The beginning of the end of the beginning of my Akutan Adventures

There have been no planes into Akutan for 2 weeks.  The winds have been ridiculous with gusts upwards to 60-70mph.  The odds were getting slimmer and slimmer that there would be a plane to get me out of there before Christmas.  The incoming provider arrived a few days ago on a tug boat hauling a barge to the Trident plant on the other side of town.  Then yesterday I got a phone call from a safety guy for the plant.  I met and had dinner with him last week.  He told me to pack and be ready because at the crack of crack a.ka. 0200am, I would have an opportunity to hitch a ride on the F/V Amatuli that was charted by Trident to pick up some higher-ups to get them out of Akutan to Dutch Harbor.  I accepted the challenge with Meclizine in hand (anti-puking pill).  Myself and 11 other guys sprawled out on any floor space we could get to lay down in 30 foot seas for about 6 of the 7 hrs!!  Yup, 7 hours!  But we made it to Dutch safely and though I'm exhausted and have a killer headache, I'm happy that I should indeed, barring any other natural catastrophe, be home for Christmas.  I have to wait all day here because I'm one of the lucky ones that has a confirmed seat on Pen Air out of here, all other seats on their 4 planes a day are booked through Sunday.  But I do have to wait in Anchorage starting tonight until Saturday before I get to begin the remaining 3500 miles home to Florida.  I should be home by Sunday.  I miss my kids so much, I just can't wait to get home.