The Return Trip
Morning of the return flight, I davened early as usual. When I got back, I discovered that the portable scale wasn't working. Again, my parents had to work, so I walked to and from Evergreen, where I picked up breakfast and another scale (the handheld type), a washing cup, and fresh Reisman bars (baked after Pesach) for a davening treat for the kids (and the Mommy). It was about twenty minutes each way.
Back at home, packing was slowly completed. The kids had all fallen in love with the "Smushmallows" my mother had gotten for the Baltimore/Florida cousins, so she got a few more for the house in Monsey - and of course, the kids wanted to take them back to EY... We took a garbage suitcase from my sister and packed them, making for a suitcase that even 4YO could take. Without really shopping for much, we somehow managed to take up all of the weight and volume of the matzos, I guess with the Amazing Savings stuff and some clothes we had Amazon'd to Monsey instead of taking from EY, so we had to move things around and open extra zippers in order to fit everything. I decided not to worry - worst case, an overweight fee, right? Vacations are for spending... I did think everything had worked out, though.
The kids spent the day playing outside.
We took hot dogs, rolls and three containers of chicken/rice from Krispy (whatever it's called) and french fries for the flight. We also had some nosh/pretzels/munchables. As noted, I assume the worst when it comes to airline food and hope to be pleasantly surprised. (Spoiler: we weren't.)
My wife's brother had generously volunteered to drive us to Newark. He arrived to pick us up at 7PM, but we waited until my father got home from work (~7:20) to say goodbye to him. Drive was about an hour; no traffic. EWR security by the Emirates desk was very quick - there were three stations working and maybe two people ahead of us on line. Once again, we got an extremely pleasant lady who was very patient with our pace. DW noted that when the scale was empty, it ready anywhere from -2kg to -5kg. Somehow, my suitcases were never more than 20kg. We checked in everything - five suitcases and two carryons, keeping only the stroller, backpacks and one Amazing Savings small carryon and some shopping bags with the food.
The agent asked to see our ETAs (tickets were on US passports, as noted), and we showed her our IL Teudot Maavars. When she noted that two of them were not spelled the same way (long story that I MUST have posted somewhere on the forum), she called over a supervisor. After the consultation, she told us that she was processing the tickets on the Teudot Maavars and not the passports (so that the system would accept it), and we should show those when we get to the gate (but the US passports for security).
EWR security lines were not that long - there were maybe ten ahead of us and two stations working - and again, the agent patiently worked through our passports as quick as I was able to provide them opened to the picture page. (Maybe I'm so used to otherwise that it continues to be a chiddush.) Same with the detectors. ("Little man, you can keep yo shoes on." "So why is my Totty taking his off?" "Thassa good question. You smart, kid!") The lady seemed surprised that I was actually returning the bins to the stack without being asked... We got to the gate in record time (yeah, yeah, for our family, anyway) - before 10PM. We gave the kids food and they settled down to eat, and later, to read their books. DW settled the baby. Someone organized a minyan for Maariv but before I could join, I was paged by the agents - they wanted to take my stroller in advance. (One by one, they did this to everybody.) BH there was another Maariv later on. As noted in the relevant thread, there were kosher sandwiches from Radish being sold in one of the stores near the gate area, but we didn't need them. (I did get myself two Gatorades, for a tiny bit less than they cost in Yerushalayim.)
The flight was delayed about forty minutes. We got three of the bulkhead seats (three of the four middle seats in Row 38) and the three seats immediately behind them. This allowed me to hang my jacket on the back of the seat in front of me, so 1. I didn't have to wear it and 2. the screen was covered. A lady from elsewhere asked my wife if she could have the bassinet, but the staff thought she was asking for herself and brought one sized for our 14MO instead. (We had not gotten a bassinet on the way in. They didn't offer, and we assumed this was because he was too old, but he actually was small enough for their biggest size.) The lady did get her bassinet, though, because the lady sitting in the last seat didn't mind it hanging in front of her.
