Trying To Get To Texas....
I started writing this blog 7:15am on Christmas morning: It's completely quiet and I am all alone sitting in Mom's living room looking at the tree. But it wasn't easy getting here. I left CT with 15+ inches of snow, to face the 1/8" of snow/ice in Dallas...and it was chaos!
David dropped me off at the airport about 5:00pm after work. The plane was suppose to start boarding at 5:30pm. For some reason, we didn't check the weather forecast or flight information before we left. When I reached baggage claim I realized that the flight was delayed until 7:45pm. OH BROTHER. A 4 hour flight would put me there about 11:00pm. I was suppose to arrive at 9:00pm. I bought a sandwich and sat down to call David. I can't find my phone! Oh no! Did I really leave it in the car? I know I had it because earlier I had accidently called Bill on the ride to the airport. "Hi!" we exclaimed, trying to sound both merry and un-suspicious (is that a word?) "Merry Christmas....Happy Birthday Mom." Fortunately everyone was busy with the festivities at Haley's and no one asked where we were.
I must have put the phone down and not in my purse. I looked in my wallet. 2 quarters! I look over at the pay phone....50 cents! PERFECT. I called David. "Did I leave my phone in the car?" I asked. I don't know...let me look. I don't see it. I will call it and call you back. This is pay phone, right? I'll call this number back." Ok, I say and hang up. I sat down not thinking I'd hear from him again - could he just call back to this pay phone? They do in the movies, I guess. Not sure how airport pay phones work. Next thing I know my purse is ringing. I look all through it. I can't find the phone. It's in a strange side pocket that I never put things in. Score! A few Merry Christmases and Love Yous later we hang up. I call Grandmommy, my only "partner-in-crime in Dallas" to tell her about the delay and not to worry. She's in the car with Mom and Dad now going home. She plays like I am a friend from home and we hang up. I eat my sandwich and my phone buzzes. Text from John...."It looks like CT down here". Desperate to share, I text back, "I know. I'm stuck at the airport trying to get to Dallas." John calls me right away. We talk and I'll see him and the family on Saturday. Don't tell Mom and Dad....it's a secret...I say. A few Merry Christmases and Love Yous later we hang up.
Departure time was bumped up to 6:25, but as it turned out we didn't start to board the plane until 6:40pm. Then about a half hour wait on the runway before takeoff. The flight seemed to last FOREVER! I twisted and turned and tried to get comfortable. Couldn't sleep. I don't know what the movie was, but it was TERRIBLE! Couldn't they play "It's a Wonderful Life" or something? I was close to the front and watched as first class was served a lovely dinner with large fresh looking rolls, they had ice cream sundaes...made me think of Seinfeld. A far cry from my cold airport sandwich. The chairs looked comfy too. Oh well, I'll be home soon snuggled in a warm bed! Fortunately, the plane did made great time and we arrived in Dallas about 10:15pm or so local time. I hadn't checked a bag so I could be assured that I could hop right in the cab after landing. I had reserved it over a week or so ago with my arrival time and flight information in case there where I was coming in and that we had finally landed.
"Someone will call you back - what's your number?" the lady on the other end announced. Okay, whatever. I have to get off the plane and go to the bathroom anyway. No rush. 15-20 minutes later I still hadn't received a phone call. I was, however, receiving that annoying beeping sound warning me that my cell phone battery was low. Ugh. I called back. "I'm calling to check on my car", I said. "Ma'm this is a taxi service, not a car service." One eye roll later, I try again. "My name is Kimberly Singleton, and I have a reserved cab. I called 20 minutes ago." (phone beeps - out of battery) "I'll have someone call you. Call me back in 10 minutes if no one calls you back." Great. Next order of business: get my phone charger out and call Grandmommy. She might be worried. I can't find a plug for the life of me. I'm not in the airport gate terminal, but the baggage claim/pick up area. What about the bathroom, I think to myself. I head that way. A small, dirty bathroom outside the baggage claim area with one broken toilet that flushes continually. Staff is obviously short due to the holiday. No one running around cleaning up or replacing paper like you usually see. Flush, flush, flush.....I see a plug near that sinks and head over. I plug the phone in and call Grandmommy. She's in bed, as is Mom and Dad. I tell her the situation. I tell her that I am waiting on a car and I'll be there as soon as I can. I have a key. Just let everyone go to sleep. I'll sneak in and be a Christmas morning surprise. No, I don't want Dad to get up and get me. I'll be there when I can.
