The Amazing Race: In Training

First of all, I was happy to see TK and Rachel win. There were things I liked about all three final teams, but TK and Rachel kept their cool and treated each other great the entire time and I thought they were quite deserving of the million dollars.

On a more personal note, I think anyone who watches this show has thoroughly thought through who they would take as their partner and why. Autumn and I have discussed how well-suited we'd be for each other and have a fabulous time doing the first round (because we'd be the first ones off). I also think my dad would be a top candidate because he is a good traveler and when you find yourself in a tight spot, who better to be with than dad? (You can see I've had some experience with that :D ) But of course, Phil is the top choice. I think half of the fun of watching this show is talking about our strategy and how we'd do it if we were there and how we SO wouldn't argue when we got stressed ;).

Well, it just so happens, Phil and I got a little practice yesterday. We made a very quick trip to Las Vegas to see Phil's best friend, Todd get married. Let me begin by saying Phil and I aren't "arriving late to the airport" type of people. We are the type of people that arrive two hours early. However, (and this is what I believe started this whole downward spiral) we have figured out we can get to the airport a hour and a half early. It gives us time to get in, check our luggage, grab a bite to eat and before we know it, we're boarding. Perfect system for traveling with a baby. Well, mix in a little foolishness + a busy airport and this is what happens:

Flight leaves at 11:40 a.m.

9:55 a.m. We arrive at the car rental return. Only about a mile away and either one of us never having been to Vegas decide to cruise the strip before we return the car. Pure foolishness. But it only knocks about 10 minutes off. Oh and we had to return it full of gas.

10:15 a.m. Return rental car and catch the shuttle to the airport.

10:35 a.m. Arrive at airport. I'm not a fan of how the LVS airport is set up. We find luggage check-in and HuGE line.

10:55 a.m. Get thru line and arrive at counter where we are informed our one suitcase might not make it on our flight because we didn't check it 45 minutes before the flight left. We look at each other and do that math, look at counter lady who says, "Well the computer is like one minute off, so it will probably get on." She then proceeds to hand us boarding pass substitute thingys because apparently if you're over 45 minutes late you have to get your actual boarding pass at the gate. It's at this point fear strikes Phil and I's souls. Without saying anything to each other we start running towards security. Yes, little Ryder is in tow, thankfully in the stroller.

11:06 a.m. We can't find the security checkpoint! Oh, wait, no, it's only that we can't see it because the line goes all the way back to the Belagio.

11:07 a.m. I start praying profusely in Sin City.

11:20 a.m. The line moved pretty fast and we get to security. The guard starts coloring my "boarding pass" and marking it with capital "S's" and yells "Supervisor". Another guard slowly saunters over to me and escorts me to Secondary Screening. Of course. Phil and Ryder cutely follow, but the officer informs me they can't go through the line because of the stroller. I bravely tell them to leave me and go in another line. (This was very traumatic for me and I hope this scenario stays limited to airport scenes and nothing more.) I go thru the blow machine and another machine and then they let me know I had to get my bag inspected. As they begin to pull out my personal belongings, I see Ryder and Phil waiting for me and tell them to go to the gate and get the stroller checked.

11:30 a.m. Finally, wiped down and through! I hit the ground running. I realize about 20 ft later I am running toward a glass window amid a large standing group who are waiting to catch a tram that unfortunately goes to my gate. "Noooo!" I think in my head.

11:35 a.m. Running, running. toward Gate C-9. I meet up with Phil who is finishing getting our gear checked and our boarding passes confirmed. I have never been so grateful that I had been running the last couple of weeks (Thanks Elizabeth!). We board in front of the rest of the stragglers because we're "family" and got the last two seats on the plane together. Whew!

Ryder slept with me for an hour on the plane. Watching his parents go thru so much drama really wore him out. At one point while we were running together I noted to Phil to just pretend we're on the Amazing Race. After that, I'm pretty certain we're ready to rock and go win a million dollars.

I mean, seriously, don't we look that part? (Do you think they'd notice the baby?)

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