This post has been a LONG time coming and the title sums up so many things. 1) It's the lyrics of a song I'm listening to and I always title posts with song lyrics that I'm either listening to or are in my head, so it's inevitable 2) I spent a week with my family and I'll take their love to the grave and 3) Between posts I celebrated three years of marriage to the world's best husband :)
I spent nine days in my hometown, the purpose of which was to meet my brand new nephew, Benjamin (aka Pudus Dudus, Benny Bean, Chubby Cheeks, etc.). The trip didn't get off to a great start - I spent a night in the Detroit airport by myself...cold, hungry, scared and alone. Does that make me sound like a homeless person? Good. Because I felt like one. I'll spare all the details, but I'll recap with a timeline:
Friday, 5:50pm - Schedule time of departure from Grand Rapids
Friday, 6:45pm - the time we finally boarded the plane and the pilot said we were stuck in GR because of bad weather in Detroit (while it was sunny and 85 on the tarmac where we sat...and sat...and sat)
Friday, 7:15pm - Dan called and told me my connecting flight from Detroit to Charlotte was cancelled
Friday, 8:30pm - I was third in line at the front gate counter, about to inquire about my cancelled flight when we reboarded
Friday, 9:15pm - We finally leave Grand Rapids (this time also signifies 7 minutes after my original arrival time to Charlotte) Leaving though, this was my view from the runway. Nice.
Saturday, 3:10am - I see two direct flight to Charlotte on the departure board, one at 7:00am and one at 10:10am. I think to myself, If I have to sell my soul to Delta Airlines, I'll be on one of those flights.
Saturday, 3:30am - I get back into the hellish line to check availability on the direct flights
Saturday, 5:15am - I arrive at the front of the line, wrapped in my free airline blanket and proceed to beg the attendant to put me on one of the flights, with tears welling up in my eyes from my hunger and fatigue. She guarantees me on the 10:10 and puts me on standby for the 7:00. I say to her, "I could hug you right now." Then I ask her, near tears, if I can dig through her trashcan because the woman who helped me at 1:05am took my old boarding passes that had my baggage claim sticker and threw them away. She looks at me, full of pity and reluctantly reaches for my boarding passes and says, "Oh honey, you don't have to do that. I've got your claim number right here...let me write it on your new boarding passes."
Saturday, 5:30am - Starbucks opens and I mumble a prayer of thanksgiving.
Saturday, 6:35am - They call my name for the 7:00 standby flight and I look at my ticket and realize I'm in first class.
Saturday, 9:30ish am - I arrive in Charlotte, a little worse for wear, but with a great story under my belt and find my sisters don't even realize I've arrived because they're on facebook on Amanda's cell phone.
Now...for the fun part. PICTURES!
Nater Potater, my closet favorite
Me and Benny Bean, the world's cutest newborn
Running in the Carolina heat...um, disgusting
Pretty little thing
Like I said, world's cutest newborn
Ben soaking up the mini-golf
Super Mom - breast feeding, taking pictures of her kids AND navigating a stroller through a mini-golf course
Mom (creeper dad) and Mandsy
We had an Immel Reunion and my aunt brought a bunch of my grandma's old photo albums - Jeff, mom, dad, Aunt Brenda and Uncle Chuck checkin' out the memories
Every set of cousins wishes they were as cool as THIS set of cousins (We missed you Grant!)
Immel 5, plus Jeff, Nate, Mercy and Benny
Possibly more pictures to come...when I have more time, patience and selection when Kristen sends me her pics :)
I spent nine days in my hometown, the purpose of which was to meet my brand new nephew, Benjamin (aka Pudus Dudus, Benny Bean, Chubby Cheeks, etc.). The trip didn't get off to a great start - I spent a night in the Detroit airport by myself...cold, hungry, scared and alone. Does that make me sound like a homeless person? Good. Because I felt like one. I'll spare all the details, but I'll recap with a timeline:
Friday, 5:50pm - Schedule time of departure from Grand Rapids
Friday, 6:45pm - the time we finally boarded the plane and the pilot said we were stuck in GR because of bad weather in Detroit (while it was sunny and 85 on the tarmac where we sat...and sat...and sat)
Friday, 7:15pm - Dan called and told me my connecting flight from Detroit to Charlotte was cancelled
Friday, 8:30pm - I was third in line at the front gate counter, about to inquire about my cancelled flight when we reboarded
Friday, 9:15pm - We finally leave Grand Rapids (this time also signifies 7 minutes after my original arrival time to Charlotte) Leaving though, this was my view from the runway. Nice.
