So...6 months and 11 days later...

I warned you last time that I wasn't going to be the best at updating this blog...

Here's the rundown of the past 6 months...

I worked. I worked. I worked.

Sad, I realize... Other than work...let's recap in some kind of chronological order.

October:
-Happy Anniversary to Mom and Dad!!!
-Happy Anniversary to Misty and Nathan!
(I just know I'm forgetting something)
-Started working at Borton Volvo (see last post)
-Getting settled into the new work building
-Went to a bridal shower for Kelly
-Went to the Twin Cities Knit Out (I know, wild and crazy)

November:
-Thanksgiving with the Clark's in Red Wing (what a blast that was)
-Hair Care AND Color reset at work ($*%& on earth...let me tell you)

December:
-Christmas with Mom and Dad (stay tuned for the story on that one)
-Started thinking about the next Kreigoblemeyer Bash
-Katy gets ENGAGED!!!

January:
-Happy 1 year anniversary with Supervalu (rumor has it, I am supposed to get a pin)
-Kelly and How get married!
-Get ready for Kaity to go to Australia

February:
-Tassy's boys start spreading "the cold"
-Sadly, I resigned from my Bible study for the remainder of the academic year. Thursday nights were becoming to consumed with work and as it is the only night I can stay late....well...you get the point

March:
-Tassy's boys continue spreading "the cold" (I am no longer allowed to spend time with them until I am fully healed...cold, sinus infection, cold...)
-It snows
-Start talking about graduate school...the search continues

April:
-It snows
-My boss leaves the company
-I make a decision on Graduate school and am applying (Roosevelt University Masters of Training and Development - all online. Random: it's the only Masters program offered online)
-Find out that the Dad of one of Lisa's clients is quite possibly one of the greatest Celtic rock musicians I have ever heard! I'm hooked!
-Finally purchased an adapter that will plug my Sansa into my car so I can listen to all my wonderful music
-The TV dies...(never would I think that I was so attached, or that I could become so happy without - even if I did miss the noise and the ability to have a weekend movie fest)
-Go to Eau Clair for a book signing by Meg Swanson (and shopping at Yellow Dog Knits of course)

I'm sure that I have forgotten plenty that has happened in that time because it just doesn't seem possible that I could have remembered everything...I mean I'm good, but not THAT good.

And now...for the long awaited story about my Christmas Vacation...(take a bathroom break now, you'll be laughing pretty hard)

It all started on December 21st...a Friday. By all reasonable purposes, a great day! I have worked extra this week to leave early on Friday, and I have already packed so that when Lisa picks me up to go to the airport...we can drive and go!

Here ends the perfect plan for the "perfect vacation". I arrive at the airport in plenty of time to check in (more than plenty as it turns out). I know that I have left lots of work hanging, but due to the tight time schedule, I just wasn't able to get through it all and despite that I had asked multiple times to get a laptop to take along and do the work... one was not granted to me. Make no mistake, I brought plenty of work along with me to get done as soon as I get to DFW to see my family as I'm going to spend a few hours...get my work done, and start Saturday AM with a clean slate and a great vacation.

Enter hurdle #1: My flight from Minneapolis to Milwaukee has been delayed, as has the flight in front of ours. I am going to keep a positive attitude here because, even when we leave 45-60 minutes late, as they speculate we will...I will still be able to meet my connection from Milwaukee to Dallas as the gate is not far away. A couple of phone calls from work with questions handled. I assure them that I'll be in Dallas that night, and will handle any emergencies and they'll be ready to rock and roll on Monday.

Enter hurdle #2: Flight leaves late. I still have plenty of time to get to my connection...and I fall asleep on the plane. When I wake up (feeling refreshed), I wonder what time it is and why on earth we haven't landed. Minneapolis to Milwaukee is a 45 minute flight! SUPRISE!!!!!!! It's foggy. We are currently circling the Milwaukee airport in hopes that the fog will clear and we'll be able to land. We can't. We do this for about 45 minutes and get a message from the pilot that after circling, we're going to head out to Madison where it's less foggy and we should be able to land. It's foggy in Madison too! :) I'm maintaining a positive attitude here... if I got delayed getting into Milwaukee...I can still catch a connection to get to DFW (even if it is in the middle of the night).

Enter hurdle #3: As we circle Madison, our fearless pilot tells us that if we can't land in Madison, that the air traffic controllers are recommending that we head for Detroit. :) Certainly, it's not as foggy in Detroit. We continue to circle Madison and find out that the fog has barely left Madison so that we can land, but that we have no hope for Detroit. So we land. And we sit and wait. And wait...and wait. One of the passengers on the flight is an off duty pilot who jumps right in and gives the flight attendants a hand passing out more beverages and cookies as we wait for instructions. He occupies children who are getting restless, he answers questions from pesky people who want to know when they'll get to Milwaukee...and is an all around Boy Scout! I couldn't thank him enough for all of the work that he did that day.

Enter hurdle #4: Now that we have landed, and there are 2 planes to our right who landed before us, and countless planes behind us who have landed... we need to figure out a way to Milwaukee. Normally, about a 45-1:15 minute drive from Madison. Unfortunately for us, we can't fly and the busses that the airlines have contacted need time to get to us, get us to Milwaukee, and come back for the next round of people.

