Hopefully leaving Monday

 After a couple of emails about preparing for your flight that I read, on Wednesday, we tried to find out if we needed a Covid test to fly through Amsterdam, as it was unclear. Apparently the government of the Netherlands changed requirements on December 29th, but did it apply to us? Thursday morning the newest email was clear, we need a negative test within 72 hours of landing in Amsterdam (we'll be in the airport there less than two hours) and a printed copy to prove it before boarding the plane Monday. We now fly out of Winnipeg at 6:30 am, due to WestJet route cuts, so we had a problem. All covid-19 testing in Manitoba is through public health, no private testing. Can this work? 

We were thinking no, better change the tickets, but Garry was in the barn yesterday morning and found out that the cleaner Marcie (the boys hired someone just to clean a year or so ago) has a son flying to Germany today who got his test results back in 12 hours. So we have an appointment Saturday morning and we'll see if we get the results in time.

We did tell Victor not to drive to Kyiv to meet us until we are on the plane to Amsterdam, because we have no idea if this will work, our daughter's been tested a couple times as a teacher and it has taken days to get the results back...

So I'll pack the suitcase today, including some goodies that Adam Nikkel wants from Canada, and hopefully we can fly out Monday morning. I am torn about leaving Manitoba for Ukraine, which is going into their code red lockdown today, while here we've been in code red and haven't been able to visit with anyone off the farm. Victor says things have been going well in the village, but of course Garry has to see for himself. Most years I stay longer than Garry, but he "accidently" booked us both together, and with the complications of moving around during the pandemic, I have not changed mine. So this week I put Christmas away on Tuesday, normally I wait until after the seventh (Ukrainian Christmas and our son Noah's birthday) but Jonah said he wanted to unfold his treadmill. 

Garry is hoping Monday we will be sitting in Calgary for our much longer than planned time in the airport there- about seven hours between flights now- waiting for our connection to get to Ukraine. I hope whatever happens is for the best outcome. Oh well, lots of stuff to get done before we leave, and the cats are looking to get fed again.