Hi, this is Phil,

We are a few hours away from the big departure, although I'll have to wait a few more days because I have to work. We finally got Bryan's passport on Friday. We had applied 6 weeks ago, but somebody at the passport office misplaced the birth certificate. Finally, this week they found it, although I had to write a letter to explain the situation.
Now suitcases are almost closed, the Icelandic volcano is quiet, but British Airways flight attendants will be on strike. We'll see how it goes...