Shokufeh is... home

The stories begin

Written at 4:57 am
You'd think I'd be boarding my flight. (It turns out I was exaggerating - the flight was for 5:30 am.)
We got to the airport just before 4 am, which turned out to be perfect, since, as we discovered, everything is closed until 4 am. But at around 3:59, I heard a woman on her cell phone, very upset about the 5:30 am flight being delayed and her plans being ruined. At around 4:02 am, a Continental staff member announced that our flight was delayed. The crew had been delayed, due to weather, on their previous flight. Legally, and perhaps physically, they needed to rest before our flight, which set our flight back several hours.

Our window to change planes in Houston was only 45 minutes, so we were going to miss our connection. We had two options, get on the 6:30 am flight to Houston and hope that, miracoulously three spots opened on the fully booked 9-something flight to Vegas. Or go home and get on a confirmed flight tomorrow. Possibility of 24 hours in the Houston airport with a toddler? Guess which one we picked? Now we're waiting for my poor dad to come pick us up. The stuff of slapstick comedies. I'm picturing Ben Stiller. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Written at 12:59 pm
My dad came for us, but had rushed out the door in response to my phone call, forgetting his cell phone and wallet at home. I'd been keeping an eye for him, but apparently had left my post just when he arrived. As I was coming back from filling MrMan's cup with water, I found my dad at a pay phone about to call me. But it wasn't all lickety-split to the car, since we had to wait for a man to finish using my laptop to email his wife back in Moldova, to let her know he was okay. Yes, a strange morning all around.

We came home and crashed. Unfortunately, it was in shifts, as MrMan was very alert and focused on putting on his helmet and pushing his tricycle around the house. I ended up dialing up the babysitter - the one by the name of PBS - and dozing while he was entranced.

Now we're off to spend Thanksgiving dinner with family friends. Lots of my old friends, the people I grew up with. An unexpected perk associated with the disappointment of not making it to Sam's family as intended.

Posted by Shokufeh at November 22, 2007 01:04 PM