airport-bound

I have had this idea that I'd been saving for a special, preferably drizzly day. Yesterday I finally decided it was a good day to try it.

First, Jonah and I took care of a couple errands - the post office and bank. Then I left the car parked in the errand neighborhood and we walked over to the light rail train station and rode the train right to the airport. The line actually conveniently ends right inside the airport terminal. Perfect! I told Jonah we would go watch the planes, play on the play structure that kids waiting for flights hang out on, and finally, we would have pizza for lunch, then head back on the train. Now that he is two-and-a-half, he has the stamina to make it through an action-packed morning like this.

Of course, as soon as we were done with our errands, it started pouring cats and dogs. We hung out inside the bank in the waiting-for-a-financial-consultation section, eating our snacks. When the rain turned into drizzle, we set out on our ten-block walk to the train station during which I mostly carried Jonah on my shoulders (as you can see on the picture).

As soon as we got on the train, the warmth, humming and gentle rocking worked their magic. Within minutes Jonah was asleep. "Oh no," I thought. "There goes my plan."

We got to the airport, I carried Jonah inside, and... fortunately he woke up and got excited just by the escalator, let alone the airplanes and airport trucks outside the giant windows. We played on the indoor slide for a while, then ate our pizza while looking out at the airplanes outside getting cleaned, checked, and filled with luggage.

The airport adventure would have been just peachy had I not been approached by the fare inspector on the way back. I had, of course, validated a ticket. But it turned out to be for a zone different from the one where the airport was. One zone short I was that day. The inspector let me off with a warning, but if I get caught violating one of their rules again within the next year, I will have to pay a hefty fine. The inspector checked my ID and wrote down my information down to my eye color, for goodness' sakes, to make sure I get in their system.

I was mad. First of all, the zone boundaries are very confusing and second of all, the inspector should have thanked me, and all of us riding that train, for helping to make our city green instead of harassing us about fares and treating us like we were trying to cheat the system. Oh well. Jonah didn't seem to think there was a problem. While the inspector was filling out my ticket, Jonah was staring out the windows, exclaiming excitedly: "Whoa, construction!" and "Whoa, cherry picker!" The inspector then gave Jonah a sticker of a crime stopper dog and thus forced Jonah to thank him for harassing us. Oh well, as long as my little man had a good time. That's what our trip was all about anyway.