Saturday, March 04, 2006

I was supposed to be in Tulsa by now.....oy vey!

Today is a lesson in why you do not procrastinate, kids!

My flight this morning left at 8:15 a.m...without me on it. Why? Because, like an idiot, I got up too late. I woke up at 7 a.m.

Yikes.

To make a long story short...Just as I was pulling into the shadows of the airport, John Q. Law snared me in his net.

"Can you give me legal justification as to why you were exceeding the speed limit?" the officer said.

I don't think there's a because I'm a moron clause in the laws, is there? So I elected to tell him I was just trying to get to the airport to make my flight. To the good officer's credit, he was polite and expeditious himself...in writing me up for 79 in a 50. So this trip is already costing me $165. Neat!!

I carefully drove the rest of the way to the airport, said thanks and goodbye to Heather (who so kindly offered to drop me off in her car so I wouldn't have to pay parking), ran inside and began checking in. The ticket agent for NWA (not that NWA! The other one!) warned me that I probably would not make my flight, as it was departing in less than 25 minutes. But she helped me as much as she could. I hustled to the gate, only to be stopped in my tracks....by an elderly woman in a maroon blazer.

In continuation of my lucky day, I had to go through the "other" security line. You know the one: where if you get snotty they turn their rubber-gloved attention to your orifaces. At this point, I'm only slightly calm because I'm losing precious time. The TSA folks were kind enough (not their fault I was late), but I was going Rain-Man because I could see my gate!!

As Maxwell Smart might say....missed it by that much!

Ugh.

The good folks of NWA were able to book me onto a noon flight to Tulsa (by way of Memphis). I chose to see the silver lining and went back to Heather's to have breakfast and decompress.

I came back at 11, with boarding passes in hand, and waited patiently by my gate.

11:20....no plane.
11:30....still no plane, and now, no crew.
11:40....natives gettin' restless.
11:45....the inevitable....the flight was INDEFINITELY DELAYED!

After a bit of bouncing around in the terminal, I was able to get a new flight plan.

So here's the latest.

NW flight 656 departing Indianapolis at 1:26 p.m., arriving in Detroit at 2:37 p.m.
NW flight 3757 departing Detroit at 3:10 p.m., arriving in Tulsa at 4:45 p.m.

I'll miss the women's game, dammit. But I'll still get there. And, truth be told, I have nothing but kind things to say about the good people of NWA. They've been extremely accommodating and helpful. I even got a $5 voucher for lunch for the inconvenience.

So far, this trip has only cost me 72 cents....and $165.

Ugh. I just want to be on a plane....any plane.