Palm Springs, CA 2011 - Day 1 - You F*ckin Kidding Me!

The time is 3:ooam, when my alarm went off. It was important that we left on time to ensure we get to the airport on time. I took a shower and dressed and everyone was out the door, in the van, and on the road by 3:30am. Now the trip to Boston's Logan Airport is only an hour from our house. We stopped at the bank real quick as well as a gas station to grab some breakfast, which couldn't have taken any longer than 5 minutes at the most. traffic was light and the drive was rather smooth.

Now, here is where is gets real tricky. We arrive at the airport and had to find parking. I tried to get into the lot we parked in last year for this vacation, but it was not open. As I tried to circle the lot, but somehow I got on to Route 1A. I had to take the next exit and turn around. Easy! Went back to where we started and found the lot I needed to park in. Parked the van, grabbed our stuff and then boarded the shuttle bus. The bus took probably 5 minutes to get going and about another 5 minutes to get to our terminal. Got in the wrong line, was directed to the correct line, waited there for about 5 minutes, went to check in and found out we checked in a couple minutes to late. Now let me start by telling you that there were 5 of us. Sarah & I, Michaela, Bailey, & Levi. I kinda failed to inform you of this prior, but nonetheless, things were about to get interesting. I wanted to start crying. The women at the counter told us we needed to get in line over there and rebook our flight. I looked at that women and couldn't believe was she just said. She told us we were late and we needed to be here atleast 45 minutes before our flight. It was this moment I had realized we lost about an hour of time somewhere. Either way, I told her the ticket that was printed said 30 minutes, so take that one lady! Either way, it got us no where, we were late!

We got in the line she told us to get into and waited, and waited, and watched as our 6:00am flight to Chicago left the departure screen. The women that told us we were late came over to us originally and told us to stand in this line, was looking for people that were boarding at 7:00am, found a couple and seemed like she made a point to point out to us that we didn't fall into that category before we were late. Not a happy camper I was. She did this twice as if to continue to rub it in. We waited and waited and watched as the 7:00am flight boarded. We were in line for close to 45 minutes before we finally got to speak to someone. It was then we got some even more bad news. We were given the option to go home and come back with a rebooked flight which probably wouldn't happen until Wednesday at the earliest, or we could be put on standby and if seats open on any flight, we would be eligible for them. Problem was, we were not the only ones on that list. We had so much money invested on this trip to that we were not about to head home now. I wanted to cry some more! Ta hell with it! We were added to the list.

We made it through security with no problems. The only thing that didn't go wrong the first day, but wait until I write about day 2! But let me continue with day 1. After security, the first flight out was an 8:05 flight to Dallas. The standby list was crazy long, but we happened to be mid pack. There were about 5 or 6 people in front of the 5 of us. Not a good outlook for us. So we didn't get on the first flight at 8:05am, next flight at 9:10am, or the next flight out at 10:00am. The last 2 flights though, our names on the list jumped all the way up to 1-5 on the standby list, but with every flight, it would seem that several people would jump our names on the list. Didn't quite understand why, so I went up to the counter and asked if it would be easier if we separated and the women I asked said it would be. Good thing I asked because there were 2 seats available on the 11:30 am flight to Dallas. So Sarah and Levi took those seats. But after they boarded, I suffered from a brain crap! Minutes after Sarah and Levi boarded the plane, they said they found 2 more seats on the plane if we wanted them. I told them I didn't want Bailey and Micheala to be alone, forgetting Sarah had already got on the plane. So 2 other people got those seats. It wasn't until the plane left that I realized I screwed up! This would have left me left to catch a flight which I would have gotten by the end of the night. You'll know what I mean shortly.

So Sarah and Levi were on their way. We had an understanding that if she had the opportunity to continue to Santa Ana, CA, then she should do it. So they were on their way. The faces around us started to become very familiar as there were the same people that have been on the standby list as us. Flight after flight, very little of us made it on the plane. There was a kind women from Arkansas and another from Dallas, whom I never got their names, but they were a pleasure to talk to. There was a family of 4 whose little boy would run around the terminal like a mad man, and then crash for 3 hours, then run around like a mad man, then crash for another 3 hours! There was a guy from Texas somewhere whom had been in the airport for 3 days and still hadn't gotten on a flight. His clothes had already been sent home and he had been wearing the same clothes for those 3 days. He was a trooper though. There were also 2 girls that were from Oklahoma, Valina and Lindsy, who we got to know the second day in the airport, which even though they are sitting in front of me now as I write this post, I can't find it in me to ask their names again! Sorry ladies! But rest assure, I waited until they accepted my Facebook friend request before posting this so that I don't seem so ignorant. I mean come on, spending as much time as we already had in a airport can do a number to any ones mind! Anyhow, we all became family as the night went on and none of us were called to board a flight until it finally happened!

The final flight to Dallas was originally scheduled for 8:00pm but had been delayed 3 times, eventually landing it at a 11:00pm departure time. It was shortly before the plane started loading for take off, when the family formed in the airport. We all talked about how it seemed likely that some of us were heading out on this final flight. There were not a lot of people in the terminal for this flight, but things would begin to look rather ugly. As the time grew closer, more people showed up, and show up they did. One by one they filed in as they started being called on to the plane. Wait for it! Wait for it! "Baril!" What was that? "Baril!" Our name was called! Bailey was out cold and Michaela was half in the bag at this point. I had to wake both of them up and pack them up. I pretty much sprinted to the checkout counter, raised my hand, and what happened next was killer! "We have 2 seats on the plane, do you want them?" You f*ckin kidding me! They had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to send 2 of the 3 of us off to Dallas, where I have no way of getting a hold of anyone, where we might get stuck over night. Think about this. Eventually, I was to find out that Sarah and Levi had made it out to Santa Anna. If I had sent 2 of the 3 of us to Dallas on that last flight, that would leave 1 in Boston, 2 in Dallas, and 2 in Santa Ana! It was bad enough we split up earlier to make things easier for us to leave Boston, which failed horribly. But back to Logan Airport. I was pissed! I through a couple choice words into the air as I walked away from the checkout counter and to an area of the terminal to sit and shed a tear. I couldn't believe what had happened. This is not how I intended to spend the first day of our vacation. Now this wasn't the way how I intended on spending the first night.