Final Day of UK trip - Flight home

6:45 A.M. and our bags are packed (KT's was under weight and mine was slightly over the weight allowance - airlines didn't charge me extra!). Waiting for the taxi. He came right on time, then an hour drive to Manchester Airport, and the next step...

...Security. Not sure who took this picture since there is a warning sign to the left that says NO...Surprisingly neither of us had to go through an x-ray machine or pat-down search going to UK or coming home. If you walk through the metal detector without beeping, apparently you don't need the extra search procedures. Yea!

Once through security, we had a few hours to get a new bottle of water for $4 and the latest newspaper for my Dad, and...

...for KT to email boy friend and continue planning her wedding next month. No, don't get excited about receiving an invite. Not everyone in the world (or on this blog) will be invited since it is a low key, low budget affair - stress on low budget. If you are family you are invited.

My last meal high-light. Obviously, from past meal photos, this is not our best meal while on UK trip, but for airline food, not bad. I ate all of it except the mashed potatoes.

Here we are at 33,000 feet over Canada. I wish I had thought to take a pic as we flew over Ireland because its rugged coastline was beautiful.

Not quite packed as tight as sardines in a can, but fairly close quarters. At least we're homeward bound and its not a slow sailing ship down there on the ocean.

Coming in for landing in Atlanta, Georgia. The temperature in England at departure was in the high 50's. Here it was 93 and humid. Big difference.

Moment of Touch Down! Always a good feeling.

Taxiing to the ramp...

Yea, we're home. Let's get our luggage and go...

Not so fast. If you are a U.S. citizen you must stand in this senseless line for almost an hour while all the foreign nationals who got off same plane zip through Immigration faster than you because...? You have to hand a small piece of paper with your "declarations" to a uniformed government employee. The sign said "no cameras or cell phone usage". I guess they don't want any proof of government fraud and waste. I noticed that over time they increased from 4 guys to 9 agents by the time we finished - lunch time must have ended. When we landed in UK, all British and European passengers zipped right through British customs and we Americans had to stand in another long slow line to be asked by a bored agent why we were visiting Britain. When we got to the end of the long slow line in Atlanta, we weren't asked anything. So what is the point of having hundreds of returning Americans go through this pointless exercise? Is it to justify employing the government workers?

After that line, we had to get our bags and walk through Customs - much faster with no stopping to chat. Then head to KT's connecting flight home. She was happy to chat with the fellow on the left because he was wearing an OU ball cap.

Talking to boy friend while boarding the last plane for final leg of her trip.

Now I am on my own for several hours awaiting my connecting flight to the wanch.

Good thing Atlanta airport has miles of underground passageways for folks with time to kill. No, I didn't use the "people movers". I chose to walk and get some exercise. Eventually, my evening flight took off and I landed safely in St Louis. But K2 was a little late arriving, which was a good thing because St Louis has a very slow luggage system - the longest wait of our trip. We ate a late night supper at Steak and Shake near airport, and headed home. I don't remember much of that drive since I dozed in and out of consciousness. I finally got to bed at 3:30 A.M. Friday morning. The phone rang at 7:50 A.M., at which time I guess my wonderful trip to the UK was officially at THE END.