I woke up at 4 this morning, too excited to go back to sleep and worried about the weather back in Halifax. Kayt called quite upset that her flight in Halifax is delayed and she is worried about missing the flight in Toronto to Tampa. Apparently she will have ½ an hour to collect her bags and clear customs and check back into security for the next leg. We have advised her to see if there are any other airlines flying from Toronto to Tampa or anywhere else in this part of Florida for that matter in the necessary time frames. So, today promises to be a nail-biter.

With the delay we have been able to take some real Hollywood showers prior to going to the airport to pick up Kayt, and Barb had a bit of an adventure on the way to the showers this AM. The marina has a bait tank full of live shrimp on the dock next to their office and as Barb came abreast of it a group of Egrets scrambled for safety. Apparently someone had left the lid open and, opportunistic little beggars that they are, the birds were helping themselves. Later when I walked in for my shower the marina attendant who has his own orange and pecan trees gave us five fresh oranges and a dozen pecan nuts in the shell. There are some really nice folk working here at the marina.

Well, the adventure continues. It appears that the weather back in Canada has messed up all the best laid plans of mice and men and they have now definitely "gang aglee". Kayt's delayed flight caused her to miss her connection and with all of the other flights that have been delayed the one flight that we were able to find for her that would have gotten her into Tampa tonight at a halfway reasonable price was snapped up by the time that she had collected her bags from Westjet. I am really surprised at how unhelpful Westjet has been with this problem but I guess that at this time of year there are probably thousands of people in the same boat or aircraft, so to speak. In the good old days, an airline would take it as a matter of pride to ensure that you would get to your destination on time even if it meant transferring you to a competitor's airline to get you on your way. Nowadays competition is so fierce they won't even suggest that you check the other carriers. In fact today they insisted that Kayt couldn't do anything until she collected her bag which is what caused her to miss the available seat. Of course, if I had the brains that I brag about I would have booked the seat for her electronically to put a hold on it. Oh well, this may be an opportunity for her to go to Ottawa and at least have Christmas Eve with my parents.

Crap! Crap! CRAP! Oops. Did I put that on the internet? Oh well, too bad. I am really sniffled at the modern transportation system. Tell yourself, Mike, that she'll be down here for a two week, less a day, visit anyway, which is much better than anything and that Kayt, poor lady is the one stuck in the GD airports.

Barb and I have decided that we are going to warp time and celebrate Christmas a day later and skip Boxing Day entirely this year. That way we'll be able to have Christmas breakfast and unwrap all the presents with Kayt just as if it were Christmas Day. She is going to Ottawa tonight and will probably give my parents a heart attack when she shows up on their doorstep to say Merry Christmas. She won't let us warn them so all I need now is a telephone call later tonight telling me that my Mom had a coronary when she answered the door and there was Kayt. Oh well. I can't change her mind and maybe it will add years to my Moms' span on this plane. Cross your fingers. It appears that her flight leaving Ottawa tomorrow is scheduled for about 1100 which would have it here at around 1400. Just in time for dinner. Damn, my little girl is becoming a globe trotter! Even so, what a disappointing day.

Westjet delayed the flight from Halifax so that 3 people could make the timing, but wouldn't delay the Toronto to Tampa flight so that 6 could get there on a flight that was self imposed by the airline. It doesn't make sense.

The halo just slipped on Westjet.Too bad.

Regardless, Happy Christmas Eve to everyone and whether or not you have an orthodox faith in the Bible, remember that Peace on Earth is a great objective to strive for, regardless of who is teaching it.