Getting to Oki, Part 2

Ok, so last time I wrote we left off with the dogs' great escape from TLF. From there came the drive to New Orleans to board our first leg of the trip to Dallas-Fort Worth. We pile up to the curbside check-in area and were nicely informed that we were not allowed to check in there... as if we didn't know that already with 4 suitcases and 2 huge dogs, like that could happen curbside! So anyway, we find ourselves a what I thought to be at the time a very nice skycap to help us load up the puppers and our bags to get us in the door. This oh-so-nice skycap tells me to get into the 1st class line, when I am obviously not a first class person, and she scoffs at me until she realizes we're military and instantly does a 180 and becomes like super-duper nice check-in lady and goes above and beyond to be nice to us!

Once we get checked in, I realize that all I have in my wallet are a couple singles and big bills for our travel expenses, and there's no way I am handing over a skycap that much cash. So as he takes my two precious baby puppies away, I hand him the only small bills I have. He looks me dead in the eye and SCOFFS at me! He then proceeds to fan out the couple of bucks I gave him, flashes them to his little buddy in the security area, and gives him the "can you fricken believe that I actually have to do my JOB for a LOUSY tip" face, which I could have beaten that look right off his stupid mug at that point. So, I try to do the right thing and get some change from a bank I hunted down while Mike waited by the door the guy went through with our dogs. I come back and give Mike some money, and I take some and we split up to try and find the guy to give him a decent tip, which I don't even think he deserves at this point. At the end, Mike finds him and forks over a little extra cash for the guy... Ya know, I'm sorry... but not all Southerners are nice, case in point.

So after finally ditching the dogs and all that luggage, we drag ourselves thru the first set of security check points. As we are finally loading our bags back up, putting our shoes back on, and about to head to the gate to sit and relax, we get PAGED over the PA system in New Orleans airport!!! We had to go back out into the main area and all the way back to the check-in counter all the while thinking that our dogs go loose or are screaming so loud that they can't stand to have them in the holding area. The whole time we're running back to the counter, I keep looking out the window to see if our dogs are taking another quick streak through the terminal or out on the runway. Knowing our luck that day, it could have happened and not surprised me!

We get to the counter and ait patiently as the counter lady tries to talk to a very foreign lady who refused to speak English or attemt to understand. We finally found out that somehow one of the dog's water bottles got broken (all of 5 minutes into our very long trip) and they wanted to know what they should do with it. I, in a total state of relief, told them to do whatever the hell they wanted with it. I told them to duct tape it for all I cared. Later I found out that poor Chloe was soaked for most of our flight and they just tossed the huge bottle into the kennel with her. I was a little upset, but it was the least of my worries at that point. I was just glad they made it the first part of our trip. More to come on that though...

So we were about to head back to the security check-in again... and the counter lady asked us if we could take this foreign lady with us through the security point and get her to her gate. I told myself is she was some kind of terrorist, I was blaming Mike and running for it! I had all the important documents and cash with me, so I figured I would be okay! We finally all get thru security... again... and we get the lady to her gate. She's going to Miami... go figure. Anyway, we have a few minutes to relax, I reiterated the story to the parents about the great dog escape, and we boarded our plane without another hitch... until it was time to land...

Anyone who knows me and my family knows that we had one pretty scary landing a few years ago in Philly. I wont go into details, but I pretty much had that life flashing before my eyes episode and began to hyperventhilate! So yeah, it was pouring and windy in Dallas, and our landing was very bumpy coming in. I white-nuckled the seat and tried not to scare people around me, all the while worrying about my poor dogs in cargo going thru this... and we finally landed safely.

We get into Dallas and find the entire airport leaking. Apparently Texas isn't used to getting rain in that quantity. The airport literally was dripping from everywhere. Due to the weather, we were able to get on the plane, but with numerous delays. We got delayed for about 40 minutes because the sensors on the plane were apparently wet or something, then we got delayed again because our computer system crashed on the plane, then they manually tried to re-enter the info or something, then we get onto the runway after like 2 hours, and in the middle of speeding up to lift off... the pilot aborts our take-off because the computer crashed again!! They brought us all the way back to the gate, made us wait for a mechanic to come out, and in the end, ended up unloading us all from the plane. At this point it's about 11 and there are no more flights into Seattle that evening that will get there in time to be at the airport in time for our 730 am check-in the following day. At this point there's lots of panic and oh craps being had... but luckily we get back on the plane, everything is okay, and we take off and arrive in Seattle 4 hours late... ugh.

