In limbo. Both Smokey and my Mom were in limbo this week: the one is still waiting for his tumor test results, while the other is about to land in Madrid, si Dieu le veut (God willing!) Here is a picture of Smokey to make us all smile in the meantime. The title "Ironmutt" is in reference to the medal he is wearing, swiped from Jean-Marc who is a recent finisher of the race which took place in Aix-en-Provence. Bravo Jean-Marc! And Bravo for helping my Mom when she was stranded in Mexico City at the airport…. More in today's story.
Meantime… Is it possible to choke to death on a vitamin? Yes, it is! Stay tuned and I may share my story of this morning's ambulance ride to ER in the next edition when I share a life-saving verb with you! (No, on second thought, you should not have to wait for this tip. Here it it is now, in English: CRUSH your vitamin pills if they are too big! Never, ever cut them in half, where a square or jagged end could lodge itself in place. And never ever try to flush a giant stuck tablet with water. )
UNE MESAVENTURE
: mishap
AUDIO FILE: Listen to Jackie talk about her grand-mère:
Download MP3 or WAV
Grandma Jules a eu une petite mésaventure à l'aéroport.
Grandma Jules had a little mishap at the airport.
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE… by Kristin Espinasse
Mom's mésaventure in Mexico City
Yesterday morning I woke up to some alarming news: instead of being in flight and about to land… my mom was turned away at the boarding gate and could not make her connecting flight to France! She was now in limbo midway through her voyage, stuck in a Mexican airport far from home, without a valid ticket or a credit card!
And yet, the ticketing agents let her onto her first flight back in her hometown of Puerto Vallarta! The airline employees did not notice, at that crucial moment, that her ticket was not paid for!
"Log onto your bank account and see if they debited your card!" Jean-Marc ordered, upset at finding out the news upon waking at 5 a.m.
Groggy, I hurried out of bed and fired up my computer to learn my card was not debited, months ago after we made mom's reservation. Despite this, we received a confirmation email for all three flights! (And all three flight were "paid for" on the same credit card.)
So how did Mom manage to get on that first flight?
"I did ask, at check-in, for all my boarding passes," Mom explained, speaking to us now from the Camino Real aiport hotel. "But the flight attendants were dealing with a technical issue, an could only provide my first boarding pass. They assured me my baggage claim voucher, which mentioned my final destination, would suffice."
Mom relaxed, had a beer near the gate, and, as usual, proceeded to dole out much of her cash to the "sweet ladies who clean the restrooms."
But when she arrived in Mexico City only to be refused entry on her flight to Madrid, she was now in limbo, and with little cash and no credit card! "They told me at gate check-in that my ticket was not valid.
In addition to being in limbo, Mom's limbs were aching as well (after having a steel plate removed from her hip several years ago, and a double mastectomy, she just doesn't have the energy she used to. For this, Jean-Marc arranged a wheelchair, but the moment she was found to have been traveling on an unpaid ticket, and having gifted her pocket change to the restroom angels, she lost her wheelchair advantages!
I don't know how she made it back to the Camino Real hotel, or how she kept her chipper and thankful attitude which sung as we spoke on the phone.
"Honey, I'm just worried about those people who did make it onto the plane!" Mom explained, wondering if all the roadblocks she just experienced were somehow shielding her from misfortune….
***
Post note: I checked the original flight throughout the day and night, relieved when it touched down safe in Madrid. All I ask now, is that Mom's alternative flight will land safely! I'm off to check "Madrid arrivals", now on the internet. Mom should be resting in the airport since her 14:20 landing. She is probably visiting the powder room, looking for some more cleaning angels in which to share the euros she saved from her previous trip! (Mom, if you are reading, save a few euros as you have one more flight to go before you land in Marseilles!)
Thanks for your positive thoughts and "see you" next week (or this afternoon, on Instagram and Facebook, if you are reading updates over there!)
Here is the photo and message I posted on Instagram and Facebook, just before Mom took that first flight! Blue borage flowers and the early evening sky. My mom will be boarding a plane soon, and asked me to pray she gets three seats to lie down on for her Mexico-Madrid flight. It is a long journey, so please think good thoughts for her. Thanks.
Discover more from French Word-A-Day
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Kristi!!! Be careful swallowing vitamins!!! Are they huge? Or did you try to gulp down several at the same time? I do that all the time also. Sometimes I scare myself.
Marika, I had cut the giant vitamin in half. See the picture and warning I posted at Facebook.
LTK…loving kind thoughts for your mom and your family!
And thanks for the lovely picture of the borage. I planted one in my backyard a few weeks ago and just noticed yesterday the lovely blue flowers.
So cutie that dog! good luck
Wow, what an experience for your mom. Everyone should carry at least one credit card, even if they never use it. Emergencies do happen, but it sounds like she is still very resilient. She is a strong determined women.
