A Travel Day From Hell ... Let Me Count the Ways

I just arrived at my parents home after a day of travel challenging enough to test the record books. I think it might be best, and shortest, just to create a concise chronology of this Monday. Here goes: (Cut to the end for the summary:)

6:00am - Wake up in Appleton, Wisconsin. Look out the window to discover there is a snow storm in full force.

6:30am - Eat breakfast at hotel restaurant in case there are problems with the day’s travel.

7:00am - Load luggage on bus; greet other actors, many of whom decided to stay up all night because of the early call. Smile, instead of talk:)

7:30am - Bus leaves for Omogamie County Regional Airport. It’s 11 degrees out.

8:00am - Arrive at airport on snow-covered roads; heavy winds are blowing the snow sideways.

8:10am - I’m informed that I have been randomly selected for “special screening”; my big suitcase is emptied and repacked while I watch. I head to security after convincing the desk agent to allow me to carry my 10lb chocolate bar in my suitcase without an extra charge, though it puts my suitcase over the 50lb limit.

8:15am - My carry-on and I are thoroughly searched at security. I am wanded and patted down; I take off my boots, watch and jacket; every item in my carry-on is wiped down for explosives. My cameras, computer and cell phone are all turned on, wiped down and examined. They go through my wallet.

8:30am - I arrive at the gate. Visibility is narrowing. The majority of the cast is on a 9:15am flight to Chicago O’Hare, connecting to Newark or Kennedy Airports in New York. Their flight is the last to leave before planes are put in a holding pattern.

9:35am - The departure time for my flight to Cincinnati. The plane circles the airport for 40 minutes, looking for a window of opportunity to land.

10:00am - Even though it’s obvious we’re not leaving on time, they finally announce that the flight will be delayed. The weather clears a bit.

10:30am - It’s announced that the landed plane has a mechanical problem and may not be able to continue. Two gate agents begin the process of re-booking 100 passengers. The first person in line is a tour organizer and keeps one agent busy for 45 minutes re-booking his group.

11:30am - I am re-booked on to United Airlines flights by the Delta agent. I have to go back to the counter at the front of the airport. I receive my boarding passes from the United desk agent. I continue to be selected for
“special screening” and go through the intensive search procedures again.

Noon - I decide I better get some food because I don’t know what the trip through O’Hare will bring. I have to go through the pat and wand procedure, all of the special screening again. I want to say, “One more pat and wand and you better buy me a drink or dinner:) But don’t....

12:15pm - A delay is announced for the 1:16pm flight to Chicago.

1:50pm - The plane lands in Appleton.

2:05pm - The plane leaves Appleton with me on it! I’m only six hours behind schedule. I’m seated next to a mother and a baby. (Whew! The baby is terrific and sleeps most of the way.)

3:15pm - We land in Chicago. I’ve missed my connecting flight.

3:20pm - I’m rebooked on a 5:15pm flight to Houston.

5:15pm - The flight leaves on time.

8:00pm - We arrive in Houston. A baby screams non-stop for the last twenty minutes of the flight. (I suggest that velcro on the wing would be the proper placement for the child till we land), The screams are agonizing for the special forces guy seated next to me who has flown non-stop for 30 hours from Pakistan. Temperature is 65 degrees.

8:10pm - My parents arrive at airport. Thank goodness for cell phones because I was able to abort their earlier attempts to come get me. It’s an hour and twenty-minute drive from Brenham to Intercontinental Airport.

8:15pm - My Dad and I have our first shouting episode when he pulls out in front of a car without looking. He’s driving my truck.

8:20pm - We stop for gas and switch drivers:)

10:00pm -We arrive home.

It was the travel day from hell, but the good thing is that I remained calm and friendly throughout the day which helped my cause throughout the journey. The summary for December 20 was: two delayed flights, one cancellation, one missed connecting flight and three “special screenings”. It was hell; but as I said yesterday, “I’ll be home for Christmas” and now I am!