At this point we're exhausted, uber stressed, and I just want to see my dogs. We get all of our luggage quickly, but since there's no skycaps, we have to spend a small fortune to get two push carts from the little rental thingy. We're the very last people in the area... and I go to the lost baggage area and I'm like... where the hell are my dogs. I am taken around a corner and there they are in a little holding area! The nice baggage lady helps me get the quaking and shaking kennels over to my hubby and we load them all up with our luggage and head out to try and find a taxi at this hour. Please be aware of the importance of me renting carts in Seattle... it plays kind of huge part in our story a little later on...

So we figure out where we need to go and head out with frantic, needing to pee dogs and a ton of luggage in tow. Mike and I somehow end up losing eachother and play musical elevators for about 10 minutes until I finally am able to call his cell and find out he ditched me, all the while I am waiting for him by the elevators wondering if the weight of his cart broke the elevator or something. I see him across the parking garage and I start to head towards him... and doesn't my fricken cart TIP OVER! This would have been fine if there wasn't poor Chloe on said tipped cart. So I tip the dog upright, poor thing, and almost burst into exhausted/stressed tears. Mike comes to the rescue and helps me reload the cart and confesses he did the same thing to poor Charlie! I admit, I felt better, but badly for the poor dogs.

We get a van to bring us and all our crap to the hotel, and I realize that I can't find our hotel info. We tell the guy the best we can which one we're at, and it ended up only being about 2 blocks and 8 bucks away... ugh. We get to the hotel and I start digging through my bag to find our hotel confirmation. Luckily we didn't need the info and we were able to get up to our room, let the poor dogs potty, and we could finally catch a few hours of sleep before our flight. I continue to dig though my bag to realize that not only was our hotel info missing, but the entire packet of info that had all our AMC flight info for the next day, my military ID card, and other super important various whatnots. I realize immediately where they are... sitting on top of the rental cart purchasing area. In a total state of pissed-off-ness, I tell Mike not to worry, I would go back to the airport, and try to find our stuff... of course it didn't come out that nicely, but you get the idea.

I go down to the counter, and ask the lady to get me a cab ASAP, and I was sitting there sniffling, holding back tears, and trying to get ahold of our airline to possibly contact the baggage office next to the cart area to see if someone could look there for me for my paperwork. To no luck, I couldn't get ahold of anyone on the phone but I was almost at the airport at this point. So at this point, it's like 3am, I am in a cab alone with a creepy cabbie, and doesn't he start crap with me. He takes me what seems to be like in a huge loop all the way around the airport. At this point I am pissed and I tell him if he's taking me for a ride for a couple extra bucks on his fare, he won't get it from me and to just go to the fricken terminal and stop screwin' with me, because this was one chick on one day he did not want to mess with. He swore he was taking me right where I asked, and I told him it only costed me 5 to get to the hotel, why was it 10 to get back... he mumbled and I handed him my credit card which just threw him right over the edge. I told him to give me a receipt, and I got out without giving him a tip... freakin' creep-o.

I got out of the taxi, and literally ran through the entire baggage claim area back to the rental cart hoping for a small break of luck. I get there, and thank you baby Jesus, our papers were still there. If we hadn't arrived in the middle of the night, I am sure our stuff would have been missing, but since we were the last people on the last flight to arrive that night and last to leave the baggage area, all our stuff was still there!! I burst into tears, grab the goods, and walk back thru the empty airport back to another taxi. He takes me back to the airport, gives me a break and a free ride since I was sobbing, I pull it together, walk into the room, and hand the papers to my super irritated husband. I crawl in bed and pray to get at least a quick nap. I sleep from about 3:45 to about 6, when I just gave up and got out of bed. We shower quickly, I get a call from the parents to make sure we're okay and didn't kill eachother, that the dogs are alive, and I tell the fam I will call them from the gate.

Ok, so I think this is a good time to stop for now. The trip only gets better from here, despite a few hiccups here and there along the way. I have written a ton for now, and don't want to bore you, so more to come tomorrow or when I get internet at our house. The people at the community center are getting to the point where I think they know me by name i'm here so much.

Next post to come...the final leg of the adventure!