And Then There Were Two

I was going to entitle this post “The Empty Nest” … but Jonathan still graces me with his company :-)

Nick left last night at 10:45 to move to the UK for two years. A very hectic last few weeks, including a trip to Winnipeg to visit his grandparents and extended family. So much to arrange … so much to acquire … so much to discard …

And of course, the loss of the day to day company of my first born. This is what I did to my mother on 25 June 1979 when I moved from Winnipeg to Ottawa, permanently as it turned out. She was crushed.

I’m going to miss Nick’s company, but I am not crushed. He has chosen to follow a path that will take him abroad for a while … he may or may not choose to come back to Canada … c’est la vie. I raised them to choose and he chose. It’s a great thing …

Of course, I managed to forget to bring a camera. We were walking out with 100 pounds of luggage in 4 pieces and we were a tad rushed in order to grab one last bowl of Laksa at the Singapore Restaurant before heading to the airport. It was the biggest storm of the year, lightning flashing everywhere … and I had a brain fart.

Luckily, the iPhone is not entirely horrid …

So we arrive at the airport and drop the baggage off. Nick’s big suitcase is 22.9 kilos … 0.9 over weight. The girl looks the other way. Awesome! And then I have to pull out my wallet so he can take the guitar in checked baggage … because you only get one free bag now. The price was not low either … *sigh* …

Next stop is the exchange … he needs to change $160 cad into pounds.

Unfortunately, the exchange rate sucks and he gets only 90 pounds. Airports …

We then wander and I watch the luggage as the boys hit the washroom … I notice Nick’s plane just sitting there …

Nyuk nyuk nyuk …

The boys get back and Nick is pretty pensive by now … we are an hour or so away from the buggest change of his life so far.

I ask the boys for a portrait as we do every time Nick leaves … this one turns out ok …

I then ask for another one for insurance against blur and the result is quite predictable …

Not too bad for an iPhone indoors …

Anyway … we head outside for one more smoke before he goes through security … then it is hugs all around and my nest is half empty …

Nick texted me at 5:30am to say he landed.

I texted him at 8:12 to ask if he had made the 1:10 train and he told me everything went so smoothly that he grabbed the 12:35. That was excellent as he could then get to his estate agent to collect the keys to their rental.

He texted me one more time when he arrived at the house … he went out to get some oven pizza but had no plates … tomorrow he will have to head out to buy some rather important accessories like dishes etc …