so today i was to leave monroe, louisiana at noon central time. i get to the airport and when i scan my credit card, i see the ole so fun words... "YOUR FLIGHT HAS BEEN DELAYED." at the same time, in this tiny little airport, they are calling us to go through security, so i am slightly confused. i asked the ticket agent if it was truly delayed and he said, there was a weather block, but it has been lifted, "we are going to get you out of here right on time." ha. famous last words. so i go through security... once i get through security, i forget that this airport is so old that it doesn't even have a restroom in the secure area. i'm thinking, it is only an hour flight or so to atlanta, i'll be fine. well, let the fun begin. so they call us to board. we get on the plane. no sooner than 75% of the passengers get on the plane, the pilot comes over the intercom and says, "Folks, it looks like air traffic control in Atlanta has put a one hour ground/weather hold on all air traffic, at least. We are going to be here for at least another hour, we don't have an updated departure time. The weather is terrible in Atlanta, and it only looks to get worse." So, we are then given the choice to sit on the plane and wait or get off the plane and hang out in the shoebox size airport, either way, i'm thinking, please don't let me be stuck in monroe, louisiana for the night. So, I go back inside, and go out of security to take a potty break (i am how ridiculous) and to get a sandwich. I return and Delta calls my phone to alert me in a change in the time of my travel, this is 45 min after my scheduled departure time. a little late, but i guess better late than never, haha. so, at this point they tell us the flight will leave at 1:15pm, then 1:30pm, then 1:36pm, then finally 1:59pm - imagine the excitement every time you hear an update and then you see the minute hand pass by 1:36pm and you are still not boarding the plane. we finally get on the plane to take off for a "scheduled" 1:59pm departure.
once on the plane, the pilot comes over the intercom (i'm thinking oh no, please no... don't let this be happening again), he says, "Folks, I apologize again for all the delays, but we have been cleared for take off. Go ahead and prepare yourselves for a bumpy ride. The weather is horrible today; it is very bumpy up there, but we've been told there is some smooth air, so we will try and find that." i'm thinking, great... vermont trip memories start replaying in my head... i highly doubt that the turbulence i experienced on that trip will ever be matched, if so, more than likely i won't live to tell about it, haha. we take off, i slept through most of it, and then we land. the times i was awake, it was bumpy, but a few ups and downs doesn't bother me at all. the flight attendant tells us that he wasn't given any connecting flight information, so once we deplane, we will need to find a board and see if our original flight has left, if not take off running and try to make it - if not, not to worry we've been confirmed on the next flight out. i'm thinking, running (with my ankle in the shape it is in, ha). so once we actually get inside the terminal, it is 4:08, my original flight was delayed going to charlotte, but it will be leaving at 4:15pm (i am in C, and it is leaving from E), i just look at the board and laugh. there is no way on God's green earth that i am going to make that, and i'm not going to break my ankle again to make a flight. so, i just casually walk to my next flight (the one i was backed up on) that was leaving at 5:19pm.
i get to the gate, and everything is going really well. we board. we push back from the gate/terminal. the pilot comes over the intercom (here we go again) and says, "well, i hate to bring some bad news, but Charlotte air traffic control has put a 30 minute ground stop on all flights. we are just going to sit here, and we'll now be taking off at 6:17pm." i'm thinking, really. so at this point, they tell us we can turn our cellphones back on. the flight attendant comes back to me, specifically, and says, "Excuse me, where/what was your original seat?" i'm like what the heck is she talking about. i said, "4A, right here, where i am sitting." (i mean there are only so many choices in first class). she says, "we didn't see you or count you in the first tally when we pushed back from the gate." i'm thinking is this woman crazy. i've been sitting in this seat for over an hour now. how can you miss a whole body? last week i get asked if i am preggers, this week i'm non-existent. i call my mother to let her know what is going on, that i have been delayed again, thinking she might be concerned about where i am or where i am sitting, and she is whispering to me. i ask her what is going on, and she says this to me, "can i call you back, i'm in the woods, and we are watching an owl?" i had to laugh. my parents go on a walk in the woods (behind their house) probably 5-6 times a week, but i can't say that i've gotten that reply before. then we finally land in charlotte. the flight attendant comes over the intercom and says the normal spill about how we can turn on our cellphones, except she says this: "you may now use your cellphone and other portable electronic devices; however, please remember that once we close the boarding door for takeoff these items will have to be stored." everyone just looks around like, this woman is dumb. most of the time, when a flight attendant makes a mistake, they laugh it off, but not her. she paused, and then tried to finish, but it was a mess. i just wanted to get off the plane, so i could get home.
so i get into the terminal and i want a white chocolate mocha from starbucks, somehow i think this is going to help my long day of travel delays better. i get to the starbucks counter, and order my mocha. there is a lady there, who seems frazzled. she is searching for her credit card. she finally tells the guy working the register that she can't pay for her coffee because she can't find her credit card, i'm thinking after the day i've had, maybe if i by this girl some coffee, my day will get better. so i did my good deed of the day, and i bought a complete stranger a coffee, haha.
now i am home, it is like 1am, and i am off to bed. goodnight and everyone have a great weekend.
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