Our difficult return began before we even left. We arrived at the Air France check-in counter in Houston, which was inundated with a large number of weight-lifters returning from some international competition. (I hope they calculated the passenger weight for our flight accordingly.)
Once we got up to the counter and presented our passports, the check-in agent ran off with one of them. And came back, telling us we couldn't get on the flight, because Benjamin's passport didn't have 90 days validity left on it. Well... duh. It didn't have 90 days left when we left France, either, but Air France didn't tell us then that it would be an issue coming back!
We told them that he was also French, and we had sufficient documentation to prove it for any person familiar with France's citizenship laws - my French ID card, Frédéric's French ID card, and Benjamin's passport showing place of birth as France. But that wasn't enough for them. They wanted us to go into downtown Houston and get a passport extension. But not that day, it was Sunday. So that would delay our flight until Monday or even Tuesday.
We insisted, and insisted, and insisted some more, and the Air France employee (who either was not French or picked up a heavy American accent from working in the US) finally called "Paris" and "Paris" told her Benjamin would not be turned away at the border, so they begrudgingly let us on the flight.
Once we got up to the counter and presented our passports, the check-in agent ran off with one of them. And came back, telling us we couldn't get on the flight, because Benjamin's passport didn't have 90 days validity left on it. Well... duh. It didn't have 90 days left when we left France, either, but Air France didn't tell us then that it would be an issue coming back!
We told them that he was also French, and we had sufficient documentation to prove it for any person familiar with France's citizenship laws - my French ID card, Frédéric's French ID card, and Benjamin's passport showing place of birth as France. But that wasn't enough for them. They wanted us to go into downtown Houston and get a passport extension. But not that day, it was Sunday. So that would delay our flight until Monday or even Tuesday.
We insisted, and insisted, and insisted some more, and the Air France employee (who either was not French or picked up a heavy American accent from working in the US) finally called "Paris" and "Paris" told her Benjamin would not be turned away at the border, so they begrudgingly let us on the flight.
We got home around lunchtime, and our jet lag strategy for the boys began with sending them off to school in the afternoon, followed by swim team practice that evening.
Noah was ready to start the next holiday already - Thanksgiving's barely over, but at least it's December - so we put up the Christmas tree a couple of days later.
Noah was ready to start the next holiday already - Thanksgiving's barely over, but at least it's December - so we put up the Christmas tree a couple of days later.
And the boys played with their new volcano science kits that Mrs Uccello bought for them for Christmas.
And then the next excitement... Frédéric left for work around 12:15, and I left shortly after that to go shopping and then have coffee with a friend. I came home to screaming smoke alarms and a smoky house.
I grabbed the phone and checked the chimney - smoke was coming out from between the mantel and the drywall. I called the fire department, who told me to open the windows, and said they'd send a truck. About 10 minutes later, they showed up.
They went in with their small sledgehammer, telling me they'd have to break up the wall to check things out. And they did... the culprit turned out to be metal nails holding the drywall to the mantel. They overheated, and set the mantel on fire.
I grabbed the phone and checked the chimney - smoke was coming out from between the mantel and the drywall. I called the fire department, who told me to open the windows, and said they'd send a truck. About 10 minutes later, they showed up.
They went in with their small sledgehammer, telling me they'd have to break up the wall to check things out. And they did... the culprit turned out to be metal nails holding the drywall to the mantel. They overheated, and set the mantel on fire.
So now we wait to hear from the insurance adjuster, and see how they will take care of this for us. We won't be hanging our stockings by the chimney with care this year, but we're thankful that it wasn't any worse than this. (And Benjamin is relieved that the presents made it through the ordeal unharmed.)
1 comment:
Merry Christmas to you and your family. Hope the insurance took care of the chimney matter. Glad that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving visit with your family. Thanks for sharing stories and photos. Best wishes in the coming years!
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