There's no place like home............................

Never has that been a truer statment than earlier this morning (four o'clock to be exact) when I finally returned home. Yesterday's experience at the airport rates VERY high on the "Most miserable experience ever" list. Some of the highlights include:


Going up to check in (after five hours of sitting with our luggage) only to find that due to weather our flight was delayed by two hours. At this point in time, I was still holding it together pretty well........ By six pm, we were feeling the need for a little nourishment. (I was also feeling those "I eat when I am bored feelings," but really our last meal had been breakfast on the ship.) In order to get something besides chips, cola, or liquor, we had to go back out and then wait through the security line again. This turned out to be a good thing.(For some"body" anyway.) I ordered a veggie burger and fries, (it was either that or pizza) but Burger King fries have never been my favorite..... COLD Burger King fries even less of a favorite.

Finally arriving in Atlanta at nineish in the evening, to sit for another couple of hours before heading north.

Arriving at final destination, and (Thank you angels) finding our luggage. I remember thinking "It's all downhill from here." Boy! Was I wrong!

Hauling everything out into the cold, and onto a shuttle to be transported back to our car. The driver asked me for my red ticket. The fact that I didn't have a red ticket SHOULD have been my first clue, but I was tired, and not thinking with all cylinders by this point.

Arriving at the parking lot to NOT find our car in the expected place, and feeling guilty that I didn't have that red ticket. (Or at least didn't have it now, when it mattered most! Maybe I HAD been given one, and had lost it......... Why do I always make things my fault?)

Driving up and down row after row (It wasn't that big of a lot, but I am going for the entertainment value here!) only to come to the conclusion that either my car had been towed (from the condition of the front end........ remember _______'s accident...... they COULD have determined the car a hazard/ or too ugly to remain with the other cars.) or stolen. I voted for the first choice.......... Don't get me wrong....... I love my car, it is paid for.......... I just don't think it would have much value to a thief! By now, I was REALLY missing my husband. He would NEVER do anything like this, he is a real detail kind of guy!

Determining (with a little persuasion from the driver)we were in the wrong lot.......Do ya think? Fortunately, (for my sanity anyway) the driver was able to take us across the street. He couldn't take us into the actual lot, but I figured getting as close as we could was preferable to us hauling the luggage across the street ourselves. (The picture that the last portion of that sentence conjured up, seems entertaining now...... But trust me.......... In the heat of the moment was not at all amusing!)

Hauling our luggage (remember it is close to two in the morning by now, cold and dark. I am just beginning to relate to what a homeless person goes through on a daily basis, when one of the lot's drivers rescues us and takes us back into the lot.

Finding my car! (Right where I left it apparently.) Now I know why I didn't have that red ticket....... I KNEW I didn't lose it! I literally heard the Halleluiah Chorus singing......... (Honest!) We were home free, or soon would be. Like the song says "Wrong again..... Naturally."

Opening the glove box to get to the trunk button, (the only way to open the trunk, the actual lock doesn't work....... But, the car is paid for!) and getting that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when NOTHING HAPPENS! Absolutely nothing! Who left a light on in the car? Moi?

Things did turn around from here. A driver showed up in just a few minutes and had a super jumper........ The car started up, just like that, right at the point where I began thinking "I just can't take anymore."!

The hour drive home passed without difficulty,(Amen!)and today is a new day. While I am not ready to go through that type of adventure again anytime soon, I thought it made for semi-amusing blog material, and hope you agree. Time, now, to go wade through the junk mail and ease myself back into reality.