curve ball...

In my recent post about kindness I mentioned my great experice with United Airlines. We got switched to an earlier direct flight home from Ohio and we were so grateful for that! Well.. 10 minutes before we were about to leave for the airport I checked our flight status...

CANCELLED

Our flight had been cancelled and my husband and I were booked on separate flights for different days. He was booked with the baby and a heavy snow storm was due to hit Ohio the next day. This would not work. Suddenly our easy-peasy trip home became a bit of a headache. We were being tested.

How would we handle it?

We kept our cool as we dashed to the aiport hoping to get on an earlier flight together. We did! Wahoo!!

Then that flight got cancelled...

We rushed to another gate with a plane headed to Chicago. We managed to get retickted and got on our way. Our connecting flight happened to be delayed (thank goodness) but there wasn't much time to connect. Nothing about traveling with an infant is easy..or quick. It was dumping snow in Chicago. It wouldn't be long before more flights were cancelled. I ran ahead to the next gate with the baby while my hubby stayed behind to wait for our gate checked items. I guess we thought if I could make it there I could stall the plane with my tears and "but I have an infant!" bit.

Whew, we made it!

We got up to the stand and handed the man our boarding passes and he said, "I don't have you on this flight."

WHAT?! OH NO HE DIDN'T!

Brett ran to a ticket counter and asked the woman why our tickets didn't work at the gate. They had given away our confirmed seats to standby pasengers for whatever reason. My blood started to boil. Flurries in my stomach. My hands began to shake. When I got to the counter I looked at the woman with fury in my eyes.

::insert irrational rant here::

Eh, I'm not proud of my reaction. I could have controled my tounge better. Just a few days before I blogged about being kind and patient to get the best outcome and then I went and got all entitled and stuff. I felt like a hyprocrite. My temper got the best of me again.

After a few deep breaths I calmed down but was still feeling negative. Woud we would ever get home? A few clicks form the keyboard and the gate agent quietly handed us new tickets. I think she was afraid of me. We dashed onto the plane. Our seats we not together and people were giving us the stink eye as if we had held up the plane. A lovely gentleman offered to switch with my husband when he saw me struggling with the baby and my bag.

We landed in Houston two hours later, tired but alive and well. I realized as we were taxiing to the gate that life will always throw us curve balls (had I not learned that before?!) I may have not reacted to this one very well but I know I'll get another couple (dozen) of chances in my future.

 

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