Travel Excursions Part 2

This post is specifically for Alana... cause I had kinda forgotten about it/was gonna skip it.  And if you dont like millions of pictures of me you might want to avoid it too.

So I arrive in Houston at 4 am.  And I'm not sure if it was the stress wearing off or just be being crazy but I was not sleepy.  Also I was pretty determined to see if I couldnt leave earlier than 9 am.  Cause since I had finally left Boston, Alberta was calling my name... Hard. 

But the gate my 9am flight was leaving from wasnt posted.  And seeing as Houston is a big airport I didnt really know where to chill and I hate waiting in the wrong spot.  Thats just asking for something to go wrong... aka me falling asleep and missing my flight.  So I was wandering a bit trying to find someone to talk to that would know anything.  And let me tell you.  At 4 am that is hard to come by.  In fact there is no one.  So I wandered.  I tried to find other terminals... but that was a no go.  But I did discover that AirCanada was leaving for Calgary at 7am.  And I could just picture the beauty that would be arriving two hours early.  So at like 5 am... after seriously wandering... I went to the check in desk of my airline.  So I go up and the people are all standing around but the second I come up there is this air that I'm retarded to ever having had a question for them.  Not a good air to be floating around but my success from the night before and my eagerness to go home beat that out.  

So I ask the first woman who makes eye contact, if its possible for me to change my ticket so I can leave on the AirCanada flight.  I mean I full well knew it was possible, but sometimes its easier to get what you want if you phrase it as a question.  And this woman tells me that its impossible.  There is no way you can change your ticket to a different airline.  That sort of thing just doesnt happen.  And while she's speaking, I'm holding up my previous ticket, in my head going "No no no... it is possible... otherwise I wouldnt be here."  But she shooed me away and left me to the 1-800 number.... 

Those dang 1-800 numbers... How is it possible that they think those are of any use?  They are totally just used to get people to leave their comfy spot in line and look like an idiot as they talk to no one in particular saying random words such as: "Yes" "No" "International" "Flight" "Not domestic".

But the 1-800 number has me on hold and so I decide to try the people at the desk again.  Apparently I'm a glutton for punishment.  So this time a man comes over... I dont even step out of the part where you're supposed to wait in line for the next available... He wants me no where near a monitor that could actually be brought to use.  So I ask him if it would be possible for him to check on his computer for a flight transfer.  He tells me its not possible.  And I wise up and tell him that I had a big storm in Boston and that my flight got switched from one airline to another and I knew it was possible.  And he tells me that they dont switch flights from  one airline to another for bad weather.  That is my favorite.  Even though I am completely proof of the fact that they do do that, he just tells me I must be wrong. Right.  I'm standing here cause I'm wrong.  

So by this time I'm giving up.  Screw coming home early.  I should be grateful for getting out of horrid Boston in the first place.  And these people are wretchedly useless.  I really do think that all airline people might be out to get you... Just watch out for that.  So I try to go through the security check... except... oh wait... its closed till like 5:30.  Great... I'm so happy I get to sit with all the people I asked questions of who definitely rejected me.   But being as I really did have just one more question for them I go up and ask them another question.

All I want to know is where the most likely spot for my flight would be.  Since its gate is still not posted.  And the woman (a different one), tells me that I need to take the shuttle to terminal A.  Now this shuttle is less like a shuttle and more of an underground train that you would find at an amusement park for little children.  Great idea.  Except its kinda awkward sitting in the little cubicle sized places across from someone else.  I donno about the rest of you but I would rather not make awkward eye contact.  

So i take this train thing... and it takes a bit because I'm at terminal E and have to go through the alphabet to terminal A.  But I make it to terminal A and there is NO ONE at the airline desk.  Not even a hint of a person.  So I'm like great.  What now?  But air Canada happened to have its desk so I go up and ask them if its possible to switch from one airline to another to catch an earlier flight.  And the woman tells me to use their toll free phones and phone the 1-800 number.  

So I should be smarter.  I should know that 1-800 numbers are the bain of my existance.  But I'm naive.  And so I try the number.  All I have to say is Air Canada.  Shame shame.  They were the worst of the bunch.  They dont even pretend like there is some hope of talking to a real person.  No... they just put you on this silent hold.  And so I sat for awhile but when I looked at the departure board my flight wasnt even listed anywhere... so that didnt sit well with me.  So i gave up and took the train back to the right terminal.

But sneaky sneaky woman from my airline.  She was tired of my questions so she sent me on a wild goose chase.  Who sends someone to a completely wrong terminal for their flight?  Not nice is all I have to say.  

But I got back to terminal E and thought about going and yelling at the woman.  But then I decided I would rather go sit in the right place and veto yet another useless line.  So I went through security.  By this time its about 6:30 am.  

Now my flight gate was finally posted.  So i scoped out the area and realised I was incredibly bored.  So my computer came out.  But really there's not much to waste time on, on my computer... that is except for photobooth.  So i took many photos looking like I was tired of waiting.      

So really you can only make a bored face for so long... So I decided to make many faces...

As you can tell... I got very bored.  

But the real life saver for me was when the stores opened up... and I found 

Serial killers, murder, love... what more could you ask for in a book?

So I get on the plane... and I'm sitting by the window next to this mother and daughter.  And the mom is so awkward and made it awkward for me to get into my seat.  But unfortunately half way through the flight I needed to go to the washroom.  And the mom is all "Great I'm gonna have to wake up my daughter."  (Her daughter was like 14)... and I'm like no I'll just step over.  Except I got one foot over the mountain of things on the floor and realised I had no where to put my other leg... So I shimmy stepped forward, was completely unstable and totally woke her daughter up.  My bad.  

But I finally got to Calgary... and seeing Alberta for the first time in six months... It was a dream.  

Oh it is definitely love!

So I get in and find my mom and Josh.  And my mom proceeds to tell me a story.

"So Remember last night when I was on the phone with you and you were upset and I'm telling you at least you get to come home for Christmas?  Well I was talking to Aunt Judy today, and she was telling me how she was on the phone yesterday with Erika.  And she proceeded to tell Erika at least she wasnt stuck in an airport."

She and Aunt Judy would tell their children the exact same thing.... Anderson sisters.