this was the worst trip ever. first, it started in seattle. i flew alaska again to LA. first, i had to 'register' hiro before pre-boarding. i didn't have to do it last time, so i don't know what it was about. they made an announcement for those with children under 12 to go to the desk. i was looking for my boarding pass and another family went up to the desk. i found my passes but as i was going up to the desk, this guy walked up and the lady started helping him! just then, the announced pre-boarding (basically me). i don't know what the guy wanted and finally i asked the lady who was helping him if i needed to see her. she said, yes, i need to register your baby. *sigh* i was sitting there tapping my fingers on the stroller when the pre-boarding lady said she could help me. finally, i got on the plane and actually asked a flight attendant to help me. she held hiro while i took everything to my seat.

then we waited. and waited. we pre-boarded at 7:20 for an 8:00 am flight. finally, at around 8:20 the first mate boarded the plane and they could do their pre-flight routine. good thing i didn't have to go to the bathroom! hiro, however, was really restless and it was hard to keep him quiet and occupied.

because of our delay in seattle, i barely made it to my flight in LA. i was worrying and worrying because security there took me nearly 40 minutes the last time! thankfully i could take a shuttle bus (which they had to call back for me since, because i have a little baby, i was the last person off the plane) and go to my gate without going through security again. man, it was HOT, though, on the shuttle bus, especially when i had jackets and sweatshirts and WORRY! anyway, when i got to my gate they were already BOARDING, and i didn't even have a boarding pass. i was issued two there and then we basically jumped on the plane. i had to leave the stroller at the begininng of the entrance (instead of at the end, near the plane) and it was a nightmare taking all those bags, plus hiro down the hallway and then trying to get it all to my seat. i nearly started crying. i guess the flight attendants could see i was about to lose it because they helped me take everything to my seats.

the flight was a nightmarish hell which i think i already talked about and just want to forget. *sigh* when we finally arrived in tokyo i just wanted to go to bed.

i went through immigration, then i claimed my bags and went through customs, and then i had a nasty surprise: even though i had checked two of my bags through to fukuoka, i still had to take them with me from one terminal to another. WTF?? what's the point of checking them through to your final destination if they don't acutally take them?? i was kinda mad, especially after the day i'd had. i sent my extra piece of luggage through a shipping company but trying to push the luggage cart and a stroller is really super hard. just imagine how you would feel if you found out you then had to struggle with them to a shuttle bus.

finally, though, i checked in with JAL and tried to find a place to eat, since hiro slept through the second 'meal' on american. it was so crowded, though, that i decided to go to our gate and feed him there. while waiting, hiro made a horrendously smelly poo in his diaper so i had to change him. i didn't know there was a restroom or a baby room near the gate until after i went upstairs looking for a place to change him. *sigh* i ended up changing him on the floor in a secluded part of the airport but he screamed bloody murder the whole time. i swear, he loves having dirty diapers or something!!

when i checked in at JAL i asked and was told that the plane was not full. i didn't ask for an upgrade, though, because i didn't think they'd let me do it for two. as we were waiting for the plane about 50 people or so started lining up so i thought the flight would be pretty full. then i couldn't find my boarding pass so i couldn't pre-board! one of the ticketing agents there went to get me another boarding pass, but i found mine while waiting. i felt really stupid and was mad at myself, especially since i couldn't pre-board. i didn't need to worry, though, because our plane was a boeing 777 and was HUGE! so nice. lots of space in business class, though, so i really wished i had asked for an upgrade. *sigh*

anyway, we finally got home, hiro fell asleep and then there was yoshi. it is so nice to be home, especially after a nightmare trip like that one!