By this time, the pilot has told us that we'll be boarding a bus once the planes to our right have de-planed (yes, that is the technical term). A few passengers offer to de-board in Madison as it's they're final destination. Some of us (namely me) sit and hope that the fog will clear and we can fly on to Milwaukee, I can hop a plane for Dallas, and if I don't get my luggage until New Years... I simply don't care! (Yes - most of you have guessed that ALL the gifts are in the checked luggage, but come on! My family will understand and they'll be happy enough to see me that they won't care...I hope).

After 90 minutes of waiting...we are told that if we would like to stay on the plane, Milwaukee flight control has just cleared us for landing! :) We can stay on the plane, with the luggage, and fly to Milwaukee!!! Please keep in mind that being the "wonderful" daughter that I am...I have been in constant contact with my family keeping them apprised of all the latest developments. I choose to add in here that it's 9:30 and I'm starving!!!!

Enter hurdle #5: After landing in Milwaukee at 10:30 PM, the passengers of my flight are told that we should wait at the ticket counter to the left of our gate and attendants will be by shortly to arrange new flights for all of us (since the airport is CLOSED). I am near the front of the line (#2 to be exact) and meet with a lovely young lady who totally understands my ordeal. Bless her! This same wonderful young lady tells me that the ONLY way I'm going to get to Dallas is if I stay overnight (for which I get a $10 food voucher for any airport food and a hotel voucher). I politely tell her that if it has a bed and a pillow, I won't be picky.

She gives me a voucher for the Super 8 (I am guaranteed that it is the only hotel left in Milwaukee with a shuttle and available rooms - I find out later, there was another choice). I am scheduled to leave at 3:45pm the following day. The attendant gets me all checked in and hands me the boarding pass and vouchers and bids me farewell (all i have to do when arriving back at the airport is check my bags). Needless to say, when you're stuck on a plane for 6 hours, you get to know the people who sat near you. I got to meet a lovely woman and her daughter (age 6). We all treck to baggage claim where we retrieve luggage and head off to the shuttle waiting area to get some much needed food and sleep. Denny's for dinner then bed (at 1 am)! A hotel manager who understands I have gotten stuck, has offered to let me check out late (1 pm). A wonderful nights sleep follows.

Enter hurdle #6: It's still foggy. As I stand at the counter checking out of my hotel room I meet a family who's flight has been cancelled due to fog. I am now praying for all that I'm worth that I can get out of town. Get to the airport in "plenty of time" for my flight. Make the mistake of looking at the flight boards and find out that 80% of flights have been cancelled. Mine, luckily, only says "Delayed". Delayed I can handle.

I get to the counter after waiting in line for 45 minutes, the ticket agent tells me that my flight is delayed in Kansas City due to the snow, and they'll be deciding on whether or not to cancel the flight in 30 minutes. Do I want to wait for my flight?? Or do I want to go ahead and book on the next available flight?? (Quick...seats are filling fast...there's only 1 left and it's for tomorrow morning). "I'll take my chances on this one, thanks! If I get to the gate and they cancel, the agents there can find me another flight, right??" "Yes, ma'am. I'll go ahead and print your luggage...wait...I'm sorry, your flight has just been cancelled. May I book you on that flight for tomorrow morning now??" "I'm sorry, tomorrow morning?? Are you sure there aren't ANY other flights?? Are there flights going anywhere near Dallas?? Can I get to Chicago?? Can I get back to Minneapolis?? Can I get ANYWHERE???" "No ma'am, I'm sorry. The airport is closing. The best I can offer is the flight tomorrow morning." "Ok, thanks. I'm sorry to get so upset, it's now the 22nd and I'm just trying to get home for Christmas." Get booked for tomorrow morning(Sunday...by the way.) "Is there any chance I can get another hotel voucher as this is the second day I've been stuck in Milwaukee??" "No ma'am, I'm not allowed to give any more vouchers out, but I do have this pink slip. It's the (something, something) stranded traveler discount phone number. "

I call the number, I have my boarding pass for tomorrow AM...and I have my luggage... What the number can offer as it turns out is the La Quinta for $69/night, the Wyndham for $79/night, or something else for $89/night. I decide on the La Quinta, until the gentleman on the phone informs me that the Wyndham has a bar. I am now set that if I'm going to be stuck again, then I'm going to get the hotel bar! The Wyndham it is!! Off I shuttle to the hotel, check in, settle in, talk to my folks...and after a brief spot of relaxation in my room (which is hard to find, but beautiful and luxurious inside), I head to the bar. Let's be honest about this...

A night at the bar, some dinner, the company of fellow stranded travelers (all of whom are so nice!!!), I'm off to bed and dead asleep by 8:30pm. Here's the funny thing about going to sleep in with the help of a few cocktails, I was WIDE awake at 5:00 am. I really wish I was kidding. I get showered, I watch the morning news (including the weather). I have coffee from the in-room pot. I pack up, and am ready to go! Catch the shuttle, check in, check bags...looking good.

At last! I'm at the gate, I'm waiting...I'm hearing rumors of the flight being delayed because of weather in another part of the country. I'm trying desperately to stay positive. Continue phone calls with Mom and Dad...and at long last, I get on the plane. I relax...and just before 11:30 am, I arrive in Dallas. I have never, ever, ever, been so happy to get to Dallas.

The rest of my vacation was a piece of cake! My family vows NEVER to bother with connections around the holidays again, even if it does save money.

See?? I told you that you'd be laughing! You're glad it didn't happen to you and are wondering if there was anything else that could possibly go wrong.

Till next time! :)