Oh how I love to fly.

I'm sorry that blogging has been light lately. I managed to get a few days off from my new job to fly home for Christmas to be with my family.

I love Priceline.com I always find cheap flights and travel packages there and once again they pulled through and got me home for the holidays at a reasonable price. My plane was supposed to depart from Pittsburgh at 0945 on Monday the 24th, assuming that holiday travel would mean more time at the airport I left early and arrived at the airport at about 7am. I forget that the Pittsburgh airport is so smooth to get through. I arrived at my gate with plenty of time to spare at 0730.

I nodded off for a bit because i was tired and not feeling to well. My fellow travelers arrive at the gate and take a seat, well at 0930 we still have not been called to board the plane. At 0945 just about every passenger stood up and walked to the desk to ask what was going on and we were then informed, individually, that the flight would be delayed. Frankly we were all quite miffed that the airline failed to inform us sooner that the flight had been delayed. Thankfully we were up and in the air by 1030 and on the way to Cleveland where I would catch my connection to Portland, Maine. Unfortunately because of the delay I landed in Cleveland just as they were announcing the final boarding call for my flight to Portland and I reached the gate just as the play was taxiing away from the gate.

I was less than thrilled. So after making my way to the customer service counter I learned that the next flight from Cleveland to Portland Maine would be leaving the next day at noon. This was simply *not* acceptable. I wound up catching a flight instead to Manchester, New Hampshire that required me to sit in the airport in Cleveland for three hours. Thankfully my wonderful cousin Nick was able to come pick me up in Manchester instead of Portland and I was able to make it to my grandfather's house in time to have dinner and see the whole family by 2000 hours.

I never told my parents that I was traveling home for Christmas. So, when Nick and I arrived at my grandfather's house he got out of the car and went inside and I waited in the car for a minute and put my stuff away in my suitcase and I made my way to the house. Once I got into the basement garage I called the house and asked for my Mom. We chit-chatted for a few minutes and then I started walking up the stairs. I saw her walking away from where I was and as we were chatting I said to her "Hey Mom, turn around" she turned and saw me standing there and started crying and gave me a hug. My holiday just went uphill from there.

I've only been gone for a few weeks but it was great seeing everyone. My 18 month old nephew, more commonly known as The Cutest Baby EVER has grown up so much in the past few weeks, he's walking smoother he's talking up a storm- he's still babbling in baby talk a bit but if you pay attention he actually makes sense some time. He mimics everything we do. While my dad was remodeling the bathroom a couple months ago he would sit outside the bathroom and watch Grampa work and he thought that the power drill (with the drill bit removed of course) was just the coolest thing ever so my folks bought him a toy power drill just like the one Grampa uses and my sister reports that since he opened it he hasn't put it down and when he doesn't have his finger on the button to make it make noise he's making the drill noise himself.

I could fill an entire blog with entries about my nephew and some day in the near future I will post the story of his birth along with some photos providing my sister gives the okay for it.

Anyhow, this is the end of day three of my four day visit and it is just too short. I head back to the big city tomorrow evening- I land in Pittsburgh at midnight and I have to be at work at 0600. I think I'm just going to drive straight to work and crash on the couch.