I guess that it is always good to make sure your tickets are paid for, although they always seem to charge me immediately.
Smokey and your mom are in our prayers. She will be there shortly and you’ll all have a good laugh together about her experiences.
Hi Kristi~~
after always choking on those huge football shaped calcium and magnesium tablets I decided to roll those huge pill in some Flaxseed oil .. it slipped right down my throat..
now I do that will all my pills.
I was inspired by my Mom coating the pills for our sick pooch, Suzie, in butter.. haha thinking about Suzy nuzzling up to my Mom for another buttery treat.
take care Kristi.. and here’s hoping that added Flax seed oil trick for swallowing pills helped you.
Warmest Regards
Barbara
Poor Jules and Smokey…but they both seem to be smiling through it all. YOU have your Mom’s spirit!! Wishing a good outcome for both of your darlings!!
xoxox
I do hope that Jules has or will very soon arrive safely in France and her petite mésaventure is over! (Thank you, Jackie, for the “audio file” this morning.) Have a wonderful family gathering with Jules this week! Best wishes for all.
Dear Kristin,
Hope your mom arrives safely after a long, never-a-dull-moment
voyage! Wishing you a lovely Mother’s Day Weekend! 🙂
Smokey looks adorable!
xoxo, Micki and Chami🐾
Dear Kristi,
Your mom must have amazing composure during times of strife. I checked Instagram all day yesterday, hoping to see a photo of her beautiful smile. Meanwhile, Smokey offered up a great one. Praying that he will be completely healed…
I can totally relate to the huge vitamin pill and have experienced alarm many times. Very scary…what you must have gone through. Things seem to happen in threes, so perhaps everything will be okay from here on. Wishing Jules a safe arrival…finally!
P.S. Jackie pulled “American” English and French together beautifully!
Bonjour Kristin,
That is quite a mesaventure. Hoping your Mom is now safe chez vous!
I love the picture of Smokey today. I printed it and it’s on my bulletin board in my office right next to a smiling picture of my Chief (a boy Sheltie). They both look so happy in their pictures!
Have a wonderful time with your Mom and hope you both have a wonderful Mother’s Day (even though Mother’s Day is later in May I believe)!
Loved the ethereal photo of the flowers. Of course, Smokey is always cute.
Hope Jules was able to get the rest she desired on her flight.
Interesting tidbit about the flaxseed oil. When my mother had difficulty swallowing a particular large capsule, the pharmacist recommended Pill Glide (made for children and behind the counter) It’s available on Amazon (at a much more premium price than I paid at the pharmacy)http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=pill+glide+spray&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=859489878&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_5chfeh5fdm_e
Kristin, your mom sounds like a wonderful person and a true optimist 🙂 That’s a gift to be able to remain cheerful throughout adversity.
Sandy
Kristin, I have said it before and I will say it again: your mom is a true angel and I wish for everyone to have her sense of humour, kindness, and generosity. Thinking of her and wishing her a safe, peaceful remainder of her journey to visit you!
That must have been a scary experience with the vitamin. I’m glad you’re okay.
I love that photo of Smokey! I hope you will receive some good news soon.
I love the picture of Smokey, always a smile!
Jules takes everything in stride, which makes life so much easier than fighting against it. As we know fighting against it doesn’t change what is happening at the time. I am thinking of her and wishing the rest of her trip is uneventful. Have fun and give her hug from me!
Oh, so glad you are okay after the vitamin mishap, scary!
xoxo
Such a worry for you re your Mom. Glad all well now. Happy USA Mother’s Day this Sunday and again on the 24th in France.
Our dear Kristi,
Prayers this morning for both your dear Mom,sweet Smokey,and always,for you,too!
Just a thought about crushing pills:make sure they are okay to be taken that way.My potassium one says not to,and trying to swallow that monster is like trying to swallow a hockey puck.After a similar experience to yours,I’ve ended up cutting it into four smaller pieces with a knife.Thank God you are okay!
Love
Natalia. Xo
Love the picture of cute adorable Smokey and his new necklace! 🙂
Hopefully, your Mom is with you now and you are happily starting your reunion. Will love to see some pics of your beautiful Mom!
Happy Mother’s Day to you both!
Kristin,
I hope that your Mom is with you now to celebrate Fete des Meres. Making sure that the airport cleaning angels are taken care of is a measure of her kindness.
I love the beautiful photo of the blue borage flowers with the backlit fuzzy stems…gorgeous!
Hi Kristen, I know about vitamins as take them daily and some are large and I try to buy gel tablets to make it easier. As for your Mom’s travel “adventure”, I’m glad to hear she’s able to keep calm.
I wanted to let you know that I live in Puerto Vallarta! I would love to meet your Mom and I wonder if I may already know her. I assume she lives in Puerto Vallarta full time as do I. A reader of yours lives in the same town as your Mother and it’s in Mexico! 🙂 Hope you and your Mom have a wonderful time in Madrid.
