Day 13 of October

LA, Disneyland, San Francisco, Vancouver, Victoria, Madonna Vacations
(con't and concluded)

I almost forgot the ending to the story.
So we wake up, Monday, October 1st.  Great memories of the Madonna concert.  I loved the vacation, but I'm looking forward to getting home for a holiday.
Bill finishes up a bit of work on his computer and I pop downstairs to the continental breakfast; one of the best this entire trip, I might add.
We return our car to the Vancouver Airport rental car and head to our terminal.  There was a slight delay of the plane coming from Calgary (hopefully not due to bad weather).  By now the terminal is quite crowded, and the conversations are all starting to sound the same (were you at the concert last night; where were your seats) Seems everyone knew everyone, and everyone was at the Madonna concernt.  Finally our plane arrives in Vancouver and after a quick clean (lets go with that belief) we board our plane.  I just get to my seat in the back of the plane when I realize I have left my plastic bag with all my trinkets in it.  I must have been so anxious to get going home that I left it in the terminal where we were sitting (snoozing).  So as the plane continues to load, I am making my way against people traffic to the front of the plane.  I promise I will never complain about somebody else doing this again.  I just kept hoping my Madonna t-shirts were still there.  The flight attendant (male) asked who was holding up his line.  I yelled out "just me!" I made it off with only a few disgruntle looks. I ran back to our seats, and with relief my MDNA bag was still sitting in the same spot I had left it.  So I sheepishly got in the back of the line and with a long explanation to the lady taking tickets, was able to board the plane again.  The same flight attendant was at the door to greet me and I asked if he was still willing to let me board.  He graciously said yes and hoped I had found what I was looking for.  When I explained it was my Madonna T-shirts, he was excited and even more excited when I informed him that the plane was probably filled with many Madonna concert goers.  Sure enough, as we were preparing for take off, he asked if anyone on board had attended the concert.  I'm willing to bet that at least 80 percent of the people on the flight had been to at least one of the Vancouver concerts (she had two nights)
  The rest of the flight was quiet in comparison, and when I awoke, we were making our landing into Calgary.  As soon as we touched down, the same flight attendant got on the microphone and started singing his favorite Madonna tune (Material Girl).  I think the crowd was tired, because it took us a while to realize what he was doing.  What a great ending to a great holilday.
  Ben picked us up at the airport; got home to an excited Maya; green lawn; fridge full of dead food; Bill off to get in his last week of golf and eventually lots and lots of laundry (just ours).
   THE END

Well, I'm not back into the real world; it's October 22nd (exactly three weeks since we've been home) and the grass is no longer green.  White with snow already.  I'm sure this isn't the beginning of our long winter, but it sure does make you wish for spring again.

Stacey