Day 10: last day in NC & we love Walmart!!

We probably should have for an earlier flight as there wasn't any more games to watch but I sort of took the ABT lead and caught a late flight to LA. As we had the day to play with we thought we would catch the outlets that we didn't pick yesterday. We thought we could handle Mark for the 30 minute car ride...... We found out that the terrible traffic yesterday was due to school finishing for the Christmas break and everyone heading to their families for the holiday period.
There was hardly any traffic on the freeway and we were making good time until we took the turn off to get to the shops.....on the left. The hire car was beeping that it needed petrol and the petrol station was on the right!! We turned right and filled up with petrol and tried to get back on the road to travel 2ks max to the outlets and it would have taken 40 minutes!!!!! The lights would change every 15 seconds allowing only one or two cars at a time. Mark predictably handled the delay as you would imagine...............lol
The outlets were ok but we were a little shopped out... But not before I bought another pair of runners! I just cannot believe the price difference between the two countries!
We decided that we would go and Aden and Patrick desperately wanted a a Walmart fix so thank goodness for Aden's google maps because the stupid GPS wasn't happening! Patrick has surprised me no end with his observation and perception skills they are outstanding! We have on so many occasions thought we were heading in the right direction and he has told us differently!
We got to Walmart and loaded up with lollies and cookies (gooey choc chip yummmmmmmmm!!) and the boys each bought a huge bottle of Gatorade! They cannot get over the huge big gallon bottles for $3.88. Aden bought a gallon bottle and Patrick got the smaller one and lots of Revlon makeup!! $9.95 for the brand I use which in OZ is $37.00 so I bought a few!! I could of gone crazy but I didn't! I will regret that once I run out and I have to pay the Aussie price though.
We took the car back to Charlotte airport and I think in that 10 minute drive we polished off the whole pack of biscuits (cookies)!!
We were NOT sorry to say goodbye to the hire car that's for sure! We caught the shuttle to the airport and booked in and we had to wait for Aden to drink a gallon of the blue stuff!
Security was surprisingly uneventful. For once and we saw the ABT team all sprawled out and poor Henry in a wheelchair! He was one of the walking wounded from the last game. We were talking to the teachers and every couple of minutes a motorized car that take the disabled to their gates would whiz by.
One stopped and picked up an elderly lady sitting near us and put her bags on the back and started to leave. Thank goodness Patrick was watching because he said to Leanne, the teacher, "That man is leaving with your bag." As the car took off Leanne grabbed the bag just in time!! Thank goodness he was watching because all of us certainly weren't! Goodness know where it would have wound up! Like I said his observational skill have been impressive.
They left a good two hours before us and while we waited I did update the blog but I couldn't find it or I think I it must not have saved when I went to add some pics! :(
We had a walk around Charlotte airport and it is awesome! Boutique shops and great eating places and bars! I was so
Impressed it was so pretty! It looked like an expensive hotel lobby. I especially loved the moving sidewalks and alongside them were gorgeous looking white wooden rocking chairs . Beside each chair was a power point for people to sit and recharge their electronics and free wifi too. It was fabulous and puts Tullamarine to shame.
Our flight to Altanta was awful and just when I was starting to relax, I went right back to freaking out again. Even Mark was a little nervous. The ONLY thing that didn't stop me from losing it was the hosties were still casually offering passengers tea, coffee and soft drinks.
When we got to Altanta we sat down at the gate we were told to and the gate that was written on our boarding pass .
After a while Mark noticed our flight wasn't even on that concourse. We were in the D terminal and our flight was leaving from C terminal. We grabbed our bags and caught the subway (another thing Tulla could take a few pointers from) to the C terminal just in time to board our plane.
I wasn't taking any chances for the next flight to LA so I took TWO travel calm tablets!!! Aden and Patrick decided they would bite the bullet and buy some WI-FI for the 4 and a half hour flight and were really excited to learn that there was a Saturday night special and it was $1.95 instead of. $12.95 so they couldn't get their cards out quick enough!
Me on the other hand was so zonked out from the moment the plane took off until it landed in LA! In fact that stuff is so good, I didn't even know the plane had landed!!!
We found our shuttle and the stupid thing kept continuing circuits around the airport in search of passengers to take to Anaheim for at least an hour! Thank goodness I had my iPad so I just read my new book while I waited. The people we were waiting for had lost all their luggage and were not going anywhere until it was found so we finally were able to make a move.
We checked in to the Anaheim Plaza the same hotel as the boys are in and we arrived at the same time despite them leaving 2 hours earlier and going Chicago way.
We all are stuffed as it is 5 am in NC and 2am in LA.