Our 20 hours in Houston

OK, maybe I’m recovered enough to tell this story and have it seem humorous.

After spending the day in El Paso, we went to the airport to catch our flight to Dallas, switch planes and get to Houston. Things went pretty well until we got to Dallas and had to sit on the runway waiting for an open gate for 1/2 hour. Our connecting flight’s gate was far, far away and there was only one way to get there -- by riding the SkyTram. The SkyTram, regardless of our pressure, was in no hurry. So, when we got to the gate 7 minutes before departure, it was already closed and they wouldn’t let us on.

I then proceeded to make the first of about 427 bad decisions. They said we could stay in a hotel in Dallas and fly in early the next morning to the airport where our luggage was (houston hobby) or we could fly in that night into Bush Intercontinental Airport and go get our luggage at Houston. We had a 10:30 meeting and really didn’t want to spend the night without luggage, so we opted to fly to Bush that night and go pick up our stuff.

When we finally got to Bush it was 11:15 and by the time we had the rental (a PT Cruiser -- a free upgrade and one of the few good parts of the trip). it was 11:30 and I thought for sure I had grabbed the map... but I didn’t. They told us it was super easy to get to the other airport -- just two highways and we were there, but it would take 40 minutes.

It took 3 hours. I could explain those three hours to you in great detail, but let’s just say that we saw most of the 4th largest city in the U.S. WIthout a comprehensive map, we could not figure out where we are. One of the complicating factors is that there is a very long road called Airport Blvd that does not have an airport on it. Another complicating factor is that at 2 a.m. gas stations don’t sell anything but gas. Gas station workers are not friendly. Many doors were locked. So it wasn’t that I wasn’t willing to ask for directions or buy a map, but that I couldn’t. Several homeless scary looking men tried to get us to give them money or wanted to wash our windshield. In fact, one of them, who was sitting outside on the ground of the gas station with the man who simply shook his head when I asked for directions -- in fact I said, Can you tell me... and he said “no” before I finished my sentence -- got up and insisted on washing the windshield. (Wow. The Run-on-Sentence Police are going to be all over that one). I told him we had just rented it, but he said, “You can never have a windshield that is too clean”. I had to back up while he continued to wash and wash just to get away.

By this time, Britni the Best from a town of less than 1000 was pretty freaked out I think. But she held it together well. Inner City Houston at 3 a.m. is not pleasant though. WE finally found a gas station in the suburbs (by this time we had been in several) who had a lady who though she didn’t have a map drew me one. She said, “I’m not sure who sent you all the way over here.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her I got there all by myself.

When we finally got to the airport, of course, our luggage was locked up. We had to go back in the morning. But now I was confident. I had the directions from Yahoo. But they were wrong and at this point I was exhausted beyond belief so my sense of direction was a little off. But I trusted Yahoo and off we went ... in the wrong direction. Finally I called the hotel for directions and they couldn’t find where I was on their map so they couldn’t help me.

As a last ditch effort, I called the hotel 800 number for directions to the hotel and figured out how to get there, arriving at 4:15. I asked her for a map and I was amazed, and at that time not finding it funny at all, where we had been, how easy it should have been, and how stupid I was.

The sad thing is I wish there was someway to blame Britni, but I can’t. I screwed up like a zillion times.

So we slept for 4 hours and then showered and put on dirty clothes (though I could not put on my dirty underwear so I went underwear-less) to the airport. Our plan was to change at the airport, but I couldn’t even stop to wait for Britni to run in to get the luggage -- I had to “circle the loop” as Airport Security informed me for 10 minutes. Fortunately Britni changed. We then drove to Spaulding where our meeting was held. We got there about 15 minutes early (after having to call them because we couldn’t find the building). I went in and said, “we have a meeting with _______” but I need to have a bathroom first. I went in, changed my clothes (remembering of course, my underwear) put on a little makeup (I try to do that about 7 times a year) and brushed my teeth. We proceeded to have a great meeting.

We had met a couple other specialists from Houston at the meeting and they wanted to go to lunch, so we agreed to follow them. Debbie went first, then us, then Robin. Debbie was in a little white car and we did an excellent job of following her. We figured she was taking us “the back way” because our map was nothing like we were going, but we didn’t get separated from her even once -- no matter how many times she turned. About 15 minutes later Robin pulled up next to us, pointed at the white car and mouthed the words, “THAT’S NOT HER!”

I’m sure we gave the poor woman in the white car a nervous breakdown by following her all over town. Fortunately, Robin took the lead and knew where she was going. By this point Britni and I were actually able to chuckle a little.

We didn’t get lost again the rest of the trip but were way too tired to go out and have fun after our afternoon of matching, so we had Jack in the Box for supper and I actually was in bed by 8, knowing we were going to be getting up at 4. Our realtor called at 8:10 and I jumped up -- I’m surprise Britni didn’t crack up. She said I had been snoring quite loudly at that point.

So, we got up at 4:15, left at 4:45 and (of course) were flying out of different airports. I dropped Britni off and still had to drive 40 miles, get gas, return the rental and be on the plane. I was the last person on and VERY relieved. However, when I sat my stuff down on my seat to put my briefcase in the overhead, my water bottle leaked all over my seat. I was very hot from rushing through the airport, so sitting in cold water for the 2 hour flight was not a big deal, but the fact that in my haste I had forgotten to put on deodorant was. Wet armpits and a wet butt -- not a good time.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, except for the fact that I was exhausted for the rest of the day.

Now, if you have read all this, you get a medal of sorts, and to tell you the truth, it still isn’t all THAT funny to me. Though as time goes by I’m sure it will get funnier.

Now I need to get to work as I have a ton to do to catch up!