Daddy's Home!

This is for the folks at home. A snapshot of life Chez Us.

Ted was in Nigeria last week for a couple of days. He has to go occasionally for work, and when he does I get up and take him to the airport at 6AM. Duke would happily take him, but Duke wouldn't happily kiss him goodbye and whisper sweet nothings to him, so I go instead. No sense both of us getting up at the crack o' dawn if only one of us is gonna kiss Ted goodbye. ;-)

Anyway, when Ted comes home, the timing of the flights is either just as Coop gets out of school or after 6pm. Duke would probably argue with us, but his first priority is picking Cooper up at school. We appreciate knowing that no matter what else is going on, Coop is taken care of and in Duke's safe hands. And we send Duke home to his family well before 6pm unless something very very extraordinary is going on, even though (no surprise here!) he tells us it is his job to be here whenever we need him.

But since I can easily do it, and Duke has obligations elsewhere, I am the one who picks Ted up when he returns from trips.

And here is where I demonstrate the advantages of living directly on the flight path, half a mile from the end of the runway.

About 15 minutes before his plane is due, I go sit on the porch. When a jet comes over I go out in the driveway and check to see if it's Virgin Nigeria- their planes have dark green cowlings on the wing-mounted engines (remember, the planes that go over our house are low and directly overhead- we can't see tails or fuselage paint- we have learned to identify every airline by its belly colors and/or markings).




If the plane is indeed VN, I go inside, put on my shoes, grab the keys and head out to the airport. While I am driving, (we are half a mile from the runway as the jet flies, but more like 6 miles from the terminal as the people drive...) Ted is going through immigration.

Depending on the lines, and Ted's ability to speedwalk ahead of the crowd to immigration control, there is sometimes a short wait for me. To avoid the nightmare that is parking at Kotoka International Airport I wait on this little dirt patch off the back entrance to the airport property.











When Ted clears immigration, he gives me a call on his cell and I head up the hill to the terminal. We meet up at a bus stop right outside and I whisk him away, no muss no fuss.





I never have to call the airline to see if his flight is ontime - I always know exactly when Ted's plane arrives.

If you come visit, we will know just when your plane arrives too.