WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!

Despite my last few trips having been rather well organised, and my temperament being calm, this time reverted back to what used to be the norm, and I was not at all relaxed.

I wondered if I would ever catch up with all my work on Monday.  It was a typical day.  I was very focussed in the morning.  Something happened that was an ‘emergency’ distraction, and my concentration was taken away from where it should have been, and found it difficult to return. 

It was another late night, but I left the bare minimum for Tuesday morning.  I had wanted to clear all, but around 8pm, my mind shut down and refused to co-operate.  Dana and I took advantage of the ‘buy one, get one’ at Macaroni Grill and enjoyed a ‘build your own’ pasta.  We were the last two in the restaurant, and I think the staff were quite happy to see us go!  They literally locked the doors as we stepped outside.

I repacked my bag on Tuesday, aerating the space saving bags, and putting the bundles into smaller bags, so that it would be easier to fit in other items.  Once again, I had bought far too much and was on the verge of not having enough space. 

At five o’clock, I came home and went for my final swim before my trip, and after swimming just floated for a few minutes, enjoying the experience.  However, I still had quite a bit of work to do, and pulled myself away from my little piece of paradise.

Wednesday arrived and I was not prepared.  My bags were packed but I was not ready to go.  The flight was at four, but I still had to work through the morning.  I tried to stay ‘on top’ of things, and did manage to a degree, but the emails started to flood in towards midday, and I tried not to panic.  I called the telephone company and asked if I could top up my phone, as I could not seem to get online to do so.  After several questions, and remembering the password for the account, I managed to get the phone ‘topped up’. At 1:30, I shut down my computers and said farewell to my husband and gave the dog a big hug, and told him that I expected to see him in two weeks!

Samantha took me home, where I got changed and took my suitcases to the car.  As we turned out of my complex onto the main road, I had the feeling I had forgotten something.  My store loyalty cards, and English change,  had been placed in a small purse, and I seem to remember putting it into my everyday handbag, instead of my backpack, or my smaller handbag.  I did not want to go back home, as we were later leaving than anticipated.

The traffic was heavy, and the airport under a lot of construction.  We went around once, took the wrong turn for the garage parking, and went round again.  We finally too the correct turn and parked the car.  Everything between checking in and getting to the aeroplane went according to plan.  I listened to a lengthy conversation between a woman and someone on the other end of her phone, that was having ‘man trouble’.  The advice was quite concise. “Take a few days off.  Think about it.  Come back, and dump him!”  Why bother taking a few days off?  The advice was repeated many times, and eventually, I had to leave the area!  Everything was on time.  I was going to be on my way very soon.

“We have been told that Houston is on shutdown”, said the pilot, as the ‘jet way’ veered back from the side of the plane.  “We will know more in 30 minutes.  Until then, sit back and relax”.  Many people had connections.  All but a few sat back and relaxed.  “I have a connection to Frankfurt”, said the first lady, who wanted to get off and find another route.  “I have one to New York”, shouted another gentleman from further back.  The captain came back across the airways.  “We will not know what is happening for thirty minutes, so if anyone wants to get off, please tell a member of the flight crew”.  At that I received a text.  Our departure time would be at ten minutes to the hour of five.  A few seconds later, I received a call from Samantha.  (We had been allowed to put our phones back on!)  “Your plane is delayed”.  I told her that I was aware.  “You will be taking off at ten to five”, she said.  “Perhaps someone should tell the pilot”, I said.  The pilot then came across the airways.  “We are scheduled to take off at four fifty, so if you would all return to your seats, we can get pushed back. 

We did not take off at ten minutes to five.  We sat on the tarmac, and departed at around ten past the hour.  I was not particularly bothered, as my second flight was not until 8:20.  Plenty of time!

The gate was occupied when we landed.  Most people were quite undeterred by the events, and the captain assured all that anyone who had missed their flight would be put on another.  However, most of the flights had been grounded, so it was possible that many had not landed on time, and therefore would be delayed.  I so sat. 

