I AM VICTORIOUS!

As you may recall I missed a flight a month ago. I showed up twenty five minutes before my flight and the Delta agents would not let me board the plane. When I got back from my trip I tried to call and work things out with Delta. I was hoping they would give me a voucher for the cost of the tickets with no re-booking fees. Well after speaking with a few reps...I realized that they could care less about my situation. When I asked to speak to a manager, they said that all I could do was email Delta headquarters...and so I did...we went back and forth three times. I realized that according to their own policies they should have let me board the plane. They didn't care that I spent over $3000 in eight months with them...they said that there was nothing they could do. When I asked to speak to their boss they said that there was no one else to whom I could speak with. I was furious. So I took the advice of a dear friend (Kelly) and filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). In less than a week my request (for the voucher for the cost of the ticket with no re-booking fees) was granted! Take that Delta! Weenies!

Kids say the darnedest things...

My nieces are back in America for a year. Both of them are used to winters in the Middle East. One morning Rob (Jessie's husband) was telling Jessie (my sister) that there was ice on the car and that he was warming it up for us. My nieces were so excited and asked if they could break the ice off the car and eat it for a snack. It was so cute.

A Day in NYC

Yesterday, I went to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes. I went with the ladies in my fam and my two nieces. It was a cool show. Honestly there were way too many lights...and too many things moving at that same time...it made my head hurt! But, it was a cool experience. Then we went to Serendipity...a cute little restaurant (that was in the movie, Serendipity). We waited an hour to get in, I would suggest making reservations. Also the frozen hot chocolate is to die for!

Tomorrow Joelie and I are going to see Phantom of the Opera. I can't wait! I am so blessed to be able to experience these things!

The best bridal shower ever...

My sister threw an amazing bridal shower for me for all my girls on the East Coast. I wish all my Minnesota girls could have been there too, but I am looking forward to my wedding day when all the people I love, will be in one place...with me! Yeeeha! Anyways, the party was so fun. Jessie (my sister) taught us all how to belly-dance...and everyone even the older ladies were totally diggin' it. We had lots of good food and I got way more gifts than I would have ever expected. Now I have to figure out how I am going to get it all back to Mississippi. I am so blessed!

Ghetto-Fab-u-lous

Today there was a sub in class, so naturally the kids were acting up a little. I had to remind them to chill a little throughout the entire period. When we all were waiting at the door for the bell to ring we were chatting and the conversation went like this...

Kid #1: Hi HATE-UH (waving in my direction)
Me: Why...what do you mean I am a hate-ter?!? (talking as white as possible, just to be silly and to counter act their extreme ghetto talk)
Kid #2: Boy...whatchyoutalkinbout Miss Bowl-yay don't HATE she APPRECIATE!

What a ghetto fabulous conversation...I was cracking up inside!

Just one of those days...

Did you ever have one of those days where you felt like the whole world was working against you? I had one of those days on Thursday. I couldn't sleep so I woke up early and packed some of my final items into my suitcase. I went to work and it was a pretty normal day. Right after work the plan was to drive to Joel's work place that was halfway between where I worked and the airport in New Orleans. So I hopped in my car...turned the key...nothing...turned it again...still nothing. Of all the days..this was the worst day for my car to break down. I called Joel to tell him the bad news...he immediately hopped in his car and drove 35 miles in the opposite direction (from the airport) to get me. Apparently he got stuck behind really slow vehicles and arrived to my work a little later than desired. As we were driving the gas light went on and I had to pee so bad I couldn't wait to get to the gas station so we we stopped as quickly as we could. I still thought we had enough time. We had an hour and a half drive to the airport and it seemed to be going smoothly...until...we were getting closer into New Orleans...all I saw were brake lights...and I was getting super worried. Once the traffic cleared up Joel was weaving in and out of traffic which was causing me to have a panic attack. I was holding on to the the door handle for dear life and I could hardly breathe. Finally we got to the airport with thirty minutes to spare...parked...and ran like the wind through the airport to the ticket counter. I went to put my card in the kiosk and they were all closed. At this point we had twenty minutes...and the agents wouldn't let us board the plane. I called Delta to see what we could do and got that stupid automated lady who never hears anything correctly and asks you to repeat yourself...finally I got a hold of someone. I was so distraught and didn't have a confirmation number and asked the guy if I could give him my last name...he got snotty with me and put me through to the beginning of the automated menu again. I was so frustrated at that point and started crying. The only way we could get on the next flight was if we each paid $400! What a rip off! We started walking to all the different airlines asking for price quotes...they were all for over $700 each. We decided to leave and drive two hours home and then look online. The uncertainty of whether I could find a cheaper ticket was killing me the whole ride home. I finally found a ticket for $320 and was able to keep my car rental that I originally had (after calling back and forth between Hertz and Orbitz for an hour). So I am only $200-$300 in the hole.

By the time I got all that taken care of it was almost one in the morning and we had to wake up at 2:45am to drive back to New Orleans to catch a flight. I traveled most of the morning and early afternoon and then had bridesmaid stuff to do the rest of the day. Joel couldn't come with me to the wedding. I was sad. What stinks is that there are situations that genuinely happen and the airlines could care less and talk to you like it's your fault if your not there an hour before your flight. Sometimes...there is just nothing you can do...and that's the feeling I hate the most...not being able to control the outcome. As always God is faithful and I was able to witness my dear friend get married to the man of her dreams.

Delays

Joel and I wanted to drive at least fifteen hours on Monday for our ride home from Minnesota. We wanted to get home early on Tuesday so that we could relax most of the day before going back to work on Wednesday. Here is how the day went...
8:00...woke up, showered, and started our day. Dropped off a van we borrowed and picked up some stuff at my old house...finally ready to leave.

10:00...driving down 35..."oh there's a Target"...I thought..."we have to stop and register...we don't have Targets in Mississippi".
Delayed two hours (12:20pm)

On the road again...one hour later..."I'm hungry"
Delayed one hour(can't drive on an empty stomach right?!?)

Oh and Gas...delayed ten minutes.
Finally...we're fed the car is full...we are ready to go straight until we run out of gas.

One hour goes by...Joel gets pulled over for speeding...and only gets a warning...but still there was paperwork and what not
Delayed 25 minutes.

Can't remember who, but one of us had to pee...we stopped a few times. Then I decided I could drive.
Delayed 15-20 minutes.

I was driving for less than ten minutes when suddenly a hubongous rodent...my guess a raccoon...decides to end its poor little life in front of our speeding vehicle...I hit the darn thing going so fast the engine light went on. So of course we had to check it out and read the owners manual to see what to do. We also wanted to make sure there wasn't raccoon blood and guts all over the car.
Delayed 20-30 minutes.

We decide that it's okay and we should continue our trip. I was driving for about a good half hour..."finally we are getting somewhere" I thought to myself...then I look in my rear view mirror and there it was...blue and red flashing lights...oh yes...my turn to be pulled over for speeding. I was going 80 in a 60...thanks to the nice Missouri police officer I got a warning too! Woot...woot!
Delayed another 20-25 mins.

After two warnings there was no way we could even go over the speed limit...so now we were stuck at going 60mph for a really long time. At this point we realized that there was no way on God's green earth that we were going to be able to drive 15 hours that day. So we decided that I shouldn't drive anymore...I only drove for an hour and a half and I killed a poor raccoon and almost got a speeding ticket. I don't think we drove for more than two hours straight without having to stop for something.

The good news is we made it home safe from a wonderful weekend of meeting up with old friends. I am so blessed to have such great friends from Minnesota!