Cathy and I started out for the airport about 8:15 AM and drove out to pick up Marianne at her place. It was great that Cathy could take the time off and deliver us to the airport!

Once we had everyone on board, we headed for the airport, I misjudged the time as we were there about 9:45, our flight does not leave until 1:15, so I figured if we were there by 10:15, 3 hour early it would be all good.

9:45 was a good time. Line up already for check-in was already close to 100 people long. Both Marianne and I were worried about our carry on luggage as we are only allowed 11kg each of carry-on. Mine was 22kg.

We also saw Bill Dow Sr. in the line up and connected with him so we could do an interview with him once we got to Scotland.

We checked our bags (no comments from them on our carry-ons) and headed for security. Made it though there and went to wait at the gate. We met someone at the gate that was telling us that the airline made him weigh his carry-on and remove stuff from it to get it to the correct weight. I’m thinking we were lucky.

Once aboard the plane we tucked our bags away with the intention of trying to get a hour or two of sleep on the plane. The 2 year old behind us had other ideas. Man that kid had a set of pipes. Screamed LOUD every 2 or three minutes, and the parents were oblivious to it. (Or at least did nothing to try to stop it) Cute kid, but he should be glad you couldn’t open a door at 33,000 feet.

Once we landed in Glasgow we headed to immigration and to pick up our bags. I guess there are advantages to being in the first 24 rows of a huge plane, you get off the plane early and can skip through immigrations in a flash. We had our bags and were out the door within ½ an hour of getting off the plane, which would have been super, but the car rental place did not open till 7:00 AM. So we found the Starbucks, had a morning coffee and waited.

Once we had the car and our bags packed in it, I set up the GPS to take us to our hotel. (I will NEVER travel again to another city without a GPS, never never never) I must say it feels strange to drive on the left hand side of the road, driving from the right hand side of the car and trying to shift with your left hand. (Yes it was a standard transmission)

We got to the hotel and Marianne was able to talk them into checking us in early, so we schlepped our bags up to the rooms and decided to crash for a 90 min or so. Once I got all my power figured out, (for the cpap machine) I settled down for a 45 min nap. Crash. I was out like a light.

We got up and headed down to the restaurant for some breakfast and just sneaked in before they closed it down. Grabbed some grub from the buffet and drank a quart of coffee and we were good to go.

Up to the room, grabbed our camera gear and out the door. That is when I crashed the car into another car. Went to start the car without my foot on the clutch and lurched into the car in front of me. The guy was at his car loading his bags when I took out his license plate. He was very kind, no damage to his car (except for a scratch to his license plate) and no damage to ours. It was about this point that I think Marianne started to wonder what she had got herself into.

We programmed the GPS to take us to the kilt makers so we could see about doing some video and a story about the pipe band picking up their kilts. We arrived there and found out the band had not picked them up yet but would probably be in later in the afternoon. So we headed off to the local mall to but a sim card for the cell phone we had with us. Armed with the new cell phone we called the kilt maker back to give them our number and ask if they could call when the band arrived and we would zip over. Too late. They had arrived within minutes of us leaving to get the sim card. On to plan B.

We headed for the local Costco, yes they have Costco here, and we picked up two large umbrellas to use if the heavens open up on us when we are shooting.

Armed with our new umbrellas, we called the kilt maker and asked if we could come by and do an interview with them. Once we had the interview done we headed downtown to pick up our accreditation for next Saturday.

Back to the hotel, another 60 min nap, downstairs for dinner and then we decided to call it a night. It was a long flight/day and we were both ready to pack it in. Although I think both of us did a bit of work when we got back to the rooms. Marianne started to write the kilt story and I started to transfer video. We realized that the video is almost good to go, but we need a shot of the finished kilts, and that is going to have to wait till Sunday.

Off to bed now.