I hang up. I fix my hair, refresh my makeup......killing time waiting for the taxi company to call me back. Flush, flush, flush. It's about 11:45 now (12:45pm "my time") and I've worked and traveled all day and I'm tired! I'm attached to this bathroom wall until I feel like my phone has enough juice to get me through this adventure. I call the cab company yet again. "Is this Kimberly?" the lady huffs. "Yes, I haven't heard from anyone yet regarding the cab." "Ma'm, the wait could be up to three hours. We had a car there for you at 9:00 at your requested time and you were not there. There is ice outside and unmitigated circumstances." (Big word, I thought) "Someone will get to you as soon as they can." "Okay," I say. I hang up. I know what I'll do. I'll just go outside and get a cab myself. This is ridiculous. I walk out into the bitter cold (Wasn't it 70 here just yesterday??) and see a long line and a yellow sign with a taxi on it. There is one taxi trying to pull in slowly through the ice. It skids a little as it comes to a stop. "Is this the line for a taxi?" I asked the man in front? "Yes." YIKES!
"Mom?" I say as I give in at 11:51pm calling home. "Yes," Mom answers calmly. (We laughed later that she should have panicked when she heard my voice that late on Christmas Eve.) "Are you asleep?" I asked. "No." "Is Dad asleep?" "No, do you want to talk to him?" she asked, again as if this is my normal time to call." "Well...." I say, "I'm so sorry...." 'Where are you?" Mom asks, I think finally realizing this is a weird conversation. "I'm at the airport." "Where?" Mom asks. "I'm in Dallas"......and I re-tell the whole story as quickly as I can getting to the reason for my call....."So, can you come and get me? At midnight? In the ice? All the way to airport? Surprise." ha.....All that hard work keeping it a secret. Not wanting anyone to be inconvenienced by my arrival on Christmas Eve night. Mom put Dad on. I told him where I was and they assured me that they were on their way and if I apologized one more time, well, they would be there soon.
I sat and waited. As luck would have it, David had given me a nano for Christmas and I was able to sit and listen to music and scroll through the photos he downloaded. I listened to Carrie Underwood's Mama's Song over and over. "He is good, so good...." dying to belt it out as I was both deliriously exhausted and really excited about seeing my family. (Thank you David for the miles and the music! I love you.) My phone was back to beeping, so I headed back to the bathroom for a charge and to wait for Dad's call that he had arrived. In the ice, "soon" turned out to be closer to 1:00am. Dad called. "Your Mom is coming in to find you." I walked out of the bathroom and to the door and saw her walking toward me, not looking tired, frustrated or frantic, but a fresh, giant smile. YEAH! I was home! It wasn't the way I saw the surprise going, but in the end it worked out beautifully. As we were walking out to the car, Mom looked at me and said "You look so thin".....ha....YEP, GOOD TO BE HOME! ;) Only a mother's love! ha. We made our way back through the ice all the way back to Allen chatting and talking like the middle of the afternoon. We crashed shortly after, but I couldn't sleep long. I had to get up and enjoy just being home. I'm so excited to be spending Christmas in Dallas with my family. I can't wait to see everyone this weekend!
David dropped me off at the airport about 5:00pm after work. The plane was suppose to start boarding at 5:30pm. For some reason, we didn't check the weather forecast or flight information before we left. When I reached baggage claim I realized that the flight was delayed until 7:45pm. OH BROTHER. A 4 hour flight would put me there about 11:00pm. I was suppose to arrive at 9:00pm. I bought a sandwich and sat down to call David. I can't find my phone! Oh no! Did I really leave it in the car? I know I had it because earlier I had accidently called Bill on the ride to the airport. "Hi!" we exclaimed, trying to sound both merry and un-suspicious (is that a word?) "Merry Christmas....Happy Birthday Mom." Fortunately everyone was busy with the festivities at Haley's and no one asked where we were.
I must have put the phone down and not in my purse. I looked in my wallet. 2 quarters! I look over at the pay phone....50 cents! PERFECT. I called David. "Did I leave my phone in the car?" I asked. I don't know...let me look. I don't see it. I will call it and call you back. This is pay phone, right? I'll call this number back." Ok, I say and hang up. I sat down not thinking I'd hear from him again - could he just call back to this pay phone? They do in the movies, I guess. Not sure how airport pay phones work. Next thing I know my purse is ringing. I look all through it. I can't find the phone. It's in a strange side pocket that I never put things in. Score! A few Merry Christmases and Love Yous later we hang up. I call Grandmommy, my only "partner-in-crime in Dallas" to tell her about the delay and not to worry. She's in the car with Mom and Dad now going home. She plays like I am a friend from home and we hang up. I eat my sandwich and my phone buzzes. Text from John...."It looks like CT down here". Desperate to share, I text back, "I know. I'm stuck at the airport trying to get to Dallas." John calls me right away. We talk and I'll see him and the family on Saturday. Don't tell Mom and Dad....it's a secret...I say. A few Merry Christmases and Love Yous later we hang up.
Departure time was bumped up to 6:25, but as it turned out we didn't start to board the plane until 6:40pm. Then about a half hour wait on the runway before takeoff. The flight seemed to last FOREVER! I twisted and turned and tried to get comfortable. Couldn't sleep. I don't know what the movie was, but it was TERRIBLE! Couldn't they play "It's a Wonderful Life" or something? I was close to the front and watched as first class was served a lovely dinner with large fresh looking rolls, they had ice cream sundaes...made me think of Seinfeld. A far cry from my cold airport sandwich. The chairs looked comfy too. Oh well, I'll be home soon snuggled in a warm bed! Fortunately, the plane did made great time and we arrived in Dallas about 10:15pm or so local time. I hadn't checked a bag so I could be assured that I could hop right in the cab after landing. I had reserved it over a week or so ago with my arrival time and flight information in case there where I was coming in and that we had finally landed.
