Better Days...

When I came up with "And What Next..." for the title of this blog, it was for a reason. My life is never dull, for good or for bad. There is always something happening right around the corner.

A year ago today, I was traveling back from Denver, into Atlanta. Today, I am in Atlanta, trying to fly out...

...but let me go back a little.

As mentioned earlier, Saturday started the birthday weekend a little rough between taking the wrong route and my speeding ticket for 17 over.

The plan was to leave Monday morning at 9am in time to drop off my truck at the dealership to get the AC fixed and then take a taxi to the airport.

Last night, after making a few changes, my computer is giving me blue screens. Not good! Nothing is backed up and I have to have this laptop for school. So, now that my sister works for Best Buy, we decide to bring my laptop in at 9 am for the Geek Squad to save the day.

I then go to pack all my stuff in the new luggage I got for my birthday. I start unpacking each suitcase from the larger to notice 1 piece was missing from my 5 piece set. So, no packing tonight.

So the plan has gone now from leaving at 9am to leaving at 11am. To make a long story short, we are out a piece of luggage, my computer is saved and I didn't leave until 1pm.

It takes me about 45 minutes to find parking...but hey, that's the airport.

I check-in, get to my gate with time to spare. I paid the $9.99 to use the airport Wi-Fi for 45 minutes and hear multiple announcements about how busy the flight is. Then they make a few announcements that some may have to take the 8:30 flight to KC.

I then feel the roast beef sandwich I had at lunch not sitting right and I make a mad dash for the restroom. Nothing like puking your guts out in the airport bathroom!

By the time I get back, they need a volunteer from the group that was going to leave at 8:30 to leave in the morning. Thinking that it would be a good idea for me to not fly at that moment, I agree. They board the plane about 15 minutes later and the lady at the counter asks me to wait until she gets back for my vouchers...

...an hour later she is back, drenched in sweat. Seems that they couldn't turn on the air in the plane and they were having some serious issues. She gives me my airport meal vouchers, my hotel voucher and a $400 voucher for Delta. Fine, not biggy. I've done this many times before.

Then, she tells me she went ahead and sent my luggage to KC. That would be my luggage with my clothes, my pajamas, my toiletries, my make up, my tooth brush, my brush....all of that stuff!

So I fight the crowds and make the haul to ground transportation and wait for a shuttle that says Holiday Inn. Luckily, the shuttle only has 3 people, I get a good seat, and we are on our way. I am minutes away from a drink and a bed!

I go to check in at the holiday inn, hand them my voucher, and they tell me I'm at the wrong holiday inn. I took the shuttle to the south holiday inn and should have taken the one for the north.

So...I take the shuttle back to the airport and wait for the correct shuttle. Before the driver is even able to put the shuttle in park, a huge group of people are already climbing aboard. I am able to squeeze on, standing room only. The shuttle has 18 seats and there are 28 people on there. I assume the man next to me must have had his luggage sent ahead also as that was the worst case of BO ever.

I make it to the hotel. I walk in and it smells like my grandma's old abandoned trailer. In this hotel, you take the elevator to a hallway that leads outside, as all of the rooms are outside. The only light is from the street lights and I'm busy checking corners and looking around me. As I get in my room and flip the light switch, no lights come on. I reach to the lamp, it won't come on either. The room is pitch dark and the outside isn't much better. At that moment, I quickly debate whether it's better to leave the door open and find a working light or close the door and find a working light. Neither felt safe. So I make the haul back down to the lobby, wait in line at the front desk for 15 minutes and then waited an additional 30 minutes until I could get someone to come check things out.

Maybe we should have left the lights off. Obviously this was a room for those that cannot read as there was a sign that said non-smoking, but it sure as hell didn't smell that way. The marks on the wall, the hair in the tub...I don't think I need to say more.... I asked the employee if I could have an extra 2 blankets. I just didn't feel good about this place.

I make the trip downstairs one more time to grab a bite. However, the restaurant has a 30 minute wait and does not allow you do bring it back to your room. Bleh! So I make it over to the ghetto little gift shop where I grab a bag of Fritos and a diet coke. Now that's a birthday dinner if I've ever seen one! Behind the counter are the usual essentials and I decide to grab a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. What’s funny is, my total came to $17.77. (My birthday being 7/17)

I’ve got the door triple locked, 3 alarms set, and now I’m going to brave the shower. Here’s to better luck getting to KC tomorrow and the rest of my time as 25 being better than this weekend. I don’t think it’ll be that hard… 