Flying is Hell

My flight at 2:45 PM out of Greensboro was delayed. I found this out when I arrived at the airport. I had spent an hour that morning trying to rebook from the cancellation to New York that had kindly arrived in the form of voice mail on my phone as I was pulling my suitcase out the door. The lady on the other end of the phone, earlier, was obviously from India and had a thick accent I could barely understand. She told me the only way to New York City that day was to layover in Atlanta but I would still arrive at Laguardia at 4:30 PM. Far from the non-stop flight I had just lost, I took it. Ok, fine, done, whatever gets me there. Now the ticket agent was telling me that my flight to Atlanta was delayed and when I did get there, I would have only minutes to catch my next flight. Or......I could sit in the Greensboro airport for the next five hours and if all went well, would arrive at Laguardia at 7:30 PM. I had a good book. I chose to wait. The sports bar seemed like a good place to pass the time with a turkey, bacon sandwich and a glass of white Zin. With kettle chips and my book, I was good to go.... er.... wait.

Sports bar. Big TV. Denver vs Baltimore. I settled in. The guy at the next table was yelling at the TV - just like my husband does. I called my son, already in New York, to tell him I would be there some time after 8:00 but from Greensboro, not Atlanta. I told him I was drinking wine to pass the time. I think I heard him mutter "Uh oh..." Finally, five long hours later, and on the plane. It was 6 PM. Only an hour to Laguardia. OK and we are off. Short trip after a long wait. But, all is good. Or is it? "Fog in New York and all airports shut down." Now that doesn't sound very good. Detour where? Allentown, PA? I never really had any desire to go THERE! Still don't!!! We land, sit on the tarmac. And sit and sit. Call son, call husband. We sit for an hour. OK.... "Ladies and Gentlemen - there is a break in the weather, please buckle up." We taxi.... about 3 inches. Nope, Fog alert! We aren't going anywhere. The engines shut down. I call my son. After another hour of sitting, we begin to smell something. Out of blue stuff for the toilet and it won't flush anymore and as our ever perky flight attendent passes out the last of the Biscoff cookies (now you know what airline I was flying) peanuts and pretzels, it seems we are also out of water. I think about easing my own personal bottle of water out of my purse and taking a gulp, but feel guilty and decide to suffer along with my fellow captives....er....passengers. As an aromatic mixture of bathroom and body odor waft through the cabin, I say a prayer under my breath and just then a miracle happens! "Buckle up" booms over the intercom. We quickly oblige. Maybe.... NO! Maybe..... NO! We are instead of racing down the runway, being taken to the Allentown, PA airport terminal. A chance to use the ladies room and to find an electrical outlet to charge my cell phone doesn't sound half bad at this point. Cell charged, call son who tells me there is food waiting at the apartment. My stomach growls remembering the last meal, which wasn't a meal at all but 2 red licorice whips, 2 cups of airplane coffee and 12 mini pretzels. I might still have a Biscoff cookie in my pocket. It only takes 16 minutes to fly from Allentown to New York City. We all sit close to the door at the gate in the Allentown airport. We are ready to dash toward the door and jump on the plane at a moments notice. All eyes are on that door as it opens and a man tells us we must hurry. There is a break in the fog. I call my son as I hurry onboard. We clap as the plane takes off. Another prayer seems in order. We fly low. It is rainy and very bumpy but I don't care. I just want to see this guy!

He was my driver, who had been on call all evening and who, I am sure, was very frustrated with the situation. But, he was there, grabbed my bag, held an umbrella over my head and then cheerfully drove me to the door of the apartment building on 150th Street. I peeked in on my sleeping grandson. My son and daughter-in-law chatted with me for a few minutes, gave me a bite to eat, showed me to my room and at 10:30 PM, we all turned in. It was a very long travel day.