Back from Albany

I recently returned from a business trip from Albany, NY...Uneventful, except for the trip home. My meeting finished early and I made several attempts to catch an earlier flight home. Boy, the Continental Airlines 800 number sucks. Spent a grand total of 69 minutes on hold for a 2 minute conversation with a customer service rep that didn't want to help me out. All I wanted to do was get home early to see my husband before he left for, yet another, business trip to Italy on Sunday for 10 days.

Since the 800 number was a bust, I figured I would go to the airport early and standby for the earlier flight. The receptionist at the office ordered the taxi with my request to pick me up at 2. It didn't get to the office until 3. Apparently, the original taxi broke down and I got the back-up. But, it took a friggin' hour... So that nixed my plans on getting on the earlier flight. My 6:30 flight left on time for Cleveland and from there, catch my connecting flight to Grand Rapids, which was to leave at 8:50. Get into Cleveland and find the departure gate. Everything was "on time". 8:50 comes and goes and the departure time changes to 9:17 and then 9:45. The plane was at the gate, but there was no crew... At 10:30, they arrive. Didn't leave Cleveland until 11:15, arriving in Grand Rapids at midnight. The flight attendant was sympathetic and he bought the flight a round of drinks, except for the pilots, and shook each persons hand, personally apologizing for the late departure before we landed.

But the story doesn't end there...As I exit the plane, I could hear sirens coming from the waiting area of the GR airport. The damn security locked the only exit out of the terminal even with 3 flights arriving into the airport. Someone tried to lift the gate up, causing the alarm to go off. Took 10 minutes for security to stop the alarm and lift the gate. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR........Finally, head home and my husband narrowly hit two deer near the entrance of the subdivision. By 12:30 a.m., Saturday, I was home...