Let me first say I really do prefer to fly than drive if it's over 4-5 hours away. Especially when it's for work and I don't have to foot the bill. But there are times when flying is SO frustrating. Last night was one of those nights. Hilarious, too, but very frustrating! I'm glad I was with 12 of my coworkers -- made it much more fun and bareable...and entertaining!

So we had 2 flights -- a short one to Chicago, and then the flight home. Our first was at 4:00EST, our second at 5:35CST. As we entered the first airport, all of us had a phone call on our cell phone -- so 12 people answer their phone simultaneously to hear the message, "Your flight from Chicago to home has been cancelled." Great. Well, at least our first flight was on time, so we can straighten it all out in Chicago.

Then we found out that we've already been rebooked on the next flight in Chicago -- we'll only get home about an hour later. No biggie -- actually, probably better, because now we have time to grab a bite to eat. Cool.

We board our first plane. The entire flight is seated and ready for take off. They shut the door. *clunk* They shut the door. *clunk* They shut the door. *clunk*

Yeah... the door isn't shutting. There's a "collar" (!?) stuck in it. OK. They call a mechanic. All the mechanics are off site about 1 hour away. Nice.

So we all get OFF the plane. As we do, we learn that we need a NEW plane, and we're now delayed to the point where we will miss our connecting flight in Chicago.

Again they rebook all of us. A handful get on the 7:00 flight home. The rest of us (myself included) are on the 9:40 flight home. That means getting into the airport at 11:15. Guess I shouldn't have told Amara I'd be home to tuck her in. Oops! They put all of us on the 9:40 flight on standby for the 7:00 flight, since many of the 7:00 fliers are on standby for the earlier Chicago flight. Cool -- we're feeling reasonably good about our chances of getting in at 6:15 and hoofing it to our 7:00 gate connection.

We're feeling even better about our chances in the air, when we learn that our gates are only 6 apart from each other and in the same terminal. Sweet!

But then we land... 10 minutes early... and there's another plane at our gate. Nice. So we sit on the tarmack for 10 minutes. We start moving, because a gate's available. But then we stop -- there's a mechanical problem with that gate and it won't open. Again... Nice. So now we've been sitting on the tarmack for about 30 minutes.

We finally get to our gate, get off the plan, run to the 7:00 flight gate -- only to realize it's taken off and we're minutes late. Ugh! So much for standby.

But wait!

Our *original* 5:35 flight has been delayed til 7:30! It's still here and leaves in 20 minutes! Let's get it! So we get to the gate, everyone waving their boarding passes.

But you remember the beginning of the story? The part where they rebooked us all on later flights because we wouldn't make our original? Yeah.... we no longer had seats on our original flight. Nice.

So we went to the Macaroni Grill and chilled. And got home at 11:15.

But.... the next part of the story (as if that weren't enough). Remember the earlier post about my car being in the shop? Well... it's still in the shop. I got a call Tuesday saying it's done and that they'll drop it off on Wednesday at the office.

But I never got the call from the office saying they had my keys.... hmmm...

So one of my coworkers who lives up by me gave me a ride to the office. I didn't know if the keys would be at the front desk, in my mailbox, on my desk... or locked somewhere that I couldn't access them. We got to the office.... drove around... no van. Great! They didn't drop it off!!! Ugh!!!

So my coworker had to bring me all the way home -- again, glad I asked him, because he's the only one who lives even close to my vicinity! The glitch to this plan -- every possible way I have to get in my house is, you guessed it, in the van!!!

Jon's fast asleep. We've disconnected our phones. We keep our cell phones in the kitchen overnight. There's no way to wake him up, despite numerous calls. So I'm dropped off -- try the truck (locked), try the front door (locked) -- try every single door in the house. All locked. Of course, this included traipsing to the back of the house in the PITCH BLACK using my cell phone as a guide light praying there were no skunks, possums, armadillos, snakes, coons, etc, to greet me. Thankfully, there were none.

I make my way to the sliding door by our bedroom (running into the grill and the patio table on the way). I debate how best to knock on the door without completely spooking Jon (and knowing that I would anyway). I'm grateful we have no weapons in our room! I opt for a jovial, bouncy, and continuous knock with my cell phone light pointed up at my face so he can see it's me.

What a nice wake up call, eh? :)

And what a fun trip! :)

Oy!