Somewhere over Indiana at approx. 30,000 feet

Air Canada Flight AC7986 – 04/10/09, 12:44pm EST

Well, I made it through the morning. I woke up a couple of times, actually. Once at 3:30am…which would normally be 5:30am back home. This was about six hours after I went to sleep, so my body probably just said “that’s enough”. WTH?? It was after 4am before I fell asleep again, only to wake up 10 minutes before the alarm went off at 5:30am.  Yeesh.

Let me just say, for the record, that sleeping in a king-sized bed with 7 or 8 pillows is an awesome experience. That was one of the comfiest beds I’ve ever slept in.  I only wish I had somebody there to keep me company as that bed was TOTALLY wasted on just one person.

I went down to breakfast after my shower. Had the “All-American Buffet” (“All-American” seems to be a theme for me on this trip), which was simply incredible. The chef made me an amazing omelet before I went back for one of his Belgian waffles. Holy crap, I was full…but it was simply delicious.

Alright…so back to the current flight I’m on (I had no issues getting on the flight this morning).  

As I’m flying through turbulence and am about 30 minutes outside of Toronto, I’m just looking back at my trip a bit. 

• 

  Gateway Arch

  I didn’t go into the Gateway Arch, but I got pretty darn close.  I could have seen more, I suppose…but with the skies all dark grey and the rain pouring down, I just didn’t really see the point.  

• I didn’t see the zoo.  Again…weather simply didn’t permit it.
• I didn’t get inside of the Science Center, but I did get to drive past it in the middle of late-afternoon traffic.
• 

  Busch Stadium

  I did, however, get to go to Busch Stadium at night to see a major league baseball game.  For somebody who doesn’t live close to a large city, this was a very cool experience.

• I didn’t get to any of the restaurants that were recommended by some great readers.
• I had an incredible meal at the hotel restaurant and got to enjoy some Starbucks each morning without having to place a foot outside the hotel doors.
• 

  Brewery tour

  I got to go on a brewery tour of Anheuser-Busch.  On it I saw an amazing story of how Budweiser gets made (not to mention those Clysdales…beautiful creatures).  And on top of it all, I got two free beer out of it.  You can’t complain about that!

• I received some of the absolute best customer service I’ve ever received before from the Marriott St. Louis Airport hotel.  From Day One, this hotel went all-out to make me feel comfortable.  Considering the price that was paid for the room (which wasn’t cheap but wasn’t overly expensive, either), this was above and beyond what I expected.

So yeah…overall I’m pretty darn happy with the trip, in spite of some internet/laptop hiccups.  On top of it all, I got to pick up a pretty sweet NFL hat of the Rams (just ignore the fact that the team sucks):

$30 well spent

Next stop: Toronto.

View from Terminal 128

Toronto’s Pearson Airport, Terminal 128 – 04/10/09, 2:50pm EST

I just finished having some good ol’ fish’n’chips with an ice cold Keith’s. Man…is it ever good to be back in Canada. It’s one of those things…you LOVE to go away and visit, but there’s just something magical about coming home.

I’ve got 100 minutes before my flight leaves. Time for some more reading. By the time I land in New Brunswick it’ll probably be around 7:30pm.  I can feel a yawn coming on already just thinking about it.

Somewhere over Quebec at approx. 33,000 feet

Air Canada Flight AC8940 – 04/10/09, 5:44pm EST

I left the hotel this morning at 7:30am and I’ll be in my car by 7:30pm.  Wow…that certainly makes for a long day of travel.

On top of that, when you go from west to east, it’s a weird feeling to lose time…especially if it’s more than just one time zone.

Ahh well.  These are things I think about while flying…

Look at me...so contemplative and artistic from inside of the plane.

It’s Friday and I don’t have The Ankle Biter this weekend…so I’ll be able to post some of these blogs, some of the pictures I’ve taken, and still have time to head out on Sunday morning to have Easter lunch with the family.

I’m definitely looking forward to going home for a rest.