IF IT COULD GO WRONG IT DID

Rhinelander, WI

June 23-26, 2012

As I stated in my last post, I scheduled a two-appointment dental procedure in my hometown because flying home twice for both appointments was cheaper than getting the procedure done in NYC.

My first trip home was a huge success and a lot of fun. I got to see all sorts of relatives on my mom’s side of the family at my cousin’s graduation party and play a lot with my Alaskan nephews. This second trip I scheduled at the same time as another cousin’s wedding, a cousin on my dad’s side of the family, meaning I would get the chance to see the other side of my family, too. I was really excited. Then a little storm happened that changed the way everything would go...

I was set to fly out on Saturday morning, a direct flight to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where my brother would be picking me up and we would go straight to the wedding in Appleton, Wisconsin, together. Friday afternoon the skies started darkening and suddenly unleashed a terrible thunderstorm. It lasted for all of one hour. I was still at my office when I got the email that my flight for Saturday morning had been canceled. Here is the saga that ensued: 

1. Delta canceled my Saturday morning flight and couldn't rebook me until Sunday. Until Sunday! My cousin's wedding was on Saturday. My brother was only in Wisconsin for Saturday. I needed to be there on Saturday. The woman I spoke with told me there was no way to get me on a flight and refused to look at neighboring airports to get me on another flight. Apparently, getting customers to their destinations is not their top priority. Saturday morning I tried calling again and spoke to a much more sympathetic person at Delta, who said she wished I had called her sooner because she could have easily gotten me on a flight out of Newark. At this point I officially hated Delta.

2. As a result of Delta’s incompetence, I missed my cousin's wedding, seeing some of my dad's family for the first time in about five years, and seeing my brother and 90 year old grandmother-- the one and only day this year I was going to see either of them.

3. When I went to check in for my new Sunday flight on Saturday, I noticed that the connecting flight had magically disappeared from my itinerary, meaning I was no longer on the flight that would get me to my new destination of Wausau, Wisconsin. Another one hour phone call with Delta.

4. This is most likely too much information, but when I finally made it home, I went to the bathroom, pulled up my underwear, and it ripped apart in my hands (that made me laugh).

5. I forgot deodorant.

6. I had sent a text to my mom on Thursday to remind her to pick me up more cheese curds from my favorite local place (they get new cheese curds on Thursdays), but she didn't go, and they were sold out by the time I got there on Sunday.

7. I went to the dentist (the real reason I flew back home) to get my crown put on and it didn't fit. It. Didn’t. Fit. I cried and cursed, as only a New Yorker can do, which probably shocked the Midwestern ears of the dental office. As a result, they had to make another one for me and ship it to my dentist in New York.

8. The zipper on my pants broke apart in my hands, which was the final straw that sent me over the edge (at which point my mom grabbed her purse and dragged me into Kohl’s to buy me new clothes...).

9. On my return home a mere two days later, my Delta app wouldn't give me e-boarding passes for my flights, so I was nervous I was being bumped (I wasn't, but I still needed to print tickets at the kiosk in the airport-- kind of defeats the purpose of having the app).

10. On my flight out of Wisconsin I was seated directly in front of a man in handcuffs and his police detail. And, when prompted by his police detail with, "In the event of an emergency..." his response was, "Let me die." Awesome.

11. Once I landed at Newark, I stopped by the bathroom before leaving the airport, just missing the shuttle bus back to NYC. The next bus, which should have come in 25minutes, didn't come for over an hour.

12. Most of the Lincoln Tunnel was closed for construction (hence the really late bus), which caused a major delay in traffic. I got home at 2:15am. And got up for work the next day.

It's an amusing story to tell, so I'll give it that.

All in all, I was home for a total of two and a half days. I was able to squeeze my nephews and relax with my family, eat deep fried cheese curds and brats, watch my nephew catch fish at my aunt and uncle’s cabin (and throw them back), and, of course, have a bonfire. Short and bittersweet, but lovely to be home, nonetheless.