Leavin' on a Jet Plane...or NOT

OK...To avoid my downfall of too much detail... I will try to make this as non-wordy as possible...

When we left for our cruise we were supposed to fly out at 9 pm Friday night.... Well...we were DELAYED! During the delay here is what happened.

1. The poor girls behind the counter were taking major flak from everyone...and it wasn't their fault.

2. STEVE was nice to them and we received food vouchers at 10:30...before everything closed at 11 pm. ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE got theirs at 11 pm.

3. Those girls also assured us a seat on the 9 am Sat. morning flight if we didn't get out on Friday. Right after that...they informed all the irate, belligerent passengers that the 9 am flight was full! ( it pays to be nice.)

4. While waiting in the terminal...we were people watching. We observed...

• The big mouth, big headed 30 something man who must have really needed attention because he was talking on his phone from 8:30 pm...and was still talking as we were boarding the plane hours later...communicating in an decibel level for the whole airport to hear..."I can't believe this...blankety, blank, blank....complaining and rehearsing over and over with everyone in his phone book...our situation...for 5 HOURS...without a breath."

• The teenage girls running through the Northwest terminal...I think one of their moms sent them on a scavenger hunt...just to get the giggling and screeching adolescent behaviors out of earshot of all the weary passengers. Of course when they returned at 1 am with their list completed...we all were ever so gently awakened from our comfortable airport terminal seats like an electroshock treatment.

• The 50 something man who...instead of whistle while you work...He decided to "Workout while you WAIT." He proceeded to the moving walkway...(BY THIS TIME THE AIRPORT WAS DESERTED EXCEPT FOR OUR FLIGHT!) and began to walk against the flow...INSTANT TREADMILL! He started a trend...a few others joined in...then a couple ran UP the down escalator...until they shut it down...

• You had the people napping...as much as they could...the complainers still harassing the counter agents ...the one who were laughing, telling jokes and making the most of the situation...the older gentleman traveling alone also going on a cruise...except his left on SUNDAY...he said he has learned...GO as EARLY as possible!

5. 12 am ...we were watching the big screened TV and like Cinderella...right at MIDNIGHT the TV magically DISAPPEARED!

6. We are sitting in those chairs that have ARMS between EVERY SEAT...meaning no one can lie down....some laid on the floor but not this germ-a-phobe! NO...I will stick it out in the seat made of brick...feet propped up on my carry on.

7. Airport terminal temperature automatically plummets after 11 pm...because it was like Antarctica in there! No way to get warm...except walk on the 'treadmill.'

8. Airport Bathrooms also shut down at 12 midnight...EVEN WITH PASSENGERS AROUND!

When they tell us we will be boarding in a few minutes...we decide to use the "facilities." So, off I go the restroom right by our gate...I turn to walk in the door..and I am greeted by a BIG YELLOW TAPE...CLOSED FOR CLEANING! So, I briskly walk to the other end...just before it is CLOSED for cleaning...I returned and Steve went to the far restrooms...too LATE...CLOSED COME BACK TOMORROW...so he walks back to the one near us...CLOSED...DON'T COME BACK!

HELLO...there are still PEOPLE IN HERE...and we all still are subject to the CALL OF NATURE!...we can't SHUT DOWN like the rest of the airport.

SO Steve just has to hold it until the plane.

9. At 2 am...we finally took off and landed at 5:00 a.m. Got to our hotel and in bed at 6 am...got up at 10 a.m. and left for the port.

10. Next blog...the lady who sat next to us on the plane! Whoa, Nellie! It is a must read.

( I failed in my attempt for a shorter blog...if at first you don't succeed...)