airport adventure

Ok, so I almost didn't post this because I can't include my cute pics with this post!!! You'll have to wait until I get back home to see those! Sorry! But, I didn't want to wait another 3 days to do a new entry or I was afraid I would forget some details I wanted to remember about our trip. So, please bear with me as I write this for my memory and for my scrapbooking! :)

Parker & I left for the airport Friday morning to head to MS to visit our friends and family! I had only booked us on one flight (the 11:30 one) because I just knew it was going to be wide open space (when I booked us on it the message said there were 17 seats available which is unheard of...I was definitely not worried about this one!) We got there just in time, walked up to the gate and oh, my goodness I knew we were in trouble. There were sooo many people sitting, standing, waiting...I really didn't think too much about it though until everyone had boarded and the only ones left were like 14 non-revs (including us). Within minutes, the gate agent announced very matter of factly, "I'm sorry, but the flight is full." WHAT?! How could this be? Of all the flights I've booked myself on in the past 6 months or so, this one was the least of my worries! So, next step...call Clay...second step...book myself on all the rest of the flights that were leaving for Memphis that day...next step...call Rassie...(looked at Parker and he was being soooo good -- just looking around and watching people). We walked to the opposite side of the airport (since we had all the time in the world) and decided to enjoy a relaxing lunch at Chili's. Yum! It kept Parker busy and doing something different for an hour and 15 minutes. (I even took pics of my food to show ya'll! :)

After lunch, we went up to the quiet sitting area for about 30 minutes so that I could try and put Parker down for a nap...yeah right! We got up there and there were 2 men painting and running some loud contraption and about 12 other people sitting, napping & talking on their phones! So, Parker man wanted to get out and play; I followed him up and down the little walkway area as he pushed his stroller around. I had to make sure he didn't run into the walls where they were painting...that would not have been good.

We left the quiet sitting area and headed to our next gate which was leaving sometime between 1:30-2:30...I forget. Anyway, we sit and wait...everyone boards and then there are about 7 of us left standing again. Announcement: "Sorry folks, for those of you waiting for an open seat, we are all full." Ok, next plan....Parker is getting tired; he needs to fall asleep. I stroll him around until he falls asleep, bought a Chai Tea latte at Caribou and went to a quiet gate and sat down to read one of my magazines...wonderful quiet moment...that lasted about 25 minutes! Then it was time to head to another gate to get on the 4'oclock something flight. Parker woke up about this time. I knew we were in trouble when we arrived at the gate and they are already announcing that they need 4 volunteers to take a later flight because the flight is oversold. Obviously, we didn't make this one either. At this point, there were 5 of us still waiting patiently :) for a standby flight down to Memphis...and what a crew it was. I can't wait for ya'll to see this picture! Let me describe it for you: Me, Parker, a big black guy (maybe in his 30s) in a wheelchair --he sprained his ankle the day before so now couldn't walk with a huge sense of humor, an older blonde flight attendant (60s maybe)...definitely a wild child and pitching fits on the second flight when a large group of Boy Scouts got on and took her space...whatever!!!...with her interesting son (or son-in-law...not sure about that one). He was wearing scuffed up dress shoes with extremely baggy dress pants (at least 2 -3 sizes too big) with all pockets sticking out, a blue polo work shirt that sported "ABC" Motor Company on it and of course a jacket on top. He had a short bob greasy ponytail, an earring in the nose and I think 1-2 in the ears (can't remember), chomping on gum, and couldn't stand still. He was a very excited guy. (Ok, please don't count my run-on sentences in this entry!!!!) He had apparantly just been to see his 1 year old baby and his "crazy mother." His mom(the flight attendant) and grandfather(who had made it out earlier in the day) had flown out to San Diego with him to see this baby that he has only seen once. So the black guy (can't remember his name) made a deal with the San Diego-hyper-suit dude that if he would push him to the next gate, he could put all of his luggage in his lap. So here we go trudging through the airport (all 5 of us) because we all had to go to the same place and we had all been seeing each other at all the gates throughout the day....we had to talk to each other to get all the scoop on our chances of getting out on this last flight of the day (the 6:50 one). So, the blonde, mom flight attendant thinks this bonding experience is just the coolest thing and is taking pics the whole way through the airport. I was thinking, "what a sight we must be!" :)

Anyway, we got down to our final gate and they switched it on us. 10 minutes later we were headed to a different gate...all the way on the other side of the airport. Nice. Ok, so Parker has been a pro all day...wonderful and sweet, but he's getting a little tired of his seat. So, I got him out and let him push his stroller around the airport near our terminal. He got to know a lot of people during that 40 minutes we waited, and those little legs just walked and walked and walked and walked. He would stop and wave at people, continue on with his pushing and then throw his head back and laugh at something ( i never knew what!) He was quite an amusement for many people that day! :)

Fast forward to flight time (because it's late and I should be in the bed sleeping right now); we made it on the flight...whoohooo! Parker gave up his seat so that the black guy could get on...so the whole gang got on the flight! Whoohoo! Parker sat in my lap! We boarded! Yes! Then there was a maintenance issue; we were delayed for an hour and 15 minutes. We start to taxi out to the runway; a lady goes crazy, jumps out of her seat and lets just say causes big problems....another 20 minute delay. Finally, we're in the air! Whoohooo! Parker & I sat next to a really sweet girl from Memhis and around a fun group of moms, dads and their kids coming back from spring break trips. Fun conversation. We arrived in Memphis a little after 10pm I think, got our luggage (that had arrived at 1pm that afternoon...thank you Lord that it was there!) and hit the road. Pouring down rain the whole way, hadn't had supper so I had mom (Rassie) run through the Chic-fil-a drive-thru :) and then we pull into Grenada around 1:30am. Ugh...so tired. What a long day! 9 whole hours in the airport. Parker was AMAZING! With a double ear infection and all I couldn't believe what a trooper he was! Still really tiring though....glad to finally be in Grenada.

...I would tell you how the trip has been since arriving in Grenada but it's way past my bedtime! Got to get up early in the morning so I'll write more later! Thanks for enduring the long entry!