A Travel Day From Hell ... Let Me Count the Ways

I just arrived at my parents home after a day of travel challenging enough to test the record books. I think it might be best, and shortest, just to create a concise chronology of this Monday. Here goes: (Cut to the end for the summary:)

6:00am - Wake up in Appleton, Wisconsin. Look out the window to discover there is a snow storm in full force.

6:30am - Eat breakfast at hotel restaurant in case there are problems with the day’s travel.

7:00am - Load luggage on bus; greet other actors, many of whom decided to stay up all night because of the early call. Smile, instead of talk:)

7:30am - Bus leaves for Omogamie County Regional Airport. It’s 11 degrees out.

8:00am - Arrive at airport on snow-covered roads; heavy winds are blowing the snow sideways.

8:10am - I’m informed that I have been randomly selected for “special screening”; my big suitcase is emptied and repacked while I watch. I head to security after convincing the desk agent to allow me to carry my 10lb chocolate bar in my suitcase without an extra charge, though it puts my suitcase over the 50lb limit.

8:15am - My carry-on and I are thoroughly searched at security. I am wanded and patted down; I take off my boots, watch and jacket; every item in my carry-on is wiped down for explosives. My cameras, computer and cell phone are all turned on, wiped down and examined. They go through my wallet.

8:30am - I arrive at the gate. Visibility is narrowing. The majority of the cast is on a 9:15am flight to Chicago O’Hare, connecting to Newark or Kennedy Airports in New York. Their flight is the last to leave before planes are put in a holding pattern.

9:35am - The departure time for my flight to Cincinnati. The plane circles the airport for 40 minutes, looking for a window of opportunity to land.

10:00am - Even though it’s obvious we’re not leaving on time, they finally announce that the flight will be delayed. The weather clears a bit.

10:30am - It’s announced that the landed plane has a mechanical problem and may not be able to continue. Two gate agents begin the process of re-booking 100 passengers. The first person in line is a tour organizer and keeps one agent busy for 45 minutes re-booking his group.

11:30am - I am re-booked on to United Airlines flights by the Delta agent. I have to go back to the counter at the front of the airport. I receive my boarding passes from the United desk agent. I continue to be selected for
“special screening” and go through the intensive search procedures again.

Noon - I decide I better get some food because I don’t know what the trip through O’Hare will bring. I have to go through the pat and wand procedure, all of the special screening again. I want to say, “One more pat and wand and you better buy me a drink or dinner:) But don’t....

12:15pm - A delay is announced for the 1:16pm flight to Chicago.

1:50pm - The plane lands in Appleton.

2:05pm - The plane leaves Appleton with me on it! I’m only six hours behind schedule. I’m seated next to a mother and a baby. (Whew! The baby is terrific and sleeps most of the way.)

3:15pm - We land in Chicago. I’ve missed my connecting flight.

3:20pm - I’m rebooked on a 5:15pm flight to Houston.

5:15pm - The flight leaves on time.

8:00pm - We arrive in Houston. A baby screams non-stop for the last twenty minutes of the flight. (I suggest that velcro on the wing would be the proper placement for the child till we land), The screams are agonizing for the special forces guy seated next to me who has flown non-stop for 30 hours from Pakistan. Temperature is 65 degrees.

8:10pm - My parents arrive at airport. Thank goodness for cell phones because I was able to abort their earlier attempts to come get me. It’s an hour and twenty-minute drive from Brenham to Intercontinental Airport.

8:15pm - My Dad and I have our first shouting episode when he pulls out in front of a car without looking. He’s driving my truck.

8:20pm - We stop for gas and switch drivers:)

10:00pm -We arrive home.

It was the travel day from hell, but the good thing is that I remained calm and friendly throughout the day which helped my cause throughout the journey. The summary for December 20 was: two delayed flights, one cancellation, one missed connecting flight and three “special screenings”. It was hell; but as I said yesterday, “I’ll be home for Christmas” and now I am!