So not as planned…

I’m going to so need a vaction from this vacation.

I went to visit Dominic’s grave Saturday, instead of Sunday, so I wouldn’t have to worry about time restraints Sunday, on his actual birthday. [Which, I have come to the conlusion, I’m never travelling on again. I wasn’t going to to begin with. But I wanted as much time as I could get with Wasil…Which…Yeah…I’ll get to that.]

Woke up before my alarm Sunday, in good spirits. Had lots of time to get ready, didn’t have to rush.
Got ready at a nice pace. Made sure the rest of everything I needed was packed and together with my luggage.
On the way to TC realized I’d forgotten my extra snacks…But really, they were extra, so the chances of needing them were low.
[I had prepared baggies of snacks, almonds, twizzler bites, slim jims, dried cherries and milk duds.]

Went to TC a bit early even, to get a couple things for the Critter’s Ostara baskets for when we all get to be back together again. [So yeah, after Spring Break is done.]
Got to the airport…Went to check my bag, was expecting to spedn $25.00…Was told it was free! [I don’t see this happening on the return trip, as it’s a different airline…Or ever again, as I will not be setting foot on another American Airlines plane unless the alternative is being sat on fire.]
Said my good-byes to my Mum…Went through security. She said she watched me go through until I got out of her sight…I had to find a table to put my laptop back in it’s case and rearrange the rest of the stuff in my carry-on. [Which, yeah, I’m quite pleased with the backpack I got for this job, although it would be a bit more handy if it had a computer area designed into it…But hey, it works.]

Got on the plane…Window seat…Those things I can deal with.
Not so liking, it was the first double row, so I couldn’t put my bag in front of me, I had to put it in the over head bin. Blah. & was sitting next to a old man…Kind of scary.
Not so liking also, that the flight attendent woudln’t let me just hang onto my purse, it had to be stowed to. O.o This is the first time I’ve had them do that to me.
The flight itself wasn’t too bad…Take off was good…There were some clouds after a bit, so couldn’t see the ground…There was some minor turbulance, but not enough to stop beverage service. That I didn’t partake of, and was wishing later I had.
Landing wasn’t too bad. [The worst part listening to the obnoxious child behind me go on and on and on through the whole thing.]

The part that sucked…The being told that my connecting flight out of O’Hare, that was to take me to St. Louis…Was Cancelled! *sigh*
That is where the nightmare started.
At first, I was trying to be calm…I’d just talk to someone, they would get me on the next flight out, everything would be okay. Nope.
The next flight was booked solid, and there was a stand-by list…Of which I was #22. Which reads, not going to bloody well happen. Next thought.
Okay…The Standby #22 was the last one to St. Louis through American Airlines that night…I could go somewhere "close". Seriously? WTF? Like I know where somewhere close would get me…Reading me a list of places that I have no idea where they are isn’t going to help me. Map? Of course not.
The next flight American Airlines had going to St. Louis after that was sometime Monday…& there was no gaurentee of getting on it, AND there was a layover between O’Hare and St. Louis! WTF? Really? Because going airprot hoping sounds like so much bloody fun! *growls* 
And all other airlines flights were fully booked, no room.
[But, and this is what annoys me…They were ALL still going to St. Louis…Including #22 stand-by…It was only MY flight to St. Louis that got cancelled!]

*deep breath in* *deep breath out* 
Wasil says he’s on his way to get me…5 hours drive. *scoffs* Yeah…At 5 hours, he was at the half-way point between St. Louis & Chicago.
The storm that cancelled my flight was effecting his drive to come get me.
I think it must have been about 10:30 PM when Wasil managed to get to the airport.

