An Awfully Big Adventure

[catspaw]

Home again, home again, jiggety jig. An early start - after a late bed, thanks to socialising - especially since I still had all the packing to do! Woken at the crack of dawn again by the birds, who seem to find the whole idea of a long lie alien and offensive (although this morning, I had so much to do, I was very grateful!). Cat and dog both heaved sighs of relief that their self imposed guard duty was over *g* and I came away without as much as one teaspoon

Packed, ready and off to the airport by the back of eight. Feather dropped me off, I checked in, and retired outside on a frigidly cold morning for a couple of cigarettes and some people watching.

Pre-flight cabaret was provided on the plane by a Muslim lady with an overstuffed suitcase and one of the flight attendants who was remarkably good
humoured about the struggle to fit said overstuffed suitcase into an overhead locker. That took fully twenty minutes of anxious unpacking and repacking, sweating and straining before the flight attendant completely lost her rag with the case, stood on a seat and forced it into way too small a space by main strength, to the accompaniment of a spontaneous round of applause from all the other passengers.

Seattle-Chicago was uneventful until we reached Chicago, to find that the airport was closed thanks to unseasonably warm temperatures triggering thunderstorms over the Great Lakes. Just that morning, Feather had said to me, 'Don't worry about the weather forecasts,' (which weren't stellar, I have to admit) 'the only things that'll close Chicago are thunderstorms and lightning strikes'. Well, she was right. O'Hare was locked down tight. We sat in a holding pattern, navigating around the storms, for about 45 minutes before we were diverted to Rockford to refuel. The descent to Rockford was a thrill ride - damn plane wasn't just dropping, it was *plummeting*: it's the only time I've ever felt remotely anxious in the air and I was glad when it was over. Especially since I was sitting watching my new Wal-mart watch spin round far too quickly.

So, we landed, refuelled and flew to O'Hare (a grand total of 45 minutes, give or take) and landed at 6.45. One snag: my plane to Manchester had taken off on time, at 6.30.

The staff at Chicago were great! Given the choice of waiting 24 hours and catching the same old flight, different day and trying for a standby ticket on the next flight out, I went with the standby on the next flight out and got lucky. Doubly lucky, since the plane was at least half empty: a lot of folks must have been in the same boat as me and missed their connections, so I not only got a window seat, but the seat next to me was unoccupied :-) So I was really comfy, since I'm only short :-))) Trebly lucky, since it was by no means certain that the plane would get to leave at all: we sat on the tarmac for an hour, watching seven more thunderstorms roll in from the Lakes, before we got the 'go' signal. And when the signal came, it was like the Wacky Races LOL. About 60 planes were queued up waiting to go: watching them roll along the runways one after the other was like watching old WWII newsreel film of bombing raids taking off! And as many flights were landing, one after the other, as we were queueing to fly out.

However, there were snags here too. I was supposed to be going to Manchester: this flight landed me in Heathrow. Which would have been fine if we'd been allowed to land in Heathrow on time, but we ended up in a holding pattern over Heathrow as well for about 45 minutes and I landed too late to stop the Man meeting my original flight to Edinburgh. Poor lamb had two trips to Edinburgh airport instead of just the one. Also, I had no idea where my luggage was: I knew it was in Chicago because it was on the plane from Seattle with me, but after that I had no clue where it might be. However, United and BMI came through: I got a quick transfer to Edinburgh and they located my suitcase and returned it to me within 24 hours, more power to them :-)

So, even the memories of this minor setback are good: standing outside the airport at Chicago once I'd got my onward flight more or less organised, for example, smoking a cigarette and watching the most spectacular lightning storm I've ever seen in my life: the good humour and efficiency of the ladies of United at O'Hare: the wee man who was driving one of those cleaning wagons at O'Hare who stopped and chatted with me about the storm and how beautiful it was, even if it was a dang nuisance to the running of the airport: the comedy routine between the flight attendant and Muslim lady over the suitcase. And over all, fond recollections of meeting the girls and all the fun we had. All bright memories to add to the store.

Now, who can I inflict myself upon next Spring? *g>*

Comments

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

*whew* So glad you made it home as well as getting your suitcase back. I'm a little short of words now after posting a teensy answer on my LJ (it's the fever from the head cold) so I'll just leave it at the 'whew'. *bg*

[catspaw-sgjd.livejournal.com]

I was amazed when my case turned up so quickly! Airlines don't often get praise, but in this case, both BMI and United certainly deserve it :-)

((((((((((((((Joy)))))))))))) <--- for the cold. Hope it gets better soon.

[skater-g8r.livejournal.com]

damn plane wasn't just dropping, it was *plummeting*:

::gulp:: O.O

watching seven more thunderstorms roll in from the Lakes,

::blinks:: wow!!

sounds all scarey and exciting and fun and beautiful all in one go!

um!...did you take pics of the storms??? how bout an aerial view from the plane?? *bg*

[catspaw-sgjd.livejournal.com]

sounds all scarey and exciting and fun and beautiful all in one go!


It was all of that, and more!

did you take pics of the storms???

Are you *kidding*??? LOL I could hardly get pictures of the whales, and they move comparatively slowly - I didn't stand an earthly when it came to lightning LOL

[ducks-in-a-row.livejournal.com]

That all sounds like fun ;-)

"Now, who can I inflict myself upon next Spring? *g>*"

Well, if you'd like to see more of Chicago than just the airport... I'll even show you around Iowa. Don't look at me like that--there is too stuff to look at in Iowa ;-P

Glad you're home safe and sound

[catspaw-sgjd.livejournal.com]

Well, if you'd like to see more of Chicago than just the airport... I'll even show you around Iowa.

You may well live to regret that rash statement, darlin' *g* - but thank you!

Don't look at me like that--there is too stuff to look at in Iowa

::quickly wipes look off face:: Like what? I'm sure there's *lots* of stuff to look at there! Ducks, for sure ;-)