Like Natalia, I have to take a giant, chalky potassium pill. Monster hockey puck is an apt description! So thanks to Barbara for the slide diwn the throat solution to taking huge pills. I tried it and it worked like magic. Made my day!
Yes, pill crushers work, but sometimes the result is not too tasty. Some vitamins come in ‘gummies’ now (though a bit pricier than the pills).
Waiting to hear good news about Smokey and your upcoming fun escapades with Jules!
Along with Chris, I want to thank Barbara for this tip. And thank you all for your sympathies and kind words about my dear Mom. Her plane has touched down and we will see her very soon!
Check out todays word:
http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour/
FIRST FRENCH ESSAIS: Venturing into Writing, Marriage, and France
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1496139550/mdj-20
How to open a bottle of wine with a book!:
goo.gl/9rmI4n
Yes, thanks Barbara for the flax seed oil tip! Why buy a product when we can use what we have at home!? Love the oil on baked potatoes, too! Yum!
Also, never throw your head back when taking a pill. There is a chance it will get stuck in your airway instead of hitting the esophagus. Those new gummy bear ones might be the way to go…..or, do we really need every vitamin in a multi? Recently in a class we were told to be careful because often times we get plenty of certain ones in what we eat. Might be good to check and just take individual ones that we actually need.
Hopefully Jules will be settled in with you soon. I have never heard of someone who has more mishaps flying than your mother. But she is just so positive about everything and it works out.
Have a wonderful visit.
Apparently given your Mom’s travel history, she should prepare for a trip like someone preparing for disasters with supplies and equipment for most any event possible! At least she’s able to keep on keeping on, and I wish her bon voyage.
Kristin:
I’m thinking good thoughts about your mom and Smokey. Hope all is well.
Bon jour des mamans a vous!
Edie
Somehow Smokey and Jules both seem to end up on their feet. Sending good thoughts their way.
I’ve had a pill crusher device since my daughter was young and needed large medicine after surgery. I myself have used it. And it came in especially handy when my much loved dog was so old and needed a large assortment of meds throughout the day for many ailments. Perhaps you can find a different brand of vitamin that is not so large. Do they have the Gummie Vitamins in France?
So sorry to hear about another bad adventure in the airport for your mother. Hope she has arrived safely by now. Enjoy her visit and please give Smokey a big hug from me and my doggies Yogi and Goldie.
Connecting flights can be so much fun (not!) I recently flew from Nairobi, Kenya, to Amsterdam, to Paris and finally, to Los Angeles. Fortunately, all was well, except that travel companions’ luggage did not accompany in Paris! Oh well, finally, after spending an hour or two in baggage claim in Amsterdam, the luggage arrived! Maybe your mother needs to talk with Saint Christopher.
It seems that there is no end to the possible things that can go wrong regarding trip arrangements. I’m glad your mother was able to ride it out and that you were able to correct the problem/error.
The photograph of Smokey is one of the best dog photographs I’ve ever seen. Maybe that is because he is such a glorious, wonderful, beautiful dog!
Oh my goodness! Jules has a million adventures when she travels! I hope she has arrived and is safe and sound at your lovely home! I miss her chiming in here, but I think I understand why she’s been quiet. I hope everyone has a wonderful visit and that Smokey gets good news very soon! ! !
Hi Kristin,
Have fun with your Mom! Be careful with those vitamin pills!
Appreciate the suggestion, Barbara! Love the breathtaking photo, Kristi…..
I always travel w/ 2 credit cards whether I need them or not…for peace of mind and possible emergencies.
Still sending positive thoughts for precious smokey…
PS Bon Jour des Maman a tous!
So glad it worked out for Jules’s trip. I know you’ll be so happy to see her again.
For dogs, there are “pill pockets” one can get at vets’ (maybe also in pet stores) where the pills can be encased in something tasty so the dogs will be more amenable to swallowing them.
The photo of the borage and light is not just a great photo. It is truly a work of art. Kristin, you could have some of your photos made into art work, and I’m sure you could sell a few – I’d buy that one – or give to friends. I hope that somewhere you are keeping “albums” of all of your pictures, which by now must number in the hundreds or thousands; you have a real talent for capturing a wide variety of images.
Oh! your poor Mum ! I seem to remember her being lost in transit once before !! I do so admire her spirit & ability not to give up in these circumstances.
Love Smokey’s grin & trust his lab results will be good
Happy Mother’s Day to you! I’m spoilt as I get this one & the English one
Poor Smokey. I hope he gets a clean bill of health, I can’t wait to visit La Cadiere again so I can drive over and meet you all and Smokey. I am sorry to hear about your Mother’s trials and tribulations trying to get to France.I hope she made it with fewer problems on the 2nd try.