January 29, 2008

• What a Trip!!!

  ... alot to tell..... take it one step at a time, Auntie Kathy.  Ok........ 

  
  

        Aunt Norma has deteriorated since we were there in December.  It is so hard.  Norma and I prayed together on Friday that the rain would stop Saturday, so we could all go to lunch at IHOP.  This was Norma's desire.  The Lord answered.  We took two wheel chairs and one walker to IHOP for lunch.  Uncle Doug & Norma didn't seem as happy as before.  I can't even imagine what it is like to lose your life suddenly while still alive without your choosing.  I have "chosen" to lose my life for His sake.  He gave it back transformed....  a totally different thing!

  
  

  Here is a picture of Uncle Doug & Norma Saturday at IHOP. 

  
  

   

  
  

  Shirley (Norma's long time friend) & Norma Saturday at IHOP

  
  

  

  
  

       The Tri-Cities airport was closed on Sunday, (I think maybe Saturday too) and Monday morning.  We flew out of Sacramento without any problems to Seattle, only to find out there was no way we could get a flight home.  "Not a chance" we were told, as all flights were full with many people waiting "standby".  We looked into getting a bus, renting a car... all without success.  We decided we better just get a hotel and rest up until Tuesday and then readdress our options.  But just before we leave the airport we decide to see if we could just go get on a waiting list for some flight. 

  
  

       When we went back up to the ticket counter the lady said, "if I were you. I would list for the 6:20PM flight tonight, cause everything tomorrow is booked too!"  She said, it can't hurt and you might get on.  So that is what we did.  Since it was only about 4PM we decided to go get some dinner and relax. 

  
  

       We had to go back through security again, and guess what???  We were "selected" for special treatment.  That is what they called it, but it meant additional screening & searching.  Then we went to Anthony's airport restaurant.  We had clam chowder and I had a blueberry hot tea drink that was pretty good.  We shared a dessert... hot huckleberry cobbler alamode.  We were feeling pretty full and by this time, we needed to scurry to the gate. 

  
  

      It was like being on a game show and waiting to see if we "won" or not.  Eventually they said we could board and gave us boarding passes with seat assignments, told us to go downstairs to gate 5.  We hurried real fast and the sign said gates 4-7 angle right ahead, we did and ran, threw our suitcase on the alacart cart and boarded.  When we got on board, someone was sitting in my assigned seat.  (She and me both had the same seat # printed.)  So I said I will just wait to see if there is another empty seat I could take.  Plane was very full still.  I kept moving to the back and finally came in contact with a stewardess.  I said to her "two of us have the same assigned seats".  She said, "that is very strange".  I handed her my pass.  She took one look at it and said, this plane is going to Canada.  I hollered up to Uncle Tom who was in row 11, "Tom, we're on the wrong plane!!"   

  
  

       We grabbed our carry-on bags, ran out of the plane and down the steps.  Everyone, I am sure was watching.    We had to describe our alacart suitcase to the airline guy.  "Purple with duck tape on the back we are screaming as plane engines are loud."  (Believe me, now I was glad we busted the zipper on our better suitcase and switched to the old purple, duck taped one.)  He found it fast... we ran to gate "5" which was really on the left right after we went right. 

  
  

      The plane was still there and we were the last people on board feeling kind of embarrassed and a little frantic, but not as much as I would have thought.  We settled in for the short flight.  Our friends Mark and Lisa came to get us at the very snowy airport.     WHAT A TRIP!!! 

  • 1:28 pm
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