***This is going to be a long post, but I just want to get this written down. So, I won't blame you if you skip this all together or simply skim!***
On Thursday, December 9, I booked two plane tickets for Marshall and me to fly to Utah for my Grandma's funeral. We were supposed to fly out of Milwaukee at 9:30 am on Saturday morning and make one stop in Minneapolis and arrive in Utah at 1:00 pm. After I booked these tickets I started stressing out a little bit because 1) I'm pregnant, that's what happens. 2) I am not an incredibly flexible and spontaneous person. So, for me to book a flight and be on the plane less than 48 hours later is a little bit of a stressor. But, I kept telling myself that everything was fine. My Christmas shopping was completely done, my work was wonderful and I was easily able to arrange subs, and Richard was committed to taking care of other things I had committed to. By Friday afternoon I was feeling good. So good in fact, Marshall and I were listening to Christmas music and making cookies for Richard to snack on while we would be gone. Here's where the fiasco begins...
At 4:45 pm on Friday afternoon I receive a phone call from Delta. My flight to Minneapolis has been canceled and they have put me on different flights.
I get on Delta's website and see that they have me on two flights. The first from Milwaukee to Atlanta. The second from Las Vegas to Salt Lake. I call Delta because there is no flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas, a small problem. :) They are very helpful and arrange that flight for me.
I receive my new itinerary via email and am less than thrilled with the now ten hour travel day and three flights, with two of them being long.
With the help of my mother-in-law and Richard we find a flight that leaves Milwaukee at 6:40 am and goes to Minneapolis. I can then get the early flight out of Minneapolis and be in Salt Lake around 11:30-perfect! I call Delta, explain that I am traveling with a two year old and would like to keep me travel time as short as possible. They are so accommodating and change my flights, perfect.
At 7:30 pm I try to check-in online. When I get on Delta's website I see that I am only listed for the Minneapolis to Salt Lake flight, not good. I spend the next hour on the phone with Delta to correct the problem, but finally get it resolved and Marshall and I are scheduled for both flights, whew!
At about 9:00 pm my phone rings again, its Delta. My flight out of Minneapolis has been canceled and I am now on a later flight to Salt Lake. Oh well, I can handle it. It just makes our layover longer, but I don't mind, I will still be in Salt Lake by 1:00 pm.
I finish packing for the night all the while Richard is trying to calm me down by making jokes about the whole situation. He does a good job and I go to bed laughing and feeling good.
I wake up at 3:15 am, we're out the door by 4:30. The plane takes off shortly after 6:40 and Marshall does great on the flight. He plays happily by himself, sleeps the last half and I sleep as well. The landing was a little rough, pretty turbulent, and the visibility is horrible in Minneapolis. But, we survived, one flight down, just one more to go.
Once in the airport, I check out our flight status and gate; still scheduled to leave on time at 11:15 am. I see that some flights have been canceled, but most are still scheduled to depart and on time.
Marshall and I have breakfast and head to our gate. The snow is coming down, but it seems light, just windy. A plane pulls up at our gate and the passengers exit. Shortly after we are boarding. They close the cabin doors and the only empty seat on the plane is next to me and Marshall; this makes me very happy.
The pilot announces that we need to wait about ten minutes for the plane to be de-iced and then we will be heading to the runway.
About five minutes later he says that the snow is falling too fast for the plows to keep the runways clear. He says we have been delayed 90 minutes so they are going to let us off the plane. We can leave our large carry-on items on the plane.
As we are unloading he comes back on and says that the airport has been shut down and that we need to take everything off of the plane.
Marshall and I get back inside the airport and I am in shock. Shut down?! What does this mean?! Some Delta employees are telling us we will be leaving in about 90 minutes, others are saying no one is going any where until Sunday!
I go back and stand by the jetway because I have everything but the stroller, which hello, I am not going anywhere without my stroller. I wait for about 5 minutes with no sign of it. As the pilots come off I ask them about the strollers (there were multiple strollers that were gate-checked). They replied that they couldn't help me, how kind. I then ask one of the Delta employees at the desk if I can get my stroller. She says, "Maam, its under the plane already, do you see what its like out there? No one is going outside." At this point my eyes start to water. There is no way I am hauling Marshall, a purse, a diaper bag, two coats, and my six-month pregnant self through an airport for who knows how long without a stroller! As soon as she can tell that I am going to have a breakdown she says that she will see what she can do for me. She makes a few phone calls and tells me to wait ten minutes. Fortunately, ten minutes later I have my stroller, its covered in snow, but hey, I have it.
