A Bad Day For The Laaw-yuhr Family

So my sister is an airport holding cell.

In Lithuania.

And I thought my day was bad. Leave to my sister to top it.

So why Lithuania? Well, my sister is an artist and is now getting a degree in shoe design in London. A friend of hers from art grad school organized an art show in Lithuania and invited my sister to submit work and attend. Sis was traveling with another former student to the show.

So what happened? Apparently, after she boarded the plane in London her passport was stolen. She had to present her boarding pass and passport right before entering the plane. It is unlikely she dropped it while getting on the plane. Therefore, the most likely conclusion is that it was stolen shortly after presenting it for boarding. The airline searched the plane thoroughly to make sure it hadn't been left on the plane. To add to the joy, sis had also had her visa and her return airplane ticket in her passport.

Sis was seized when she tried to go through customs in Lithuania and is presently locked in some sort of cell for the night. They let her have her cell phone so I was at least able to call her. She was ok, but it was freezing cold, and there was only a couch to sleep on. "You know that crappy movie The Terminal? Well my life is sorta like that," she said. I asked her if she had any food. "I've got a candybar in my luggage."

I thought this was a good time to make fun of her. Because only my sister could manage to cause an international incident. I suggest that now might be a good time to "journal" and "channel her feelings." "Great idea," she said, "except that there's no light."

Tomorrow she is most likely going to be sent back to England. If the embassy in Lithuania or England doesn't come up with some temporary papers, she will probably be sent back to America - and on her own dime. I can assure you that if our embassies don't get it together I am personally going to raise hell.

And honestly, who the fuck tries to sneak into Lithuania?!