Friday, 9:45pm - Arriva in Detroit and visit the front gate, to be rushed off with a new mock boarding pass that give me my new itinerary: Grand Rapids to Atlanta to Detroit. WHAT? I'm in NONE of those places.
Friday, 9:47pm - Call Dan and cry because I'm scared and have never had to deal with a cancelled flight by myself.
Friday, 10:00pm - Get in a twisting, winding line that runs all the way down the length of a moving sidewalk to rebook my ticket.
Satuday, 1:00am - Arrive at front of line to hear an announcement that in a few minutes, they'll be closing the line and asking all passengers to use Delta's 1-800 number to rebook. FML.
Saturday, 1:05am - I'm rebooked for flight leaving at 10:35am, traveling to Atlanta, then arriving in Charlotte at 3:00pm
Saturday, 2:00am - I finally settle into a sleeping position. This is my view...
Friday, 9:47pm - Call Dan and cry because I'm scared and have never had to deal with a cancelled flight by myself.
Friday, 10:00pm - Get in a twisting, winding line that runs all the way down the length of a moving sidewalk to rebook my ticket.
Satuday, 1:00am - Arrive at front of line to hear an announcement that in a few minutes, they'll be closing the line and asking all passengers to use Delta's 1-800 number to rebook. FML.
Saturday, 1:05am - I'm rebooked for flight leaving at 10:35am, traveling to Atlanta, then arriving in Charlotte at 3:00pm
Saturday, 2:00am - I finally settle into a sleeping position. This is my view...
Saturday, 3:00am - I wake up, unable to sleep soundly because my cell is turned off due to my one bar of battery power and the fact that my charger is in my suitcase...and I have NO idea where my luggage is at this point.
Saturday, 3:30am - I get back into the hellish line to check availability on the direct flights
Saturday, 5:15am - I arrive at the front of the line, wrapped in my free airline blanket and proceed to beg the attendant to put me on one of the flights, with tears welling up in my eyes from my hunger and fatigue. She guarantees me on the 10:10 and puts me on standby for the 7:00. I say to her, "I could hug you right now." Then I ask her, near tears, if I can dig through her trashcan because the woman who helped me at 1:05am took my old boarding passes that had my baggage claim sticker and threw them away. She looks at me, full of pity and reluctantly reaches for my boarding passes and says, "Oh honey, you don't have to do that. I've got your claim number right here...let me write it on your new boarding passes."
Saturday, 5:30am - Starbucks opens and I mumble a prayer of thanksgiving.
Saturday, 6:35am - They call my name for the 7:00 standby flight and I look at my ticket and realize I'm in first class.
Saturday, 9:30ish am - I arrive in Charlotte, a little worse for wear, but with a great story under my belt and find my sisters don't even realize I've arrived because they're on facebook on Amanda's cell phone.
Now...for the fun part. PICTURES!
Mercy with my dad, a few minutes after he arrived - about 9 hours after me
Nater Potater, my closet favorite
Me and Benny Bean, the world's cutest newborn
Running in the Carolina heat...um, disgusting
Pretty little thing
Like I said, world's cutest newborn
Ben soaking up the mini-golf
Super Mom - breast feeding, taking pictures of her kids AND navigating a stroller through a mini-golf course
Mom (creeper dad) and Mandsy
We had an Immel Reunion and my aunt brought a bunch of my grandma's old photo albums - Jeff, mom, dad, Aunt Brenda and Uncle Chuck checkin' out the memories
Every set of cousins wishes they were as cool as THIS set of cousins (We missed you Grant!)
Immel 5, plus Jeff, Nate, Mercy and Benny
Possibly more pictures to come...when I have more time, patience and selection when Kristen sends me her pics :)
2 comments:
You really did have an adventure! But, from the pictures it looks like it was worth it! So glad you had a great time at home :) And...Happy Anniversary!
holla!!! i'm glad you posted the story but i like the dramatic and embelished straight from the mouth version better. :)
lets have a contest to see who can send the other their pictures burned on a cd fastest. you have some really good ones! i thought amanda had given me hers and yours but i only have hers... sigh.
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