Hubby becomes a sailor this morning! Actually, he called Tuesday afternoon to let me know he passed all his tests, physical, mental and academic, and was officially a sailor then. Woohoo! Today is the graduation ceremony. FUN!

(plus we get to visit with him for a couple of hours!!!)

But getting here was quite trying.

My darling Da has traveled with us to watch his son-in-law graduate. And I thought yesterday was going to go so well. He was on-time and ready to go when I got to his house to pick him up in the morning. (a FREAKING miracle) The number of driving suggestions were held to a minimum. Finding a parking space wasn’t so bad. It took three tries to check his bag (couldn’t carry on a bag with 6 oz. hair gel, 12 oz. hairspray and a lighter. Ugh) He hip-checked me out of the way in the security checkpoint, then left us while we were putting our bags back together. Still not so bad. Okay, getting a little iffy. We had over an hour to get a mid-morning snack while we waited (the gate was the first one, right next to the snack area, after all). Then Da goes for a cigarette. With 30 minutes before the flight leaves. Yep, during the time we should be checking in, he leaves for a cigarette. A freaking 30 minute cigarette! Munchkin says, “It’s 10:45. Isn’t the plane supposed to leave at 11:oo?”

Shit!

Phone call to Da. No answer. Dammit. Grab his crap and head to the gate. Which is literally right next to the snack area. Except they changed the gate. Find someone who works in the airport.

“Excuse me. Where is the closest smoking area?”

“Halfway down the terminal.”

“Munchkin, leave your stuff here and run down to the smoking area to get Umpa.”
[phone call] “Did you find Umpa?” “No, he’s not here.” “Okay, come back quick.”

Dammit!

Phone call to Da. No answer.

Get to the gate.

“Are you the ‘Late Family’?” “Why yes. Yes we are. And we are missing Da.”

“Oh yes, I see his name here. You have 3 minutes before we leave.”

DAMMIT!

“What if we miss this flight?”

“You can get on a later flight for $50 per ticket.”

GAH!

Phone call to Da. Sweet mother, he answers.

“Where the hell are you?”

“I’m on my way.”

“They are leaving in 1 minute.”

“I’m almost there.”

“Okay, we’re checking in. Can you wait one more minute?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Oh, thank the gods.

Yeah. The looks you get from the rest of the plane as you quickly try to walk to the last row with all your shit? After making the plane leave the gate late? Daggers would have felt better.

<sigh>

Blessed sitting. Nofurther schedules to fuck up. Ahhhh.

Easy flight. No turbulence. Begin descent to Chicago… and cue screaming baby. (Goddess, thank you for giving me such an even tempered child!) The poor father could not control this poor boy. Screaming, kicking, biting, pulling hair. Gods! He was awful. And where was the mother? Sitting across the aisle saying, “I can’t do anything.” And when she does “try to do something”, her hands were on the poor kid for 5 seconds. And she hands him back to the father saying, “I can’t deal with this.”

So what do they do with him? Put him in the middle of the aisle, while we are landing. Yep… buckle your seatbelts, seats in the upright positions, tray tables stowed and locked. Please put your small screaming children in the middle of the aisle.

?!?!?!

The flight attendant freaked! She unbuckled herself, came up, and told the parents the child couldn’t sit there. They made NO MOVE TO PICK HIM UP. And dear mom? She says, “You deal with him, we can’t” and laughs.

?!?!?!

So flight attendant picked him up and put him in a seat on the opposite side of the aisle. SCREAMING!!!!!!!!

The parents finally took him and put him on the floor by their feet.

<sigh>

We finally make it to the hotel. Check in. And find out, Hey there’s a blizzard coming folks. 6 – 14 inches between tonight and when you should be checking out tomorrow.

<grin>

<GRRRR>

Ah, but Munchkin is beside himself. For a Southern child, he feels he has hit the snow day jackpot.

Well, I should be getting ready for the graduation. I’ll have to tell you later about the dining debacle last night. And I’m sure I’ll have more traveling hijinks after today’s attempt to travel back home in a Chicago blizzard.

:)

<sigh>

So we’re in Chicago. No sites to see, but a Hubby siting is more than enough reason for me to be here.