with me so I'll have shots of his "Go Big Zach!" wristband throughout this blog. Check out his FB page for info on how Zach is doing in his fight against his brain tumor!

Flying over the Atlantic Ocean
as the sun sets

Showing us the wonky flight
pattern - we are backed up
at Heathrow

Finally, I landed and was picked up by my good friend Kathleen Soriano (yes, I DO have friends, contrary to popular opinion!) and driven to beautiful, historic Oxford, the "City In Spires" (it is known as the city of "dreaming spires"). However, you will have to wait until tomorrow to catch up with that thrilling tale because I am fighting mightily with BLOGGER (yuck!) and am really tired and must go to bed to get up early for a class trip. TA!