I then proceed to a Delta office and get in line to speak to someone about my canceled flight. The line is long and I am told by another passing passenger that there is another office with no line. Marshall and I make the long walk to this other office, but it was worth it, no wait.
They inform me that I have been put on a 9:55 pm flight to Salt Lake and that I should make it out. Great, I can handle that, the wait will be long, but at least we will be leaving.
By this point Marshall has fallen asleep in his stroller so I decide to take a nap as well. I find a quiet place, use my coat and purse as a pillow, wrap my arms around the stroller and doze off and on for 20 minutes. During these 20 minutes I receive four phone calls from Delta about changes to my flight. After the fourth phone call I decide to get up and go back to the Delta office.
At the Delta office they tell me that all flights have been canceled for the entire day-ah!!! I cannot tell you the complete despair I experienced at this moment. I was stranded in Minneapolis! Richard wasn't with me, I was exhausted, and all I wanted to do was be in Utah with my family for my grandma's funeral.
They rebook my flight for the next day. The best they can do for me is fly to Chicago at 1:00 pm on Sunday and then catch a flight to Salt Lake, finally arriving at 7:00 pm. Not a happy moment for me. Fortunately though, Delta was able to give me a voucher for a hotel reservation. They had been trying to do this for all their customers, but for some reason, their system wasn't allowing it. But, it worked for me, they think its because I was traveling with Marshall, thank goodness! They give me the name and number of my hotel and tell me to call the hotel because they have a shuttle that will pick me up from the airport and bring me back in the morning. They also tell me I can pick up a toiletry bag at baggage claim, how kind.
By this point I am starving so I decide to eat lunch at the airport before calling the hotel. Fortunately, Marshall has slept through all of this. After he wakes up and eats I call the hotel. Bad news, because of the weather their shuttles are not driving, but I am told I can take a taxi.
I make my way to baggage claim and pick up two toiletry bags. I am also told my checked suitcase will make it to Salt Lake eventually, fantastic.
I follow the signs to taxis and other ground transportation. I have never been in a taxi before and I have no idea how to get one, but I just decide to go where the signs direct me. I take an elevator and when the doors open I am in a huge room full of people. I see signs for taxis, limos, shuttles, buses, etc. At the taxi door I ask a flight attendant if she is in the line for a taxi. She says, "This whole room is the taxi line. Most taxis aren't running because of the snow so you just have to get in line and wait for one to pick you up. I have been here for two hours, just wanted to let you know it is going to be a long wait." Awful news!
I find my way to the back of the long and twisty line, completely distressed. I see that some hotel shuttles are picking people up so I call my hotel one more time just to make sure they aren't running their shuttle. The lady confirms that and tells me the only option is a taxi. By now it is 3:30 pm. I stand in line for the next two hours and finally make it to my hotel by 6:00 pm.
I am exhausted, emotionally wasted, and starving. Marshall was a champion and really did so well through this whole ordeal; I definitely can't complain about that.
I check-in at the hotel. I ask for a crib, they are out, of course. I ask about a place to eat. They tell me everything is closed, but there is a Walmart across the street and they have a Subway.
After getting settled in our room, we bundle ourselves up again and Marshall and I prepare to walk to Walmart. As soon as I exit the hotel doors the shuttle pulls up and asks me where I want to go. Hello?! Where was this shuttle at 3:30 when I was stuck at the airport?! Oh well, I'm just glad he's here now. He drops us off at Walmart. Get inside, Subway is closed, of course. Fortunately our room had a microwave so I buy us two frozen dinners. I also bought $5 pajamas for Marshall (He was filthy from traveling, eating food without a bib, and rolling on the airport floor during our time in the taxi line.) I also bought contact solution for me (my glasses were in my suitcase, bad idea) and plastic utensils for our dinner.
