Getting There....

I just got back from a trip to Atlanta for a visit with my friend, Debbie.  It included lots of eating, shopping, wine and coffee, talking, analyzing and laughing.  And that was just Wednesday!

But first I had to get there.

I rarely travel without Chuck but this time I was going in a couple of days ahead of him for some girl time with Debbie so I was on my own getting myself to the airport.  You should know that he flew out of the same airport for a business trip to D.C., one hour before my own flight,  but he leaves 3 hours before and I just could not give up that much sleeping in and last minute packing on that Wednesday morning.  This really seems silly to me now but it did not at the time.  I am extremely selfish and mindful of the hours I clock in sleeping.

So I wake up at 5:00 am, shower, dress, finish packing and roll my suitcase in to the kitchen.  With an ETD of 6:00 am for an 8:33 am flight, I was doing great on time as we're only about 25 minutes from the airport. I fixed myself one more cup of coffee, loaded a couple of dishes, fed the dogs their treat, turned off some lights and turned on some others, set the alarm and got in the car.

The time was 6:10...not too bad.  Traffic was light and I was on my way.  About 20 minutes in to the 25 minute drive to the airport, I was mentally patting myself on the back.  It sounded in my mind something like this....

Well, I still got it.  I got up on time! I pulled out of the driveway by 6:10!  I could have been out by 6 if I didn't have to give the dogs their treat.  I am so good at this traveling thing.  What a beautiful morning!  Traffic is starting to build...thank goodness I left when I did.  Set the alarm?  Check. Turned on a light?  Check.  Packed my medicine?  Oh, yea I did.





 

and then.......








a long silent pause........in my brain.........






wait a minute.


Did.  I.  Put.  My.  Suitc..................





And that is when I realized I had not put my suitcase in the car.  I called Chuck and screamed  what I had done and could he get me on another flight? And he calmly said he would call me back.  I called Debbie and dropped a few choice words as it was all starting to sink in.  All the while, I had pulled off the freeway and was racing back in the other direction toward home.  I had allowed myself plenty of time to get to the airport once, but certainly not twice with a trip home, too.

So, Chuck got me on a flight at 12:40 something and I had nothing but time on my hands until it was time to head to the airport again.  Ugh.

The second chapter goes something like this.  I get to the airport for the second time that day way ahead of schedule.  I park in the parking garage with valet service.  When the parking attendant asks how I'm doing, I tell him about my forgetful, wild morning.  He gets a good laugh. 

I get on the van to the airport from the parking garage and as it is almost to the drop off place in front of the airport, I reach in my bag for my cell phone. 
 

 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???



 

Yep. I forgot my cell phone in my car.  I move up to the jumpseat by the driver and ask him if he can radio back to the parking garage to see if my phone is in my car.  While he is radioing, I turn and ask everyone on the van if they think I can go without my phone...they all say in unison "NO!" 

The driver hears back from the garage....they have my phone and will put it on the next van...all I have to do is wait at the drop-off in front of the airport for the next van to get there. 

It's not even 10:00 am.  I've been up since 5:00 am and I'm not even in the airport yet. 


Thank goodness, it was all uphill after this.

When I finally arrived at Debbie's with my suitcase and cell phone, this is what was waiting for me in "my bathroom." 

It was a great weekend from the weather to the food to the company.  More on that later.