Getting Acclimated

As these things go, it was a pretty uneventful day of arrivals ... as these things go. Eight students to arrive at two different terminals at Ontario (CA) International Airport over a period of three hours. While I sat at T4 waiting for Jesse, Monica and Mari, my colleagues Julie and Katie perched at T2 waiting for Sarah and Hayden. All were scheduled to arrive at 1:23, with Christina and Stacy landing 40 minutes later at T4 and Colyer finally posting at 4:15 from Alaska. Here's what really happened.


Julie calls and says, "We've got Sarah and she said she saw three other Earthwatch t-shirts on the flight". Three more? "Well, keep me updated", I said as I continued to scan the T4 escalator for my three.

Ring. Ring.

Julie: "It looks like we might have five, but I haven't seen the others yet. I wonder if all five were on the same flight."


Me: "That would explain why I'm alone here. Keep me updated."

Ring. Ring.

Julie: "All the passengers, the flight attendants, even the pilots have cleared security and I still only have Sarah."
Me: "Have you checked the restrooms"?
Julie: "No".
Me: "And you're sure the one you DO have is really our Sarah?"
Julie hangs up on me.
Me: (mumbling to myself)

Ring. Ring.

Julie: "Uhh ... now I have six."
Me: "Six?!! How can you have six? Are they all wearing Earthwatch tees? Are any of them surprised to be in California? WHO do you have?"
Julie: "I've got my two, your three ... and Christina."
Me: "Christina?! She's not due until after 2pm."
Julie: "You want me to leave her here?"
Me (thinking): "Naw, you might as well bring them all down to T4."



So a few minutes after the T2 arrivals show up at T4, Stacy descends the escalator and we hurried them off to eat ... returning in time to snatch up Colyer, but not before a game of Ninja (see photos) results in our first casualty as Christina smacks Hayden upside-her-head.

P.S. They weren't slow and they weren't in the restrooms. Our tardy T2 arrivees had found a TV showing the World Cup Final between Spain and Netherlands and kinda "hung out" until it ended.