My airport adventure - Part One

So, uh, yeah. I was supposed to fly to Utah today to start my new adventures and I got so far as ... the de-icing pad. Ahh, little children, sit whilst I explain a story that is very, well, Jen-like.

So, I didn't actually sleep very long last night. I went to bed around midnight and woke up around 2:30 (thanks for the text Mark) and got myself dressed and made my bed. (Which is always a good thing for someone that is moving away from home to do. Mothers tend to appreciate that.) I then did the daunting task of waking my very ... Sicilian ... father and got him to get ready and I packed the car with my stuff, 3 suitcases and a carry on. Heavy stuff...like 60 pounds worth. By. Myself. So, at 3:30 in the morning my dad and I get in the car and start the slooooooooooooow drive to the airport. Now, see, the airport...it's 45 minutes away. On a clear day. Today, oh, today was NOT clear. Far from it.

Would you like today's forecast? 7 to 18 inches of snow. Blizzard. Up here in New England, we like to call them "Nor'easters". Why? I have no idea. But the weather men really like that word. Whatever.

So, back to the story, it ended up taking us about 65 minutes (that's 20 minutes longer than usual, if you aren't mathematically inclined) to get to the airport. By this time, 4:50 am, I was pretty much sure that our flight isn't going to fly, but we went in anyway and find out that yes, it is, still going to fly. Great! So, I checked my bags and go to the counter to get my seat assignment, and waited for about an hour for them to start boarding our flight. They did. We were all set and we get to the de-icing pad to actually have our plane de-iced. Then the captain came on with an announcement.

"I got a report from control that says that there is heavy snow falling and we are unable to fly in those conditions. We are just going to stay here until the snow lessens up or daylight comes. Whichever is first."

Great. I was already late (de-icing takes awhile) but not really stressing too badly at this point. So, there we sat for a good half hour whilst the de-icing in continued. Then, the O Captain came on again:

"I got a report from control that says that there is ice falling and we are unable to fly in those conditions. We are just going to stay here until the ice stops falling and then we will fly."

Great. I put on a DVD for myself (and turned down the volume because the girl next to me was a freak) and watched it. Life is fine and we waited (patiently, too) for about another 10 minutes.

Then, guess who came on again? CAPTAIN! Woo:

"I got a report from control that says that the light is coming up, the snow isn't as heavy, the ice has stopped falling and now we are waiting for Atlanta to see if we are able to fly."

Then:

"We are going to put the plane at a gate because we've held you guys captive long enough. We are still on the phone with Atlanta to see about your flight. We'll let you know the status of your flight as soon as we can."

WHAT?!

"Me again. Apparently, Atlanta cancelled our flight, so we are checking with them to see if we are still able to fly. We'll let you know as soon as we find some information."

Drats! There is no way that I could possibly make my connector (in Atlanta) so I was starting to panic. (What? You wouldn't? Please...)

Then, the fun gate attendant came on to tell us that he had bad news.

"Your flight has been cancelled. Good luck."*

So, after another hour (yes, an HOUR) our plane taxied to the gate and we were let off. I was fine, a little teary, but fine. The other (less pleasant) gate attendant gave me the phone number to call reservations and I was booked on a flight that leaves at 6:55 am on THURSDAY. THURSDAY!

After feeling ... defeated ... I went to baggage claim, called my dad and told him to pick me up. He was ticked! He was going to have to drive for another hour to pick me up and then another hour to get back. Four hours of driving! Eep!

So, after I talked to my dad I called my dear friend Rhetoric Raven to let her know that she would not be picking me up from the airport today. The second she answered I started sobbing like a 3 year old (remember: I hadn't slept very much - and I was annoyed!) and she made me feel much better. That's what friends do, I tell ya, they cheer you up.

Eventually my dad came, I called the airline to get my flight information, and then I came home. Rhetoric Raven called again and I talked to her. Then I talked to TheElectFew for a few minutes and asked him to pick me up at the airport, and he said yes. (I owe him!) Then...I took a long nap, ate dinner, got some necessities for the next two days from my car, and ... wrote this.

My Airport Adventure - Part Two will be written Thursday night. And it better be shorter, less complicated, and in UTAH!


*Ok, that's not all he said. And he was very nice.