Flight(s) from HELL!!

This morning I woke up at 3:45am to get ready and head for the airport to visit my fantastical big brother in NYC.  I was a little too chipper for 3:45 am but was super excited about gettng to New York to visit my Herk and figured the lack of sleep and long wait through security would most definitley be worth it once I reached my final destination. So, happiness was reigning abundant.

The flight was booked a month and a half ago and plans were made for my brother to greet me at the airport once I arrived.  I was to fly from Tulsa to New York with a connecting flight in Memphis, which I was excited about because I believe the Memphis airport is the best smellig airport in the country.  Can anyone say, BBQ 24/7?  And, let's face it, who doesnt want to swing by the ELVIS shop for some "love me tender" breath mints on the way to their gate whilst smelling BBQ the entire way?

I was at my gate in Tulsa, boarded the plane on time and was excited things were off to a great start!  Well, excited until I sat in the hot plane for 45 minutes, anxiously awaiting to leave, and then heard the dreaded announcement:  ALL PLANES IN AND OUT OF MEMPHIS ARE GROUNDED DUE TO SERVE THUNDER STORMS AND A TORNADO!  What??  No flight!?! No BBQ!?! No Elvis!?!

I waited around for a little bit and then heard my name called at the service desk.  The very disgruntled Delta Airlines employee informed me that she could re-route my connecting flight to Minneapolis and have me in Laguardia by 3pm.  It was a little later than my original arrival time but I didn't want to take any chances on getting stuck in Tulsa, so, I emphatically told her to BOOK IT!!  So, I hopped on the flight to Minneapolis and it was smooth sailing all the way.  I had plenty of time once I arrived to find my gate, eat breakfast and read a little.  Every time I looked at the board above the service desk and saw the words flash "on time", I swooned a little.  Life was good.

Then it happened. The announcement was made..... THE FLIGHT TO LAGUARDIA HAS BEEN DELAYED DUE TO SOME MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS.  Now, I don't know aout you, but I never want to hear "maintenance problems" used when speaking about the airplane I am about to take a ride on.  So, this lovely piece of news coupled with the news that the flight was delayed had me in a bit of a tizzy. At this point, just a little panic set-in.  Who knew it was about to get worse.

45 minutes later, another announcement was made: THE FLIGHT TO LAGUARDIA HAS BEEN CANCELLED!  PLEASE GO TO THE KIOSK ACROSS FROM G9 TO RE-BOOK YOUR FLIGHT.  AGAIN, THE FLIGHT TO LAGUARDIA HAS BEEN CANCELLED!  I'm super annoyed by this point and my only thought at the moment was...... REALLY?  Do you really need to repeat the fact that the flight has been cancelled?  I heard it the first time, lady!  By the way, I will stand by my belief that the announcer enjoyed the look of utter dread on all the passengers faces. Honest.  The work of the devil, I tell you!

So, I haul it over to G9 where I scan my boarding pass to find out I've been booked on another flight to Laguardia. Lovely. Wait! What!?!  My lovely flight to Laguardia leaves tomorrow. TOMORROW!  Really, people?  Tomorrow?

At this point, I had no other choice but to experience the pleasure of waiting in line for over an hour with a host of disgruntled passengers all trying to make it to their destinations....... TODAY not TOMORROW.  I finally made it to the Delta Airlines service desk to speak with the lady re-booking flights.  The lady was helpful but in a very "I-guess-I'll-help-you-but-I-really-don't-want-to-help-you" kind of way and mananged to get me on a flight to Newark.  I was so thankful until I realized the flight left in 20 minutes.  My "I can do this!" attitude helped me to suck it up and attempt to truck it on over  to terminal F.  Which as luck would have it, was located, you guessed it, on the complete opposite side of the airport.  I made it.  BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I made it.  I made it panting, with blisters forming on my feet from my flip flops and my shoulder and back about to break from the weight of my carry-on bags.  But, I made it!  I made it just in time to find out the flight to Newark had been dealyed.  REALLY?  Notice how the word really has become the theme of the day thus far.

So, I waited for the flight to Newark, praying to the Jesus Taco and the real one, hoping that it would actually take off and land in the place it was expected to.  And, it did.

I'm actually writing this from the plane using the $10.00 internet that I had to pay for.  And once again am asking myself....REALLY?