But there is more before that!
Since I checked my bag, and it was headed for St. Louis, I had to leave the nice warm terminal areas, and go down to baggage claim so they could get a hold of whoever they are suppose to get a hold of, and get my luggage out of circulation, so I could have it.
My plane landed at around 2 PM (a tiny bit after)…It wasn’t even 3:00 when I was at baggage claim, telling them I needed to get my bag. They did their thing on the computer. Told me my bag should be coming out on the conveyer belt that was connveintly right there, and it could be up to 2 hours.
I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. I went back around 4:30-5:00 I think after still not seeing my bag…They told me they would put in another request…I waited and waited and waited some more. I go back about 5:30, and they inform me that my luggage continued on it’s way to St. Louis without me. *headdesk*

All and all, I’m waiting at baggage claim for 7 1/2 hours, at the airport for 8 1/2 hours…
Had I stayed in the terminal area, and not attempted to get my bag, which was going to go on it’s way without me anyway, I could have had things to do, I could have been warm!
Instead, I sat and waited, trying to cover up in my black trench…Because, yeah, I couldn’t have even wore my long brown coat with the warm lining, nope, I had to stick with the outfit, in the misconception that I wasn’t going to have to deal with a whole lot of cold.
I asked the counter if they happend to have a blanket handy, so I could at least cover up and not freeze. Nope.
Asked if there was anywhere warmer that I could get to in the airport while I waited for my ride. Their only answer, well there is the Hilton. WTF? Yeah…Because I can afford to get a room at the Hilton…Especailly a Hilton that is attatched to an airport!
It’s not like I was wanting or execting a lot…A tiny bit of compassion maybe, but apparently that’s not in the job description.
AND, no American Airlines was not helping anyone with vochurs for hotel rooms while they were trapped in Chicago.

At least I wasn’t the girl who had gotten to the airport at 10-10:30 that morning, with only $1.10 to her name, only to find out that her ride was picked up for drunk driving, and wouldn’t be coming to get her. It was about 9 PM when I met her. She’d been crying to bus drivers every couple hours in an attempt to talk one of them into letting her on the bus so she could get home. $27.00 bus ticket, that she didn’t have the money for. Had I had more money on me, I would have helped out. I had a $20 bill, and that was it as far as cash went…& I wasn’t sure if I was going to need it for something. Besides, even if I had given it to her, she still would have been $7.00 short…& I guess, being cynical, it could have all been a scam for money too. *shrugs* 

ANYWAY…10:30-ish arri

ves…Along with it, Wasil to my rescue.
Poor boy…He left, forgot his meds…And since I know I haven’t said it here yet…The other day he got his MRI results, his herniated disk reherniated…So it’s like before he had his surgery even. *sigh* He hadn’t eaten…I hadn’t eaten much…Some candy, the total of my slim jims, and some almonds. The only drinks I had were out of the water fountatin, and that was not a whole lot.
We left the airport…I got to ride on the equivilant of a subway train out to the parking area. That was a new experience. Probably woud have been more enjoyable under other circumstances. Heck, had I know it was there, and wouldn’t have worried about getting lost, I could have rode it around for a little while, while the doors were closed it was a heck of a lot warmer than waiting in baggage claim.

Got a hotel room for the night…Wasil had to miss work Monday because of all of this.
The room wasn’t bad. Nice big bed. The heating/cooling unit was apparently not working quite right. It got too hot for Wasil, then the AC was kicking on, but not really cooling it.
I’m not sure…I finaly was half-way warm, it was nice. & apparently it had luke-warm water instead of hot…Wasil went to take a hot bath to try and soothe his aches, and the water didn’t get hot enough.
But, it was a room, with a bed, and there could be sleep.

Was on our way to St. Louis first thing in the morning…It still look quite a while to drive. Even without the blizzard going, the roads were still bad in spots.
On the way we counted 47 or so vehicles in the ditch. Some fresh, some from the night before (they had orange tags on them). Two semi-trucks in that mix, and an RV.
There were also at least 20 places where someone had gone in and had been gotten out already.

Stopped for food around 1…Had Popeyes…Yay chicken!
Got into St. Louis, went to the airport, and amazingly found my bag quickly! I’m thankful for the bright yellow tag with the penguin on it…It stands out in a sea of black. [Seriously…Do not travel with black luggage…I have decided this. & if you do…Find a way to make it stand out!]
Got back to Wasil’s place around 6-ish I think.
Got somewhat settled in…& pretty much crashed for the night.

But yeah…That is how this trip has started out.
With the thoughts that…No more traveling on Dominic’s birthday…No more American Airlines…& more noticable luggage is always a good thing.

I think that is it for the moment…My back is killing me, has been since having to drive Mum’s Explorer those few days (the seats & I do not get along)…I think a nice hot bath might be in order…Wasil won’t be home until 5:30…So I have time to kill…