"Someone will call you back - what's your number?" the lady on the other end announced. Okay, whatever. I have to get off the plane and go to the bathroom anyway. No rush. 15-20 minutes later I still hadn't received a phone call. I was, however, receiving that annoying beeping sound warning me that my cell phone battery was low. Ugh. I called back. "I'm calling to check on my car", I said. "Ma'm this is a taxi service, not a car service." One eye roll later, I try again. "My name is Kimberly Singleton, and I have a reserved cab. I called 20 minutes ago." (phone beeps - out of battery) "I'll have someone call you. Call me back in 10 minutes if no one calls you back." Great. Next order of business: get my phone charger out and call Grandmommy. She might be worried. I can't find a plug for the life of me. I'm not in the airport gate terminal, but the baggage claim/pick up area. What about the bathroom, I think to myself. I head that way. A small, dirty bathroom outside the baggage claim area with one broken toilet that flushes continually. Staff is obviously short due to the holiday. No one running around cleaning up or replacing paper like you usually see. Flush, flush, flush.....I see a plug near that sinks and head over. I plug the phone in and call Grandmommy. She's in bed, as is Mom and Dad. I tell her the situation. I tell her that I am waiting on a car and I'll be there as soon as I can. I have a key. Just let everyone go to sleep. I'll sneak in and be a Christmas morning surprise. No, I don't want Dad to get up and get me. I'll be there when I can.
I hang up. I fix my hair, refresh my makeup......killing time waiting for the taxi company to call me back. Flush, flush, flush. It's about 11:45 now (12:45pm "my time") and I've worked and traveled all day and I'm tired! I'm attached to this bathroom wall until I feel like my phone has enough juice to get me through this adventure. I call the cab company yet again. "Is this Kimberly?" the lady huffs. "Yes, I haven't heard from anyone yet regarding the cab." "Ma'm, the wait could be up to three hours. We had a car there for you at 9:00 at your requested time and you were not there. There is ice outside and unmitigated circumstances." (Big word, I thought) "Someone will get to you as soon as they can." "Okay," I say. I hang up. I know what I'll do. I'll just go outside and get a cab myself. This is ridiculous. I walk out into the bitter cold (Wasn't it 70 here just yesterday??) and see a long line and a yellow sign with a taxi on it. There is one taxi trying to pull in slowly through the ice. It skids a little as it comes to a stop. "Is this the line for a taxi?" I asked the man in front? "Yes." YIKES!
"Mom?" I say as I give in at 11:51pm calling home. "Yes," Mom answers calmly. (We laughed later that she should have panicked when she heard my voice that late on Christmas Eve.) "Are you asleep?" I asked. "No." "Is Dad asleep?" "No, do you want to talk to him?" she asked, again as if this is my normal time to call." "Well...." I say, "I'm so sorry...." 'Where are you?" Mom asks, I think finally realizing this is a weird conversation. "I'm at the airport." "Where?" Mom asks. "I'm in Dallas"......and I re-tell the whole story as quickly as I can getting to the reason for my call....."So, can you come and get me? At midnight? In the ice? All the way to airport? Surprise." ha.....All that hard work keeping it a secret. Not wanting anyone to be inconvenienced by my arrival on Christmas Eve night. Mom put Dad on. I told him where I was and they assured me that they were on their way and if I apologized one more time, well, they would be there soon.
I sat and waited. As luck would have it, David had given me a nano for Christmas and I was able to sit and listen to music and scroll through the photos he downloaded. I listened to Carrie Underwood's Mama's Song over and over. "He is good, so good...." dying to belt it out as I was both deliriously exhausted and really excited about seeing my family. (Thank you David for the miles and the music! I love you.) My phone was back to beeping, so I headed back to the bathroom for a charge and to wait for Dad's call that he had arrived. In the ice, "soon" turned out to be closer to 1:00am. Dad called. "Your Mom is coming in to find you." I walked out of the bathroom and to the door and saw her walking toward me, not looking tired, frustrated or frantic, but a fresh, giant smile. YEAH! I was home! It wasn't the way I saw the surprise going, but in the end it worked out beautifully. As we were walking out to the car, Mom looked at me and said "You look so thin".....ha....YEP, GOOD TO BE HOME! ;) Only a mother's love! ha. We made our way back through the ice all the way back to Allen chatting and talking like the middle of the afternoon. We crashed shortly after, but I couldn't sleep long. I had to get up and enjoy just being home. I'm so excited to be spending Christmas in Dallas with my family. I can't wait to see everyone this weekend!
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