oh, did I ever call it!!!

 So the other day, I was writing on this blog about our tight flight connection at JFK in NYC.  Remember, Camille be a dear and run ahead and hold that plane door open for me?  Well, I wrote it and it came true.  It was like a mini-nightmare in real life.

We got up at 3:30 am, got the airport, breezed through security with our TSA precheck, which is totally worth getting, and on to our gate.  The line for coffee at Dunkin was prohibitive, so we decided we would drink crappy airplane coffee when we boarded.

Well.  A message from the captain that the aircraft was throwing an error code.  Maintenance reset something, and had to wait ten minutes to start it up and on and on.  They had already boarded those who needed assistance, and then took them back off the plane.  tick tick tick, that 50 minute cushion between our upcoming flight was dwindling.  We had decided to gate check our carryons, so we wouldn't have to lug them through the connection.

We finally took off, had an uneventful flight, during which I talked to a flight attendent about how short our connection time was going to be, she said there were a few others on board with similar tight connections and that she would announce a request that others remained seated so that we could deplane first.  I heard her talk to the couple in front of us, they had at least an hour more time than we did, she assured them they would be fine.

So we landed, scurried to our feet as fast as we could, and the couple in front of us was in the aisle, getting bags from overhead bins...I knew they had plenty of time, so I said, in my most passive agressive voice, Camille, I really hope only people going to Ft. Lauderdale and Phoenix are getting off now, because we have like FIVE minutes to get on our plane...  the lady heard me, and poked her husband, said to him that they should sit down and let us off...I gave her such a happy thank you, so appreciate it, then it trickled down the aisle that we had five minutes to make our flight...most people remained in their seats, and as we inched down toward the door, one lady said, "It's 7:56, good luck!"  Yes, good luck, hope you make it, hurry now!  All the well wishes from kind strangers, as they let us go by.  Our next flight:  doors closed at 8:00.   The problem was, we landed at gate #1.  The flight to Phoenix was at gate 26.  Our tickets said gate 19, which was in the other direction.  The phone app said gate 20.   We decided to go for 26, that was the latest communication from JetBlue.  So, we took off, thankful we hadn't any roller bags to lug.  She went on ahead to make sure it was the right gate.  I swerved in between hapless people taking a selfie in the middle of the aisle, ruder than I would ever imagine being...I hurried as fast as I could go.

Camille made it there, told the gate agent her mom was coming, the agent said oh no, if she isn't here, she isn't boarding...Cam ran back a bit, saw me coming, said MOM HURRY, as if I could HURRY more.  I did, I stepped on it, and zooomed right to the gate...the ticket agent was not amused, she kept her mantra going, this is a courtesy, this is just a courtesy...Cam had already scanned our boarding passes, and bam we were the very last ones on the plane.  My hands may have been shaking a little bit.  My heart may have been pounding quite hard.

It was 8:02 when she scanned us in.

Then, we had a nice relaxing flight, I watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas, during which I nodded off.  It was a five hour flight, not too bad.

We arrived and our luggage didn't.

So we went to Target.  You feel so straggly after traveling.  But we needed something to change into.  I wanted to get into their pool as soon as I got there, they had no big old lady bathing suits, so I found an extra large tennis dress on the clearance rack, and yay, they had half off the clearance price!  I also bought a pair of shorts, and ugly t-shirt, a sweatshirt skirt with Hello Kitty, and a USA t-shirt to sleep in, Cam picked out a few things and a new bikini too.  

We put our traveling clothes into the washing machine, then headed to the pool....ahhh.

Our luggage hasn't arrived yet.  I had to call this morning to confirm I want it delivered here instead of picking it up at the airport an hour away.  Of course the number I was given, no one answered so I left messages on two different options, and on the online portal.  Maybe I'll have another swim in the black tennis dress...which I am super thankful I found!  

Ah well...traveling is not always fun, but the adrenaline rush and supreme relief of actually making our flight were pretty sweet.  The thing is, we could have just gotten onto a later flight, not a huge-0 deal, but who wants to wait around the airport for a few more hours?  

Riley made us a thanksgiving feast last night, homemade cranberry sauce, cornbread stuffing with fresh sage and chorizo sausage in a hot skillet pan, roasted turkey, gravy, homemade mashies...oh dear.  Then a fresh fruit cobbler, with strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, hot out of the oven with vanilla Tillamook ice cream...oh dear!  

So it's nice to be here....glad I don't have to travel again until next week ha...Sorry for the super boring detailed narrative...:). Have a really good day...