Flight was more heavily skewed towards frum Yidden this time - maybe half the plane, probably because it was fairly soon after Pesach. Tons of infants but not that many large families.
As noted in the appropriate thread, the airline food was a waste, but we had prepared so we were fine. They didn't have the staff taking pictures this time, and the toys were not as exciting as the way in, but so it goes.
BH the kids mostly slept.
I timed davening Shacharis to arrive at Shemoneh Esrei at the latest possible time that netz could have occurred (beginning at the latest possible time for atifas tallis). As always seems to be the case, one person davening causes a cascade effect as other people notice you davening and hastily daven themselves. I hung the negel vasser cup on my toddler's bassinet (which was right near restrooms), and many people borrowed it (as was probably required being that most of them had slept, though this is arguable).
From takeoff, it was immediately apparent that they were taking a quicker flight path, and indeed, the flight somehow landed a half-hour EARLY. This took what would have been a fifty minute layover (regular schedule) or a ten minute layover (it left forty minutes late) to a 80 minute layover. Took us at least ten minutes to get off the plane, and even though the A6 flight had an EK codeshare (and so, EK had given us boarding passes already), we only arrived at the line to the gate about 40 minutes before scheduled departure (short line for customs officer and LONG line for security, relative to ATH). Barring the gate entrance, a lone lady was checking for ETAs and taking her jolly time. We must have stood in that hallway for 20 minutes. (Yes, people were being turned away.) Still, by that time, we had already seen the flight board and we knew our flight was delayed a half hour (this ended up being an hour). I expected trouble from the lady regarding the spelling, but she just shrugged and said, "Oh, that's the same name," and let us through. (She ran out of official approved stickers in the middle and had to shuffle over to get more - as I said, taking her time.)
The plane wasn't even in the gate yet. This meant that we had free entertainment! The kids were able to stand by the window trying to identify our pieces of luggage, which were sitting there in plain sight on the tarmac. Later, they watched the Aegean plane roll in to the gate. I got to daven Minchah with a minyan (something I was SURE would be impossible with a 50-minute layover). I then sat across from an old Israeli, who told me (in Ivrit) with tears in his eyes, "I've lived in Israel for 50 years, and I NEVER saw a matzav like what we have today. So we all have different shitot hachayim. Why do we have to fight each other like this!? Don't we have enough to worry about from the other nations? Is it so hard to understand that other Jews have principles and to let them live? Everyone contributes what they can, and that should be enough!" He later told me that he was a descendant of a sibling of the Aruch Hashulchan (if I followed him correctly).
As noted, flight took off about an hour late. Again, they gave us an entire row. This time, 4YO was unhappy with the arrangements but refused to tell us what version would actually make him happy, and sat at my wife's feet glowering at everybody. Even the stewardesses were unable to convince him to move. Eventually, we convinced him to sit and he promptly fell asleep. Flight was uneventful and quick.
Customs was very quick thanks to those automatic machines (though 9YO wouldn't process and had to be done manually). We did not get stopped at the green line, and we exited the airport around 10PM. As we were managine the luggage fine (and definitely for the experience of it), we took the train home. (I had everyone's Rav Kavs and had filled them before we left.) Appropriately, it was train 777.
From there, we got on a 39 bus, suitcases and all, and enjoyed the Thursday night ambiance of Geulah on our way home. The city had welcomed us by redoing the pathway next to our building while we were away (the kids immediately had to go and see), but in case we felt a bit TOO welcome, they had also completely demolished the local playground. (This has since been rebuilt.) We had the leftover chicken and french fries for supper. Except for me, no one got to sleep until 2AM (and no one got to school the next day - but like usual, 6YO was her perky self from 6AM and of course she went to Gan).
Hope you enjoyed the TR, and maybe there was some useful information in there... I'm happy to take questions, but be warned that vague questions will get vague answers.
