We got home early Sunday evening; it would have been earlier, but the luggage delivery belt broke and they had to bring the luggage up to the terminal by elevator, a few bags at a time. Bob helped form a "bucket brigade" to haul the bags out of the elevator and toss them out to the waiting sharks, er, travelers.

A lot of things went wrong on this vacation, from our flight reservations and hotel getting changed, to the refrigerator not working in the hotel in Sarasota, to having the airline screw up our seats on the flight back, but sometimes it doesn't feel right to complain. We still had a great vacation in the sun, and no matter how many things went wrong, we were together, we had a good time, and we were in Florida!

There were quite a few things different about traveling this time. There were National Guardsmen in the airports (when we got to Atlanta, Bob said, "These Guardsmen have M-16's," as opposed to the Guardsmen with sidearms in Kansas City--maybe it depends on the size of the airport.). My mother-in-law's purse was searched at KCI, but they didn't find any weapons . . .

We all had our purses and bags searched by Disney police before we could enter any of the parks, and we had to show picture i.d. to drive onto the resort grounds. The airlines were actively enforcing their carry-on luggage policy, rather than just paying it lip-service: I actually saw someone be forced by check a bag because they were carrying more than the allowed two items (one carry-on bag and one "personal item," i.e., a purse, camera case, laptop computer, etc.)

People were pulled out of the boarding lines for random searches; I felt sure I was going to be one of them in Orlando on the way home because I was so annoyed at the way Delta had screwed up our seating assignments, but I slipped through.

Observation: We aren't allowed to take nailclippers on a flight, but a group of teenage cheerleaders are allowed to carry on four-foot tall metal trophies with pointy ends. What kind of sense does that make?

And speaking of weapons, one of the girls also had an armful of roses, and, of course, she ended up sitting next to us. Next to Bob, specifically--after Delta deigned to let us board, he was kind enough to let me sit by the window and he sat in the middle seat next to the beauty queen with her trophy and roses. She spent the flight trying to find a comfortable way to sleep. First she piled four pillows on her lap and laid her head down, then she put down the tray table and piled the pillows on that, then she took her shoes off and pulled her legs up into the seat and curled up, then she turned around in the seat and scrunched into a ball . . . I imagine it was entertaining for Bob, anyway.

Barb sent me some of the pictures she took last week; I didn't take any at all, I just didn't want to carry the camera around with me. I'd really like to get a new, smaller one at some point, but that point is awhile off. In the meantime:

Bob's parents, me, Bob, and Barb at the Brown Derby restaurant at Disney-MGM Studios. The waiter ("Izzi") took the picture. The wine bottle was only a prop.

Bob and me in front of the Liberty Bell at The Magic Kingdom (Frontierland?).

Piglet and me. The A. A. Milne character that I identify with most--little Piglet, who tries so hard to be brave.

Barb in front of the "100 Years of Magic" topiary at MGM Studios. The "100 Years of Magic" relates to the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth, which we thought was a little strange, but hey, anything for a celebration.