Wednesday, February 3, 2010

OK - True Musings...EDMONTON, you gotta read this!!

OK - I like to be transparent...i like to live life on the edge and be seen for who I am...Well, in spite of having a wonderful weekend in Edmonton at Break Forth...my travelling - well let's just say - it was NEVER more adventurous!!!

So, last Thursday I am leaving my house with LOT's of time to spare. I left way earlier than I thought I needed and I was making one stop. I left my house @ 9:45 am - a drive to a friends office for a quick talk and a coffee and than off to the airport for my 1pm flight! no problem!!

The drive was going well, although I was starting to get nervous...the drive was taking a little longer than I was thinking and this was starting to make me nervous. I of course never thought of turning around and NOT going to see my friend...because I am pathetically relational!! SO - I thought...i will still have time! I also totally under estimated the time between their office and the airport...so to make a long story short...I saw them for about 10 minutes and turned around and booted it...I AM VERY LATE AT THIS POINT!!! I left the office @ 11:50am...my flight is @ 12:55pm - i thought I was about 20 minutes MAX away from the airport...NOT!!! It will on a good day take 40 - 45 minutes...now I have flown A LOT!! I am usually there more than an hour before (if it is a domestic flight!!) I do know that there is a little grace period and I had no bags to check and have my boarding pass already...I am good!! RIGHT??

SO - I am about 15 minutes away from the airport and it is turning 12:30pm...I AM LATE!! I am on the phone with Air Canada...they are telling me it will cost me $1500 to fix this...NOT PLEASED WITH THEIR RESPONSE!!! So I know I will have to throw myself on the mercy of the Air Canada ticket agent and hope for the best. So I am parking the car...10 minutes left before the plane leaves...I park, run to the ticket counter...no bags to check, show her my ticket and say, "I know that I am late, I know that I have to rebook, I do not have the money to rebook...I am throwing myself at your mercy...can you help me! PLEASE!!!!" I said all of this while winking and showing my charm...well OK - I actually looked very pathetic!!!

The ticket agent looked at me...looked at the ticket...there is 7 minutes before the flight leaves...she said to me..."RUN" Really?? You want me to run?, i replied...she said there is a 10% chance you will make it...I ran through security...they said nothing!! that was the fastest I was ever searched!! I ran through the terminal, and my gate...it was the last one at the END of the long hall!!! I got to the gate with no time to spare. They were closing the gate, when they saw me...did not event check my passport...allowed me to get in, they said..."RUN" and I ran down the gate...they closed the door of the plane seconds after I got on...I sat in my chair and was dripping with sweat and thinking...There is no way I should be on this plane!! WOW!! end of PART 1

Part 2 begins...
So...great time in Edmonton and I leave to come home...I land...excited to get home...the kids and Wendy are waiting up for me. We are gonna watch the GRAMMY's...my favourite awards show! I get off the plane, get my bags...pay for parking (another crazy part...for another day!!) and head to my van in the parking lot...get to my van...NO KEYS!!!!!!!

In the parking lot beside my van for 35 minutes...I look, I empty, I look, I empty, I look, I empty....I look again!!! NO KEYS!!!!! I call the hotel in Edmonton - there is no sign of my keys in the room and there is no sign of them in my luggage or pockets!!! The time is now 10:45pm...I called Wendy - told here to stay on alert, I was looking again!! I went in where it was warm...to look again...NO KEYS!!!!!

So @ 11:00pm I got to call my wife and tell her I needed her to come and pick me up in Toronto...we live an hour and ten minutes from the airport!!! SHE WAS PLEASED!!

She came dropped off my other keys...then she followed me home! I got 20 minutes down the road...forgot I needed gas...NO PROBLEM, we are only 10 minutes from the exit with all the gas...NO PROBLEM...except for the fact that I did not have enough gas to get to that exit!! I was so consumed with the fact that I FINALLY had a key, tired and just wanted to go home...the gas thing slipped my mind!! WHAT A DUFUS!!!!

So, Wendy had to drive me to the gas station, we bought a small gas tank and drove back to my van at the side of the road...filled it up...then i drove to the gas station and filled up more...than drove home and CRASHED in my bed...2:45am was when we got home...

OK - bottom-line...I AM A DUFUS!!! Can you believe that I am such an idiot!

That was my wonderful weekend...surrounded by CRAZY travel problems...I think Wendy will take the phone off the hook when she knows i am arriving from a flight in the future...in fact...i think all my friends will!!

Well...that is living out loud!!

talk soon....

Kevin

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dude! Watch out for birds with pointed beaks ....they like heads that are made of wood! lol