I was out the door at a reasonable time to catch my flight.  JFK is an hour to two hour train ride depending on what time of the day/night it is.  Leaving around 8:45am/9am seemed good enough.  And it would’ve been had I been flying something OTHER than Delta; for you Don’t Ever Leave The Airport if you fly with them, they make you wait and wait and wait.  My flight was at 11:30am, I had checked in my bags online as encouraged, I printed my boarding pass, as encouraged and arrived at 10:30.  This time, however, was not good enough for Delta.  They said they couldn’t take my bags and I would have to be rebooked.

“the plane is still here, right?”

Yes, but you can’t get on it.  Go over there (points) and rebook.  (smiles)

I walk 5 feet down and another woman smiles and asks how she can help me, the two women originally helping me walked over (all that way…) as well and told her I needed to be rebooked.  She smiles and says she can put me on the next available flight for $50.  My confused and shocked face turned into slight hatred and anger.  “What time is THAT?”  4pm.  “Well, I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?.  To which I get no response other than “Cash or credit card.”  I wave my debit card in the air and set it down.  Seconds later I have a receipt of $50 spent and a new boarding pass.  “Go through security and turn right”  (smiles again) ew.

I get through security and find my gate.  It’s hot, there is no air on down there.  So I go for a walk and call Mr. Gutter and tell him of the crap that is me missing my flight.  I check with another Delta smiley-employee and see if I can fly into a different airport, sure but I’ll have to pay the difference of a ticket.  Which by now is $150, so I won’t be doing that…I’ll be waiting until the 4pm flight.

Oh, look–a bar.

I walked into the restaurant Chili’s and sat at the bar and ordered a Margarita, a bowl of Chicken Enchilada soup, a caesar salad and after all of that I ate a Molten Chocolate Cake.  My meal calorie count was higher than than last three days put together, but I didn’t care.  I paid them and went for another little walk.  I felt beyond exhausted.  I walked into a waiting area that was not housing anyone at that time, guess no flights were coming or going.  I walked to the back and plugged my phone in then used my laptop bag covered in my scarf and sweatshirt as a pillow and hugged my purse and fell asleep within seconds.  An hour and a half later my alarm went off, good thing I set one.  I sat up.  The chairs had begun to fill by now.  I slowly gathered my things and headed towards my gate.  Still hot, still no air, lots of people screaming babies, running children.  I walked up to the Starbucks across from my gate and asked for some water and took my dramamine.  I don’t fly without it.  My motion sickness has lessened a great deal as I’ve become an adult but something about planes taking off and landing makes me queesy still.  We boarded the plane, I was asked if I could “perform the functions of the emergency exit” and I replied confidently “yes” and was allowed on the plane.  Seat 17A.  My lucky number, and the first letter of my name.  Next to the emergency exit, giving me extra leg room.  The couple sitting next to me was kind and personable and if I hadn’t popped the dramamine I probably would’ve had a nice long conversation with them.  That or I would’ve watched the TV that was on.  I was out for 2 hours and in and out of consciousness for the remaining hour of flight.  They had played The Office and Glee during my moments of wakened discomfort.  I couldn’t be bothered to sit up and pay attention, so I adjusted how I was sitting and leaning up against the window with my sweatshirt and fell back asleep.

After we landed it took us a bit to taxi-in, then we were allowed off the plane and I found baggage claim.  By 7:45pm I had all my belongings and I called Mr. Gutter’s dad, who was waiting to pick me up with Sammy Bear, and he came to get me.  They were near by, so I only waited a few minutes.

From there we left the airport and I was hungry and saw golden arches.  We stopped and grabbed some food and headed back to Crystal River.  An hour and half’s drive later we arrived at the hospital and Mr. Gutter was outside waiting for us.  He walked us in, with Bob the security guy, and we walked into room 212 to see resting Jenn and a sleeping little guy.

James Gordon Moffett is tiny and looks like an old man.  He’s adorable.  We visited for a bit, I took too many pictures and got to hold him as well.  By 11:15pm, 11:30pm Mr. Gutter’s dad, and me and Sammy Bear headed back to the house leaving Joshifer and babester at the hospital for the night.  I got settled in by about 1am and was fast asleep by 1:01am, I’m sure. Hoping to rollover no earlier than double digits, I heard Sammy bear’s door open and I heard him climb into the recliner.

Then I heard him jump off of it.

I sit up and look over at him and he smiles “Hi Auntie Yani!” Good morning baby bear, and I stretch out my arms for a hug and he obliges me.  Moments later I’m standing and pouring cereal and making coffee, it’s 8:30am.  Well it was more sleep than I had gotten in the last two weeks.