... previously on my blog: Was I going to be stuck in Vancouver for Christmas? Would I be travelling on Christmas day? Would all my presents be lost in the amazing luggage system? Just what is so special about a crappy monster movie on 18-1-08? ... all these answers coming up.. now:

As we finally boarded the 3 hour late flight from Ottawa to Vancouver, we were greeted with a safety instructional demonstration. However, unlike most of these demonstrations, this one had a touch of the GLaDOS. Each portion of the instruction as it was read from the computer would break up, change speed and pitch and inevitably cut off short, throwing out a few syllables as if that were enough. Quite funny.

When we landed, the flight crew organized to get those of us transferring to another flight to leave first. That was nice of them. The plan would have been perfect if it were not for the bridge that wouldn't work. So we were ferried to another terminal entrance where the bridge would work - on the other side of the airport. The mad rush ensued to get to the other side of the airport to meet my flight to Sydney.

A spot of luck finally, the flight is running a bit late and I have some time to catch my breath. I decide to buy some delicious light chili chips and in the process, drop my wallet. I discover this fact almost immediately and back trace my steps only to discover it was gone. I checked my bags, back traced again.. I've never lost my wallet before.

Then I hear on the loud speaker that my wallet has been found - so I go to the desk and reclaim my wallet. I receive the following message - "Found by Bill Rowe - seat 50K". Jolly good, thank you Bill and Merry Christmas. So when I got on the plane I asked the stewardess if they could take a drink to Mr. Rowe in seat 50K as a thank you. They agree that this is the right gesture to do and she went off to find Mr. Rowe.

Like the proverbial Christmas ghost, there was no one sitting in seat 50K... I never found out if they found him in the end or not. And thus it shall remain a mystery forever... FOREVER.

The rest of the trip involved more waiting. My flight home was delayed an hour as well, but I wasn't making any new connections and by now "Don't Panic" had firmly set in again, so I waited it out and realized I'd left the power plug converter in my main luggage. The minutes remaining of power on my laptop slowly ticked down as the time to take off slowly ticked up.. ironic given I was watching a lecture on Electical Fields, Flux, etc.

But in the end I made it back to Canberra and was greeted by my happy family and all was well and right in the world. Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.