By the time I pay for this I am too hungry to call the shuttle and wait for him to come back and pick me up. I decide Marshall and I will brave the elements and walk back to the hotel. By now it has stopped snowing, but nothing has been plowed and it is freezing. I make it through the parking lot without a problem, but the road is awful and the snow is too deep to push the stroller. So, I pick up Marshall and carry him, the stroller, my purse, and two shopping bags all the way back to the hotel.
We microwave our dinners and eat. Our room has one king bed and a hide-a-bed. I decide Marshall will sleep on the hide-a-bed. I make it up for him, pack every crack with pillows, and line the floor with cushions. I get myself ready for bed using my Delta toothbrush and toothpaste. I put my contacts in two plastic cups. Get Marshall in the bath, put him in pajamas, and lights are out by 9:15. I fall asleep about 9:30 to Marshall still reading books to himself in his bed. Oh well, at least he's staying in his bed.
I sleep fairly well and Marshall doesn't fall off the bed-a success. I wake up at 5:30, but just stay in bed, at 5:45 Marshall coughs, moves, and then starts singing to himself. Great, I surely thought he would sleep until 7:00 after our LONG day. I lay in bed listening to Marshall until he's had it at 6:30 am.
I put on some cartoons for him and give him a bag of trail mix to snack on while I take a shower. After my shower I put on my same clothes I wore the day before and slept in, disgusting, so much for feeling clean! When I go to check on Marshall I notice his hand is red and he's been rubbing his eyes which are also red. I grab a washcloth and wipe him off and we go to breakfast at the hotel.
Once we get into the breakfast room, which was very well-lit compared to our hotel room, I see that Marshall's eyes are swelling and he has blisters around his eyes and hand. What?! Yes, he was eating nuts, but all nuts that he has had on multiple occasions and even just the day before. At this point I was probably a bad mom and decided that we would just eat breakfast anyway. Oh well. By the time we were done with breakfast the swelling had subsided and the blisters were disappearing. I should still check into this though...
At breakfast we hear that not only did Minneapolis get 17 inches of snow, but the roof of the Metrodome collapsed. Wow. All I want is to get out of Minneapolis.
We go back to our room and Richard calls to tell me my flight to Chicago has been canceled, but that I am on an earlier flight that goes straight to Salt Lake. This is the BEST news I have heard in the last 24 hours.
By 9:00 am we are on a shuttle to the airport. The shuttle drops us off at a little Delta office next to the parking garage, odd, but I go in anyway. It is a small room with a few kiosks and just two Delta employees. I use the kiosk and print off my boarding passes for an 11:15 am flight to Salt Lake-hooray! I see that the flight is delayed until 11:40, but who cares, I will take it!
I follow the signs to get to the main building and see complete chaos in all the lines for every airline. I am just ecstatic that I already have my boarding passes and am checked in-no horrible line for me!
I find the security line and although it is long, it moves quickly.
Eventually by noon Marshall and I are on a plane bound for Salt Lake; I am cautiously optimistic. After about one hour of sitting we finally take off. (Only one runway was clear at the airport.) Marshall did fairly well on the flight and only screamed for 30 minutes of the two hour flight. I can't say I really blame him though. We finally land in Salt Lake and I am thrilled to see both of my parents-what an ordeal!
We head to baggage claim and I am fully prepared to hear that my bag is still in Minneapolis. I am lucky though, and thrilled, when the baggage claim office takes me to a room and hands me my suitcase-a true blessing!
By 4:00 pm Sunday afternoon I am at my parents' house. I shower, put on clean clothes, clean up Marshall, and I am happy.
Wow, what an adventure, and one I hope to never repeat.
With the exception of crying about not getting my stroller, I was very composed with every person I interacted with at the airport and hotel. However, every time I talked to Richard or my parents I was a complete basket-case! They all heard lots of tears from me that day!
Fortunately our flights back to Milwaukee were much less eventful. I did have a two plus hour delay in Minneapolis, but that is much better than a 25-hour delay! However, I have no desire to step foot in an airport or airplane again-it is definitely going to be a while!
Moving onto Christmas morning...since Daylight Savings Time Marshall has been waking up between 6:00 and 6:30 screaming, unfortunately Christmas was no exception. (As a side note, just this week he has started sleeping past 7:00 and wakes up SO much happier, thank goodness!) Anyway, I was actually able to get him calmed down in his room before taking him out to see his presents, but you can still see the puffy and teary eyes. :(
