Wednesday, December 01, 2010

EXHAUSTED!

I'm back from Texas!
I arrived at noon today!! Finally! It has been a longggg 24+ hours.
We had the best time, spending time with family and meeting our brand new nephew. He is a doll and it was very hard to leave him...maybe that's why I ended up staying an extra day!? (not really, I had NO intention of staying an extra day).

Sev and I took two different flights to and from Houston this past weekend. He flew from Raleigh, NC and I flew from Charlotte, NC (long story, I'll spare you).
His return flight home was scheduled for Monday, he made it home safe and sound.
My return flight home was scheduled for Tuesday, I...just now made it home...it's Wednesday.

At 4am on Tuesday morning I crawled out of bed, packed my belongings, dressed, kissed my nephew goodbye and headed for the airport. We knew something wasn't right the second we pulled into line at the airport, the line was long. I jumped out of the car, grabbed my bags and high tailed it to the check-in counter. I stood in line. I made it to the front of the line. My bag was two pounds over weight, ugh. I fumbled with the zipper and removed the first two items I could grab, my hair straightener and a blouse. I was handed my boarding pass and off I ran to the Security line.
I waited.
I waited.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the next.
I waited.
I checked the clock.
I waited.
Oh my word, I have NEVER stood in a security line this long.
I made it! I tried to rush through security, but you don't RUSH through security by any means...and you don't try and rush through security with your jacket on either. I learned this the hard way.
I had my bags, I was running.
My gate was the last gate in the terminal, the one at the FAR end of the hall.
I dodged, swerved, apologized and ran all the way to my gate.
The door was closed.
I missed my flight.
I was not the only one to miss the flight, whatever the hold up was in security had caused a good handful of passengers to miss that flight.
I waited until they could find me another flight.
I was booked to leave at 10:45am, it was 6am.
My sister-in-law insisted she come and take me to breakfast. After breakfast I went through the whole ordeal all over again (only I gave myself more time to get through security-the line was still beyond ridiculous) I finally made it to the end of the security line, only to have the lady checking my id stop me in my tracks, look me in the eyes and say "and who is ceicilia?"
"huh?!" I don't have time for this! I've got a plane to catch!
Again she says "where is ceicilia??"
I want to cry.
She holds up my boarding pass and shows me the name printed across the top, I read it "Ceicilia Jones". Now I'M asking "WHO is Ceicilia!!??"
I explained that the boarding pass had been given to me earlier that morning, at the gate, when I had missed my first flight.
I was escorted back to the ticket counter and then, for a third time, made my way through security.
I made my way through the metal detectors, grabbed my bags, pulled one arm into my jacket, I pulled my shoes on while I ran for my gate.
My flight was delayed.
I was now scheduled to depart at 12:41pm.
I sat down and started to make myself comfortable.
"Any passengers with final destination to Charlotte, NC please make your way to the counter"
I made my way to the front counter.
I am told that my connecting flight from Atlanta to Charlotte has been cancelled and all though they now have me a flight out of Houston and arriving into Atlanta at 1pm, I have to wait in Atlanta until the next available flight to Charlotte, which...is at 11:30pm.
This would have me arriving to Charlotte around 1 in the morning, only to have to drive all the way to Columbia.
I made the decision to stay in Houston for the night and just catch the first available flight out in the morning.
I woke up at 3:30am this morning. I felt a bit like I was trapped in that movie ground hogs day.
Only this time I made my flight!
Only to sit on the plane for 45 minutes past original take off due to FROST!!
I still managed to make my flight out of Atlanta and land in Charlotte on time (only a day later).
My checked bag, which made the flight that I had missed yesterday morning, was waiting for me.

Here I sit, at work, after I rushed down I-77 after landing a full day after I was originally scheduled to arrive.
I won't complain though, I got to spend an extra day with the sweetest, baby nephew in the world!
Pictures to come!
Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

2 comments:

Meredith said...

So I know you were in Houston and not DFW, but I had some drama of my own at DFW (more than once) that made me HATE traveling through Texas! I feel your pain! Sorry you were there so long and had to go through the drama, but glad you enjoyed your visit.
PS I almost died laughing when I read, "Who's Cecilia?"

Jackie said...

Glad you were able to spend time with family in Texas and that you and Sev are home safe oh and as always you made me laugh.

I could tell you the crazy drama Susan and I had at the Atlanta Airport but it's too long...just know that we wound up in a dumpy hotel for the night with nothing but our purses. Needless to say after a night in our clothes, no toothbrush, no makeup...NOTHING we couldn't wait to get home take a shower and get to work by noon.