Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Airport Is Not My Friend

I had another encounter with my nemesis: the Airport. Today I had to pick up Andy after his trip to Costa Rica where he was doing some kind of businessy business stuff.  As soon as I pulled up to Terminal 2 I was scolded by security. "No Waiting!! You will have to move on!" But wait! The very gracious Ace Valet Parking service had allowed me to keep the rental car they provided until I had to return to pick up my hubby. They advised me to drive up to the Valet Parking area in Terminal 2 and leave the rental car. Then, they would bring my husband's long-lost car (well, technically it was a long-lost key--but also technically, we hadn't  seen the car for about a week) around to the curb so my husband and I could drive off into the sunset--as previously planned. But you know about me and my so-called plans.

So I did move--I moved on to the Valet Parking area and pulled up to the curb. I called the supervisor (he gave me his cell number!) to let him know I had arrived. Whereupon he called for the car to be brought around--and soon it was parked at the curb as well.  Such prompt, courteous service! I was feeling pretty good about the way things were going. I made small talk with the boy on duty at the valet stand. He's from Tennessee and his girlfriend is from Colorado. He is going on vacation tomorrow for nine days...I began to realize that I was learning WAY too much about this young man's life story and his plans for his upcoming holiday. Andy's plane should have landed by then. The time for Andy's flight to arrive had come and gone with no sign of him.

I went inside to check the Arrivals and Departures board and see if there was a delay. I had plenty of leeway coming and going as I pleased due to the fact that our car was smugly parked between the little stretchy dividers of Valet Parking. This was small comfort when I saw that what I thought was his flight, was on time and that the passengers from that plane were crowded around baggage claim gathering their baggage even as I was looking at the board. Soon they all dispersed and I saw that it was 45 minutes past Andy's landing time. Still no sign of Andy--I began to worry.

To add to the excitement, I had a 
"Relief Society Activity Quilting and Provident Living Get-together With Refreshments and Bring Your Friends Meeting"
 (Formerly known as Enrichment)
 looming up this evening for which I had promised to bring homemade Blackberry Cobbler AND for which I had promised my nervous non-quiliting Humanitarian Leader that I would be there early to set up the quilt.

I had texted Andy of my location and the plan was for him to call me as soon as he arrived. Yet, I heard nothing from him. I checked with the girl at the American Airlines counter to see if he had been on the flight. No, he had not been on the flight. My worry escalated pretty quickly to heightened concern. To add to this, I had swirling around in my head the story of Andy's briefcase being stolen the night before. His passport, his laptop, a credit card and other valuables were lost in the robbery. It was now an hour since he should have been there at the Valet Stand ready to drive off into the sunset. Still no hubby. This is where my cool was lost. I began to feel a little hint of panic. If he could be robbed, maybe something worse happened. So I just went ahead and made the leap to:
 KIDNAPPED.
 I decided I had better get moving on his rescue. I had been texting Shanna so I asked her to look up his company's phone number. Luckily, I managed to talk myself into being rational until I knew for sure what had happened. As I was talking to his colleague on the phone, Andy beeped in.  He had not been kidnapped. His plane was delayed because of a storm. And he wasn't on the flight I thought he was. So, that was why he wasn't on the passenger list. We were soon reunited at the Ace Parking Valet stand
 and we drove off into the sunset.
1 1/2 hours behind schedule.
But, on the bright side...
my hair was clean.

No comments:

Happy Birthday Scott!

 It has been awhile since I updated this little family scrapbook on the internet. I like to pop over here from time to time and look at our ...