What a day this has been,

What a rare mood I'm in ... ... but the words that come up next don't fit. Gene Kelly, wasn't it?


My day began yesterday, actually, with a phone call (around noon or so) from one of my long-timey customers, asking me if I could pick her up this morning to go to Intercontinental Airport. I said, "Sure! What time?" She said, "10:00. I'll have to call you later to give you the flight number. I'm in a meeting right now." I said, "I don't need a flight number to take you to the airport. I just need one to pick you back up."

Well, later that evening (last night), she called and asked, "What time did I tell you to pick me up?" I said, "10:00." She said, "I was afraid of that. My flight leaves at 10:00!" No problem. We just scheduled an earlier pickup.

Anyway, I got over to her place in plenty of time this morning. I was early, cuz I had allowed for a lot of extra traffic - of which there was none, and so just sat in front of her house waiting for her to come out with her "baby".

Now, she doesn't have a 'baby' as such. What she has is a cute little dog with hair going every which direction that has to be sedated before every plane trip. (She has her baby travel with her -- not with the luggage.)


I was there perhaps 15 minutes or so when - right next door - some big van pulled up and honked loudly two or three times. I thought, "How inconsiderate! It's way too early to be honking, for crying out loud!!" And then I thought, "Geez, I hope my customer doesn't think it's me doing all that honking!"

Well, of course my customer came out of her house to see who was making all that racket and saw me sitting there. We got everything loaded and off we went, arriving at her terminal in plenty of time for them to get checked in.


I didn't think any more about it. Drove back into town, went to Kroger's to get my weekly 'fix' of grape salad (including a smaller-sized container for my daughter, who had never tasted it), bought a little green plant to take to her house out in Katy, stopped at another store on my list, and returned home around 11 or so. Checked my e-mails. Something wrong with the 'system' most of the day today for some reason or another. Same thing with my daughter's. Replied to a couple, responded to a comment or two on various posts, and then lay down to take a short nap after first calling my daughter to tell her what time I thought I'd be heading out her way.


Later. Out in Katy. Daughter and I are having a nice visit. Granddaughter and her two friends have had a lot of fun discovering their new names -- remember the "My NEW NAME is Boobie Battyface" post?

Daughter is giving me some added info on how to link other sites and download pix, etc., when my cell phone rings. I answer, "Hello?" It's -- you're not going to believe this, but it's my customer, asking if I can come and pick them back up from the airport. They've not been able to get on a flight.

I said, "Of course I can, but it'll be a while before I can get there." "No problem," she says. "Don't start out right now, tho. We're still trying to catch another flight. I'll call and let you know for sure."


Meanwhile, back out in Katy, my daughter tries to hurry up all of my tutorials and sample the grape salad while I'm checking and double-checking my list of 'stuff' to run through with her. Heavens to Betsy!

I think it was two or three phone calls later when my customer said, "We're trying to catch the 7:00 flight. Would you be available to pick us up if we don't get on?" I said, "Sure, no problem. Just let me know."

[Can you believe the real life nightmare this woman was experiencing?!?]


I don't get another call. I arrive back home just before 7 and call my daughter. "Do you think I should try and call her cell phone?" I ask. Daughter thought I should probably give it another half hour or so. During our conversation my customer calls again, this time saying that there are so many people waiting to catch that flight that she doesn't see any way that they will be able to get on, and can I come and pick them up?

I told her that I would leave immediately and asked where they would be waiting ... in the luggage area or in departures? She told me that their luggage had already gone. My goodness, my goodness!


OK. So, it's like two or three minutes later. I'm on the road. I can't even begin to imagine the frustration she must be feeling! I'm not going to break any speed records getting up there, but I'm not going to dawdle around, either!

I'm no more than two or three miles from my house when my phone rings again. I recognize the number and say, "Yes?" "Don't come!" she says. "We made the flight." I turned around and went back home.


Sooo, how's your day been?