Enrique and "The Butter"

Monday, April 02, 2007:

Flying and such....
So I gave up my weekend for work...which is not something I would normally consider, but the man who asked me to go to North Carolina for the weekend seemed like he was in a bind, so I broke down and said yes. All in all, the weekend was fine as I spent it at a college campus doing workshops on interviewing, resumes, etc...all stuff I enjoy. I did get to try grits for the second time in my life, and for the second time, decided I still don't like them. It reminds me of something I threw up once. So yeah...that's a whole different story as I digress.

The highlight of the weekend was trying to get back to Minneapolis on Sunday. It all started with United Airlines. I don't really enjoy this airline, but it was booked through work, so I didn't have too much say. I get to the airport on Sunday, only to find out that my flight to Chicago has been delayed, so I would end up missing my connection to MSP. The lady at the counter spends the next 30 minutes trying every possible way to get me back to MSP on Sunday, and finally finds a route which gets me from Greensboro to Charolotte. This is where things get a bit dicey. My flight from Charolotte to MSP is on Northwest (or should I say NorthWORST?!). I go to the counter only to have them tell me at Northwest that I am not booked on this flight, and they have no record of me to be on this flight. This is where Heather flips out. I run back to a United counter, and explain them the situation, all while swearing under my breath at the stupidity of thier airline, finally an agent runs back to the Northwest counter with me to explain to them to just let me on the plane and she will print out the proper receipt for me saying I am booked. I get on the plane, and breathe a sigh of relief...you'd think the story ends happily ever after here, wouldn't you? Ha, not in this story!! I'm on the plane no more than 5 minutes when 2 scary-looking gate agents come marching down the plane, stop by me and say rather sternly " Miss Janes, your gonna have to get off this flight NOW as you aren't booked and we have a weight limit restriction!" EXUSUE ME??! A weight restriction? Last time I checked, I didn't think I weighed that freakn' much? So than, I am totally ticked off, start swearing at them stating I am booked on this flight, blah blah blah, while they escort me off still fuming mad. The ever-so-friendly Northwest ticket lady screams at me to go to United as there is nothing they can do as I am still not technically booked on thier stupid flight. I stomp back to United, where I start yelling rather loudly that someone needs to help me NOW. I than spend the next hour (no joke) with a United ticket agent trying every possible way to get me out of there on Sunday evening, to no avail. Finally, it is of no use, I will have to fly back Monday morning, and they put me up in a hotel, and actually gave me 2 free flight vouchers for stupid United airlines. Great. As if I want to fly THEM again. The story gets better as I am at the hotel, with only my business suit on, nothing to wear to bed, no shower items, no toothbrush, nothing as my God only knows where my luggage is at that point as no one at the airport seemed to know. Luckily, a nice lady gave me a shuttle ride to Wal-Mart where I proceeded to purchase some lovely work-out pants and a bright-orange zip-up sweatshirt which I have been wearing for the past 16 hours. It's been fun, people, it's been REAL FUN!!
So....I did make it back this morning, found my luggage, grabbed a Starbucks, and felt that all is well in the world.

Heather // 11:21 AM
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