Wishing everyone the best.

Quote:
“Everyone has a soul mate in life, once you find that soul mate you know it, without that soul mate you can’t think to live another day without them.  The package your soul mate is in should not matter, what is important is you found them, love them, care for them, and be together with them forever.”

So the trip started off ok, Jakarta to Singapore, smooth flight with no problems.  From Singapore to Tokyo, it was uneventful but the seat was like sitting on a brick.  I never did get comfortable to say the least.  After I got to Tokyo the fun began.  Trying to get online to let Vickar know I had arrived was an ordeal, but finally figured it out and was able to talk to him for a while from there.

The flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis was late leaving.  There was a volcano eruption in Sibera that disrupted the normal route so the inbound flight was delayed and that is why we was late leaving.  On top of that, the route we flew was 1000 miles further south than normal and made our transit time longer, 11 hours and 21 minutes.  So that really tweaked my connection in Minneapolis to XNA. 

When we landed at Minneapolis, the gate wasn’t ready for us, they was boarding another international flight and would not open our door until it was boarded and closed up.  Probably a 30 minute wait there.  Then immigration was backed up to the back of the room.  I got the big red B on my customs card, so off to have my luggage inspected (after I found it), another 30 minute wait. 

Once through customs they already had me re-booked to Memphis, then XNA.  Rechecked in my luggage, then through security again, 20 or 30 minutes.  After I got out of there I tried to call Brenda collect to let them know my rescheduled arrival time, but she didn’t answer the phone.  So that was the time they was boarding to Memphis, already 20 minutes late leaving that cut into my 40 minute connection time in Memphis.  So I almost just stayed in Minneapolis and was going to catch the next morning flight but the lady assured me that going to Memphis might get me connected to XNA because flights into Memphis due to the storm was delayed and I might still make it.  So, off to Memphis.

Around St Louis the storm closed the Memphis airport, so we was diverted to Little Rock for fuel and wait out the storm.  In the 2 1/2 hours we sit there we had to have the plane inspected due to striking a black bird on landing, then a medical emergency arose on-board, some lady had a diabetic episode, but she was better by the time the EMT’s showed up.  I borrowed a nice lady’s cell phone to make a fast call to Brenda to update her, have her call Vickar so he wouldn’t worry. 

So, finally we left Little Rock, got to Memphis around 10:20 Monday night.

So, after getting off the plane, it was a wait in line to get re-booked to XNA, the morning flight was full, so I got the afternoon flight.  Then I went out through security to the lobby, called the hotel to get my “discounted” rate and caught the shuttle to Ramada Inn.  We arrived there, I was like 10th in line to get a room, finally got checked in, and the friendly sign on the front desk said, “Due to the storm no TV or Internet”.  So breathing a sigh, I went to the room, unloaded my heavy back pack, shoulder bag, and fired up the laptop to see just in case.  To my amazement, the internet was working.  So I was able to call Vickar (which I had intended to do in Minneapolis) to let him know I was OK.

We talked until 4 a.m. I think, then slept till 7:30.  Got up and had breakfast (ripoff), went back to the room and called Vickar for a while and packed up at 10:00 to get the shuttle back to Memphis airport.  The shuttle showed up at 11:00 and we was on our way.

Got through security with no problems, went to the gate to wait it out.  Went to eat lunch, got back to the gate and they had moved the flight.  So moving to that gate, the airplane was there, we boarded, everyone happy and relieved.  THEN, the one pilot that was on the plane said we had to wait on another pilot that would be arriving shortly.  So after 15 minutes on that hot plane, he shows up, they do the wrap up, the stewardess goes  to close the door, and her surprised look tells you what happened next.  She tried to close it again, the newly arrived pilot tries it, then they call a mechanic.  He arrives, he gets it to close, then he opened it to let her try again, and no luck.

So, here we go, off that plane to another one.  We go to another gate, wait 20 minutes for them to transfer luggage, and finally start boarding.  Well, this plane had been sitting so it was like an oven inside.  Finally everyone is on-board, door is closed, engines running and we are on our way finally.

We arrived at XNA at 5 p.m., the passengers applauded and was happy when they opened the door 5 minutes after we parked (didn’t know we was coming I guess).

Off to the baggage carousel after Mom and Dad met me at the bottom of the elevator.  Watched luggage for 20 minutes until I finally went to the ticket counter to tell them my “black luggage” was not here, and the lady asked my name, and she turned around and there they both were.  I have no idea when they arrived but they had “RUSH” tags on them.

So, that was my flight.

Outside of that, life is just wonderful!!