Finally, we reached the gate, and were able to deplane.  I walked for a long time before getting to the train, and stood behind an airport employee who was obviously on an extended break, as we ascended up the escalators.  I missed the first train and waited for the second.

The lounge was very posh.  I was ‘invited’ into the ‘new pad’, and it was rather different to the one a few yards down the passageway.  There was a buffet, and a ‘sit down’ restaurant.  Everything was free.  It all sounded rather delightful.  I did not take advantage of the sit down restaurant, but did enjoy the free wifi!  I went to use the restroom, forgot to lock the door, and was interrupted during the procedure!  Rather embarrassing.  As I got my things together, I dropped my phone onto the slate floor, and the screen smashed.  I am hopeful that it is just the cover that Samantha insists I have on my device!  I was starting to wonder what was going to happen next.  Perhaps my feeling that this trip was going to not be a good one was a real feeling, and not just my over anxious imagination.  I had to pull myself together, and fast!

Waiting to board, I was aware of a couple having a rather heated argument.  She had just told him something that he was not expecting and about which he was certainly not happy.  Perhaps she had been on the phone to the woman in the lounge in Austin?  It certainly looked like a ‘deal breaker’.  It certainly took away my own concerns!  I tried not to stare but it was not easy.  However, my attention was then drawn to the new exit doors, as an explanation was given as to how to proceed to the plane, by a rather green employee.  Clear as mud is the only way I can describe his instructions!  “If you are travelling with people in a different group, you can’t board together.  The machine will know.  If you are under twelve, you can’t use the machine.  It won’t let you through.  If you are a baby, you can’t use the machine.”  The infant in the pushchair next to me did not seem too perturbed!  “If you need extra time, you can’t use the machine”.  Why?  It appeared all bar a few could use the new machine, and most had to go through the regular barrier, where tickets were checked manually.  All in the name of progress!

My seat looked very comfortable.  Atop a pillow was another tempur-pedic cushion, all on top of a quilt and blanket.  At the very top was a little blue metal box, which presumably held all the little things that apparently make a flight more enjoyable.  I would look forward to peeking inside when I got home!  I hoisted my carry-on into the overhead, and proceeded to situate myself.  The stewardess brought over a menu and said she would be back shortly.

“This is my seat, and my husband’s is in the aisle.  Would you swap with us or do you want the window?” said a lady who had just emerged from the other direction.  I apologised but said I really wanted the window seat.  If there was another open window seat on the left side, I would gladly move.  “I get sick if I don’t sit next to my husband, so if you don’t move, you will have to deal with me being sick”.  I smiled and returned to my phone, where I was messaging my daughter.  “Ma’am”, she called the stewardess.  Apparently, I was being most unreasonable and would not move from my seat.  She got sick if she did not sit next to her husband, and the stewardess needed to ask me to move.  The air crew member told her that she could not insist.  In fact, she couldn’t ask unless it was an emergency. “I get sick!” she said, again.  When satisfaction was not forthcoming, the passenger took the ‘sick bag’ and flumed it in my direction.  It made a loud crack, and her husband told her to sit down and stop making a scene.  “But I need her to know I will throw up!” came the response.  By now, I was talking to Dana.  He had gone to dinner with a couple of friends and could hear the commotion.  “But it is your seat”, he said when I explained the predicament.  I told him I was not about to move, and would not be bullied into doing so. 

After a couple of minutes of no activity, the woman sat down very abruptly.  Unfortunately, due to her rather bad temper, she did not notice the pile on the seat, and sat square on the box of goodies.  She let out a squeal.  “Ma’am.  Would you like to move towards the front?” asked one of the air crew.  “Do you have two seats?” said the woman, now looking a little more excited.  “No, but you will be near the restroom”, came the reply.  “And if you get sick, it will be better for you”.  The reply was negative.  “Then how about going further back, to economy plus”.  No.  She was not going back there!  This recommendation gave a new lease of life to the quietened complainer.  All were now entertained with the continuing saga of how sick she would get if she did not sit next to her husband. 

