Home again...finally!

Tuesday, I went to New Albany, OH, to visit my team at the Aetna office there. I left home at 7 and had an uneventful flight there. When I got to the office, my boss took me out for lunch, and pretty much spoiled me. I met as many people as I could, and had a fantastic dinner with my team. Then a coworker and I walked around the shopping area, and went out for a drink. It was great to get to know her better. I went back to my hotel and went to bed. A very good day.

Wednesday started out fine too. In fact, the work day was pretty enjoyable. I left work and dropped off the rental car and got to my gate with the perfect amount of time before my 6:30 flight home.

Here's where it starts getting messy.

There were storms all over Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. They had cancelled the flight before mine to Detroit because of tornadic activity. The 6:30 flight was now looking like a 7:30 flight. When they finally were ready to start boarding the Minneapolis flight, they said they were overbooked and needed to bump 5 people. I asked if they would check my seat, and they said my seat was double assigned, would I take a hotel voucher and fly tomorrow morning.
Well, when it comes down to it, it didnt really make that much difference if I came home Wednesday night or Thursday morning. I didn't have someone waiting at the airport to pick me up, or kids at a sitter or a lonely husband at home. So I agreed to fly Thursday morning. It took some playing with their computer to get the five of us bumpees onto replacement flights. But we were laughing and joking and getting to know each other. We took a dinner voucher and Susan from Montana and I went out to dinner, compliments of Northwest Airlines. We got to our hotel a little after 10, and it was a very nice new hotel, I might add. They had put me in a king room with a huge jacuzzi tub, but I was sorry to realize I was too exhausted to use it.

This morning (was that today? It seems a long time ago) I got up at 4:15 (EST) to throw on some clothes, brush my teeth and take the shuttle back to the airport. I got through security and got to my gate by 5:20 for my 7:00 flight. And there it was: Minneapolis / St Paul Flight 101: Delayed.
I laid down on the floor by the wall and took a little nap.

Around 8 they announced that flight 101 would leave at 9:30. It was a bit turbulent on occasion, but the pilot said we were flying above storm activity. Finally, 11 am (CST), I was home. (16 hours later than scheduled)

Thank God for carry on luggage, the T-shirt work gave me as a gift, and the common sense to carry a spare change of undies.

My boss gave me the rest of today and tomorrow off. So I got a chance to take a nap before I head to Scrapbooks Too.

There's no place like home.