Here's the lowdown, down low....

Hey everyone!! Assalaamu alaikum. I made it. Sheesh. Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It was a laugh.

So we get off to a funny start.......with things going pretty good, only 30 mins off schedule...but not really off schedule, cuz we scheduled delays in our program.....and after not even 1 1/2 hours into our journey, it starts to rain. Now I had bought a tarp, and when hubby was loading the luggage onto the roof rack, I told him to put the tarp on. He didn't want to. I said to him, save urself the trouble. But a MAN is a man....and he didn't put it on. So when it starts raining...I bite the "I told you so" and just sit there. Hubby and my 14 yr old are laughing, tying on the tarp. All is well, but when he tries to start the car....it won't start. He tries and tries.....nope. So we end up calling CAA and get towed to the nearest gas station. Sheesh.

We keep looking at the clock, and then mechanic comes over to tell us that the torque and burner is gone and that it needs a new transmission. He wants more money to fix it than hubby paid for it...and it should be ready by next Weds. Oh ya!

So we sell it to him for scrap, and take our meagre $100 and decide what to do. I get on the phone with the yellow pages and call all the car rental companies...mini vans? NOPE, they are all out today. I called a limo service, nope. I called a cab company....nope...too much money. We still have a 4 hour drive in front of us.

I called VIA RAIL....the next train to Montreal is leaving at 7:55 pm....NO GOOD!! So then I think to myself....what about a u-haul?? So I get on the phone.....and O M G!!! So Hubby takes a taxi to the place, and gets us a cube van. With a divider between the front and the back. We throw all the luggage in the back, (who cares about the tarp now?) along with the 4 kids, and we hop in the front. Tell the kids to stay down, cuz if we get caught we are in trouble. Our plane is leaving Montreal at 9pm, and by the time we are in the van and about to start out again, it's 4:30pm. It should take us at least another 4 1/2 hours to get there. We won't make it early enough, I'm thinking. But who knows? Let's see what Allah wills. So we start out yet again and are on our way! Only problem about the cube van, it isn't a one way rental, hubby has to bring it back to this same place. Sheesh..our adventure will end way before his will.

So Hubby hits the gas and we are cruising along at 140km/hr.....I'm anxiously waiting for the police to stop us....alhamdulillah, didn't happen. Then a rainstorm blows up....it's pouring buckets....but hubby is still pushing 140. Our stomachs start grumbling, we were supposed to buy something to eat. No time, says Hubby. We have to pee.....no time for that either. Sheesh. So amazingly, we arrive in Quebec, things are looking good, then oops, we take a wrong turn and get sorta lost. I was paying attention, and get hubby back on track. We arrive at the airport at 8pm. Is it enough time?

Hubby wants to park the van first....I say NO WAY, let me out at the door...unload the luggages, and I'll run to the counter THEN u park the car. OKay he says. (Prolly already kicking himself about the tarp) So with the buggies full of luggage, and all the girls pushing one...we run/walk to the counter. Still a couple of people checking in...YAY! So I get up there, and the first thing the ticket agent says to me....ur late. I KNOW THAT!! So I'm calm, and while he's getting our stuff done, I graciously tear off the tickets, take out the staples, shine his shoes, perfume his brow....u name it. He tells me to cut past security and RUN to gate 57. Hubby gets back, hurriedly kisses us, no time for tears, last words, passionate embraces. HO HUM!

So I ask the security guard to let us cut in front of all the other people passing thru.....he pushes me up front and brings us thru...then there is the other security....I hurriedly ask a couple of people if I can butt in front of them....they say sure. Alhamdulillah. I lost my fructis hair cream and a bottle of Aussie Sprunch Hair spray.....NOT THE HAIR SPRAY!!!!! OH MAN!

So we get thru, after they keep passing the rod over my gold bracelets and necklaces a couple of times...PUH-LEASE! And then we start to run to gate 57. We hear over the PA system, would the family of 5 on EgyptAir please go directly to the gate, the plane will not wait. HOLY MOLY!! So we are running faster now, I take off my mules and we see an egyptair stewardess running towards us....she says...."family of 5?" and we are like...YEP! She has only one word for us...."RUN!" So she's running along side us, looking much prettier than me with my mules in my hands, her in her cute skirt, high heels click clicking.....I gotta lose weight. We get to the gate, they rush us into the plane, telling us....sit where you find an empty seat.

We made it.

We sit back and start to breathe.....a couple of the girls together, another one alone, and me with one. Close enough to still talk to each other comfortably. Everyone on the plane is eyeing the new additions that the plane was waiting for. I guess they were expecting princesses or dignitaries. Oh well.

Uneventful plane ride, we get to Cairo and after we make it thru customs and all......we come out expecting to find family waiting for us. Nope. No one. I call them and they made a mistake with the times. We end up sitting in the airport a good hour, feeling so down and low. We got cheated outta the happy faces, and warm hugs to receive us. I try and cheer up the girls but they feel down. Finally, three of hubbies bro's show up and take us home.

I can't tell you how good it felt to walk up the stairs to my apt. It was a sweet joy. Kids are supposed to go to school tomorrow, I'm so dead and beat up....don't know if they'll make it.