By now, she had noticed that her husband could actually move the crew member’s baggage to the other seat, and at least sit her side of the aisle.  Reluctantly, he did so. 

“Water, orange or champagne?” asked the stewardess.  I am not a medical expert, but I would think alcohol, with perhaps the exception of a small brandy, may have been the wrong choice when feeling nauseas.  Eventually, the doors were shut and we were asked to turn off our phones.  The television sets came on, and I took my headphones out of the pack and plugged them in.  My neighbour was still shouting and creating a scene.  Finally, enough was enough, and I decided to take a stand.  The bullying was not being effective, and it was now becoming a little irritating. “Well, the smell of throw up will put her off, and she will move!” came the comment.  I turned, looked at her square in the face, and said, “No!  She won’t!”, turned back, put on my headphones and could see the open mouth stay silent.  She did not utter another word, and sat back ready for take off. 

The flight was good, and I watched one film before going to sleep.  I woke a few times, and enjoyed breakfast before landing. My neighbour obviously felt better as she tucked into her dinner, and finished off with an ice-cream sundae with chocolate sauce and plenty of M & Ms!  She appeared to enjoy breakfast as well.

I thought that perhaps everything would run smoothly after a good night’s sleep and as we landed I turned on my ‘English’ phone.  “I’m sorry, there is not enough credit on this phone to make a call”, came the automated voice.  I had called the free number!  After turning it on and off again, and attempting to get through to the helpline, I decided not to panic, as I could find a wifi area when I deplaned. 

Walking through customs and getting my bags was painless.  I walked to the coffee shop and tried to get my other phone to work, but my phone would not connect.  I walked back and forth, but still nothing.  The lady at the ‘help desk’ told me that the whole airport was a ‘wifi’ area, but it was very slow.  It was not looking good.  Deciding not to panic, again, I went to departures and walked around for a little while, thinking I might find my taxi driver, as that is where I met the guy when I arrived in December.  Nothing.  I found a payphone and realised all was not lost.  All I had to do was call Richard and he would then let the driver know where I was!  Now, where was my purse with the English money….! 

I do not like to use my credit card for incidentals, but I had no choice.  It was an emergency!  As the phone rang, I wondered if Richard would answer as he would not recognise the number.  He did!  He was actually on the phone to the cab driver at the same time, and told me where to go. 

Not bursting into tears was harder than expected when I heard my name being called.  The driver was very pleasant and insisted to push my trolley to the car.  Our drive home was reasonably quick.  However, his wife called him a couple of times, and as we were passing through the Watford area, he asked me if I would mind if he popped home to sign some papers.  It was a very strange request from a cabbie, but we had been chatting about the job and I had told him that I had actually been a licensed cabbie too!  He was not scheduled to be at work today, but had been asked to do ‘this job’.  I did not have a problem with him going home, as it appeared to be an emergency, but as soon as we started to twist and turn, I started to get a little nervous.  What if it was a ruse? “What would they do with me?” I wondered as he pulled into his road.  At my age, I could cook!  However, he returned quickly, alone, and we continued along the way.

My phone had apparently been put into hibernation.  It was probably the reason why I would not get online to ‘top up’.  “What is the account number’s name?”  He was not with me.  The relevant answers regarding the password were given, and my phone was now working.  Life suddenly seemed to be much better, and I felt more confident that the trip would be successful.

The afternoon was wonderful, as Steph and the boys came round to visit. 

With mum being a little frailer than last time I visited, I did not make too many arrangements for the weekend, but I did get to spend Saturday morning with ‘my boys’, and we had great fun. 

I am looking forward to a less complicated week, before the countdown to going back to the USA, but before I do, I shall fill this space with  ……. another story!