By
Dana Rausch
/ July 23, 2012
I spent 12 hours in airports yesterday. My original flight out of Charlotte was delayed 2 hours, which meant I would be missing my connecting flight.While waiting, I met a lady that was trying to get home to Palm Springs who had broken her ankle, but wanted to get back home to go to the emergency room. I helped her get a wheelchair, some food, a bag of ice, and a new boarding pass for the same flight that she also missed.
When I finally got in my window seat on the flight,I had the privilege to sit on the three hour plane flight next to an elderly lady with major back problems who could not sit still. She had no front teeth and what remained were quite jagged. A diabetic, she brought her own sandwich. She loved to talk and I just smiled and listened meanwhile discreetly flicking off the egg salad she frequently spit at me.
Upon landing at the Phoenix airport, unknown to me, my other friend Jackie up front got a wheelchair escort to the next flight so they just took her to next gate. She was nowhere to be found when I de-boarded and I was so afraid she was lost somewhere in the airport.
I had to literally run down two concourses to make the flight leaving for Palm Springs, so afraid I was leaving this dear woman lost in Phoenix. When I arrived grateful I had not wet my pants while running, she was waiting at the gate in her wheelchair. Such relief!
The tiny plane to finally get me to Palm Springs was hot and the air came out of floor vents in which I had covered when I stuffed my bag under the seat. 11 hours down and 1 to go I was starting to wilt.
As I waited in the puddle jumper for the door to close, two police officers board looking for someone. They walked to the back of the 12 rows and didn’t find who they were looking for. They left and I waited for the door to close. Inside my head I was pleading, truthfully I was screaming to just close the stupid door!
Two minutes later here come the cops again. Are you kidding me? Lo and behold the person they were looking for had been using the restroom on their first visit. While walking outside on the tarmac to the plane this woman decided to light a cigarette and smoke on her way to the plane. My quota of patience was gone for the day. I had better get home and into my house before I explode.
I arrive in Palm Springs, Don picks me up and being the wise man he is, just kisses me and doesn’t say a word. He knows the look. Walk in the door, greet the dogs and fall into bed exhausted. Yet I can’t get to sleep. My legs hurt. The TV is too loud in the living room. Hank starts chewing on a bone LOUDLY. I am hot, then I am cold. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
I have to get up and be at work at 8:00am! I have Bible study to teach at 6:00pm! I NEED SLEEP! Two hours later I fall asleep only to be awaken at 2:00am because a dog needs to go outside. Lord help me. Monday is not looking good from my perspective.
When I finally drag myself out of bed at 6:00am, I have to go straight to the shower to try and wake up enough to have coffee. I wash my hair, I shave (I am doing bible study tonight I have to be presentable!) and then go get coffee. Grab my bible and my notes to read and spend a few minutes looking it over.
Coming home from a conference that taught me: cover the cleavage and cover the arm pits, I glance in my closet and everything is sleeveless! I can’t stand in front of those women tonight and show them my armpits! Although freshly shaved the underarms are still way too flabby!
I put a dress on, put my hair up in a clip and go to put on make-up. Now I have to go get the suitcase that weighs 100 pounds and I have to heave up onto my bed and dig through it to find my cosmetics. Can I just say, they did nothing for the bags under my eyes nor the sandpaper grit IN my eyes. This day is not getting off to a good start.
Finally dressed and ready to walk out, I bend down to buckle the strap on my shoe. My wrist slides across my lower leg and I let out a scream! It felt like it had just crossed over a prickly pear cactus! I forgot to shave my legs! Running back to the bathroom, I hike up my dress and sit on the edge of the tub and quickly shave my legs. Hank the pup is pressing in trying to lick the soap off of my legs. OMG!
I’m going to be late for work! I send a quick text to my workmate that I will be a few minutes late, grab my purse, my lunch and my phone and jump in the car! No time for Starbucks therefore I run back in the house for a cup of coffee for the drive to work. A large sigh………Put my seat belt on, turn the key to begin my journey….only to find that lovely neon sign staring back at me: low fuel.
Aren’t Mondays lovely?
