Plane tickets to Paris? Check. 18 Suitcases? Check. Duty-free shopping from airport? Check. 3-year-old daughter? Not so much.
A policeman found the girl wandering around Ben-Gurion airport on Sunday, crying for her mother. Israeli airport police said the couple had managed to board the flight with their 18 suitcases and duty free shopping, but had not remembered to take the girl. She was the youngest of five children in the family, which was running late and made a mad dash for their flight to Paris. In the confusion, the girl was left behind. She was later found near the duty free shopping area.
Really? Too busy being late, getting in all your shopping and dragging around more luggage than a UK football team made you forget that you have 5 children not 4? Didn't notice one of the seats next to a parent was empty beofre take-off? Never head of a head count? I wonder if they did a quick head count after they were notifed by cabin staff, who had been contacted in mid-air by airport police, of their other children?
Luckily, The child, accompanied by an airline staff member, was put aboard the next flight to Paris where she was reunited with her parents. Hopefully the parents enjoy the visit they are sure to receive once they return to Israel by the local child services authority.
The FHWA’s Traffic Volume Trends report, produced monthly since 1942, shows that estimated vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on all US public roads for March 2008 fell 4.3% as compared with March 2007 travel. This is the first time estimated March travel on public roads fell since 1979. At 11 billion miles less in March 2008 than in the previous March, this is the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history.
Meanwhile, Oil Futures have been steadily on the rise but in the past week has begun to recede from it's highest level of just over $135 to around $128 per barrel.
Ironically yesterday I saw gas near my office for the first time above 4 dollars [actually listed at $4.03]. With demand decreasing and barrel prices falling, why does the price at the pump continue to rise? I am no longer buying the age old excuse of supply and demand because right now, those ideals do not hold water [or gasoline].
At the end of the month, we are spending 11 days in Northern California soaking in the sunshine, walking god's green earth and tasting some fine wine. The trip will include 6 days in San Francisco enjoying the city [while Lisa works at a conference] including Alcatraz, cable cars, pier 39, a Giants game [Barry hit one to me] and running in a historic road race. Hopefully I'll bring back some nice pictures of the city and it's unique landscape. Then we are off to Sonoma for 5 days to get away from the busy city and relax in wine country - eating good food, tasting good wine - a real Sideways like vacation [minus the whole running-5-miles-across-town-thing]. Now that school is over, this trip is much needed and well deserved. 16 days and counting.
At the end of the month, we are spending 11 days in Northern California soaking in the sunshine, walking god's green earth and tasting some fine wine. The trip will include 6 days in San Francisco enjoying the city [while Lisa works at a conference] including Alcatraz, cable cars, pier 39, a Giants game [Barry hit one to me] and running in a historic road race. Hopefully I'll bring back some nice pictures of the city and it's unique landscape. Then we are off to Sonoma for 5 days to get away from the busy city and relax in wine country - eating good food, tasting good wine - a real Sideways like vacation [minus the whole running-5-miles-across-town-thing]. Now that school is over, this trip is much needed and well deserved. 16 days and counting.