Monday, April 5, 2010

Flying High...???

What an experience I had flying from Lubbock to Houston last Friday to spend Easter weekend with Mandy's family! Went to bed at 2:00 am the night (day?) before and got up at 4:00 am in order to make the drive to Lubbock to catch the 6:60 am flight. Got there with just a little time to spare, only to be set aside from the others moving through security and having to endure an agonizing (not to mention, humiliating) thorough (and I mean thorough) body and belongings search. I will admit to looking a bit "ragged-around-the-edges" due to the lack of sleep, early rising, NO COFFEE, and no time for a POTTY BREAK, but come on....me?, a serious threat to the security of others?? Well, by the time the "search" was over I did want to hurt somebody.
Boarded the plane, longing for that first cup of morning java. Ha. The flight from Lubbock to Dallas was so turbulent even the hostesses were required to remain seated the entire time.
Got into the Dallas terminal and heard them calling my next flight over the intercom. RAN to the gate and boarded just in time. Plane pulled away from the gate, started down the runway, took off slightly...and came back down to land!
Mr. Pilot's voice comes over the intercom, "Ladies and Gentlemen, there's probably no need for extreme caution, but SOMETHING JUST FLEW INTO OUR RIGHT ENGINE!!! and we thought it best to come back to the terminal and have our engineers check it out. Right.
We pull back into a gate and here they come..lights flashing, sirens blaring, little men in little uniforms running around everywhere. Then the discussions begin...should we have the passengers return to the terminal??Yes??OK, folks, gather up your things...no wait...No??...ok, folks, just sit back and relax while they check this out. Oh, by the way,...it MAY get a little warm and/or stuffy on the plane since we have to turn off the air for now...IS THIS A BELATED APRIL FOOL'S JOKE??? Not funny if it is.
Minutes ticking by. More and more people murmuring, "Coffee, I need coffee, if they'd just send some ____ coffee around!"
I'm thinking it too, but also am thinking,"Potty...I didn't get to go to the potty!"
We finally get the OK to take off again and they come around and take our drink orders. FINALLY, morning coffee. We actually take off and in just a few minutes Mr. Pilot comes over the intercom again. Too turbulent to serve drinks...hostesses are all instructed to take their seats for the remainder of the flight.
No coffee. No potty.
Thank goodness I was met at the Houston airport by three eager little people yelling, "Nana, Nana!!! ( Claire was thinking it I'm sure)."
One quick stop at the restroom...Mandy says she'll get me coffee..and we're off for a great weekend!!