My goodness - two weeks have elapsed. It's been a heck of two weeks. This is Bradley Airport when I landed in the airport.... more about this later.
The first of the two weeks - I spent in the office continuing getting ready for the "season" and also clearing the backlog of items around my desk as I was preparing to leave to go out for a surprise visit to St. Louis for my niece's concert. To set up the works, there was a "blizzard" - it was only about 18" +/- of snow. While I don't get snow days off from work, I was feeling quite under the weather. After a day of tending to my health, it was get ready to leave; arrange for KC's care; do and undo events about the homestead; and just say no to certain events and keep my nose to the grind stone. Let's say, I was pleased with my focus and amount of work accomplished.
Then the surprise trip out to see my niece perform at the ICCA (regional a cappella) competition. It was to be a quick trip - fly out on Friday and come back on Sunday a.m. The competiton was Saturday evening at Washington University - it was a sold out event! Glad my sister-in-law got tickets in advance. My trip out from Hartford to Dallas to St. Louis went really well - on time, no difficulties, great seat mates on both flights.
Got some time with my brother that afternoon, saw his place of business and a great beer/ale at the shop and then the four trips to the airport (more later). Surprised my other niece and nephew when I arrived; completed two crochet gifts and fixed another. I took back another crochet item that I need to make adjustments to. I brought them their christmas gifts - one for each day I was there (according to original plans).
The concert was amazing - worth the trip out! My niece had a solo and was first of the firsts to go on stage. She has sung with BAR Beyond all Reason since a freshman and now as a senior - a solo in competition. I texted her after they all came off stage and said she did good. That confused her and at the intermission, it was still a surprise! The rest of the groups, all college, were amazing. We went out after the concert - family and all and celebrated.
THEN--------- next snow storm - not a blizzard but it was to snow Sunday through Monday night. Saturday night, 1/2 of my flight was cancelled. After the concert I spent hours on line and on hold attempting to get another flight - which I did - second set of flights just a bit later in the day.
NOPE ---- get to the airport on Sunday, thank my brother, and I'm on my way back. Get to the gate and between the time I arrived and got to the gate.......... cancelled again. Go back to the desk and attempt to get another flight - not for Sunday and am booked on the third set of flights -----errrrrrrrr. What to do, sleep the the hotel or go back to my brothers? Yep the later as I could watch the superbowl and eat snacks all night long.
Monday - early a.m. back to the airport again. From the time I leave the house to the airport some 40 minutes or so, the flights are cancelled. They book me on another flight through Charlotte and said it was leaving now. It did - though the flight to Hartford was cancelled during this flight. Now I'm in Charlotte, nice airport, and have NO FLIGHT home. Oh, the airline personnel said, you can go standby at 4pm. Mind you, I'm 21st on the standby list of a sold out flight at noon.
TIME FOR BEER - and to talk to the "airport gods" to get me home. Yes it is not over yet. Time to board and we are boarding........ oh wait they stopped boarding and are going to wait another hour and a half before beginning boarding again!
It is NOW 5:30pm --- boarding begins again..... I'm watching the counter over the shoulder of an airline person. As the boarding passes are scanned, and they begin to call the stand by list....countdown... 87, 55, 36, 14, 8, 7, 4, 3, 5, 4, 3, 5, 4, 3..... and then it was 1........... and the called me! Yeah! Congratulations to the pilots and to BDL for clearing the airport.
Great flight, fantastic landing..... though very errie, not a plane in the airport..... And every moment of those twelve minutes of my niece singing was worth all of this!
Here's to a year of catching the dreams you chase,Then the surprise trip out to see my niece perform at the ICCA (regional a cappella) competition. It was to be a quick trip - fly out on Friday and come back on Sunday a.m. The competiton was Saturday evening at Washington University - it was a sold out event! Glad my sister-in-law got tickets in advance. My trip out from Hartford to Dallas to St. Louis went really well - on time, no difficulties, great seat mates on both flights.
Got some time with my brother that afternoon, saw his place of business and a great beer/ale at the shop and then the four trips to the airport (more later). Surprised my other niece and nephew when I arrived; completed two crochet gifts and fixed another. I took back another crochet item that I need to make adjustments to. I brought them their christmas gifts - one for each day I was there (according to original plans).
The concert was amazing - worth the trip out! My niece had a solo and was first of the firsts to go on stage. She has sung with BAR Beyond all Reason since a freshman and now as a senior - a solo in competition. I texted her after they all came off stage and said she did good. That confused her and at the intermission, it was still a surprise! The rest of the groups, all college, were amazing. We went out after the concert - family and all and celebrated.
THEN--------- next snow storm - not a blizzard but it was to snow Sunday through Monday night. Saturday night, 1/2 of my flight was cancelled. After the concert I spent hours on line and on hold attempting to get another flight - which I did - second set of flights just a bit later in the day.
NOPE ---- get to the airport on Sunday, thank my brother, and I'm on my way back. Get to the gate and between the time I arrived and got to the gate.......... cancelled again. Go back to the desk and attempt to get another flight - not for Sunday and am booked on the third set of flights -----errrrrrrrr. What to do, sleep the the hotel or go back to my brothers? Yep the later as I could watch the superbowl and eat snacks all night long.
Monday - early a.m. back to the airport again. From the time I leave the house to the airport some 40 minutes or so, the flights are cancelled. They book me on another flight through Charlotte and said it was leaving now. It did - though the flight to Hartford was cancelled during this flight. Now I'm in Charlotte, nice airport, and have NO FLIGHT home. Oh, the airline personnel said, you can go standby at 4pm. Mind you, I'm 21st on the standby list of a sold out flight at noon.
TIME FOR BEER - and to talk to the "airport gods" to get me home. Yes it is not over yet. Time to board and we are boarding........ oh wait they stopped boarding and are going to wait another hour and a half before beginning boarding again!
It is NOW 5:30pm --- boarding begins again..... I'm watching the counter over the shoulder of an airline person. As the boarding passes are scanned, and they begin to call the stand by list....countdown... 87, 55, 36, 14, 8, 7, 4, 3, 5, 4, 3, 5, 4, 3..... and then it was 1........... and the called me! Yeah! Congratulations to the pilots and to BDL for clearing the airport.
Great flight, fantastic landing..... though very errie, not a plane in the airport..... And every moment of those twelve minutes of my niece singing was worth all of this!
doing what makes you smile,
and loving the life you live.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment