Source: pleasurephoto.wordpress.com via bibi on Pinterest
I think of myself as a fairly organized person. I love to-do lists… in fact, I just found a new app called Teux Deux and I’m in love!! I can often have many balls in the air and can remember what has to happen with each of them…or so I think….lately, those balls have been dropping! I forgot Link, my nephew at school….that’s the first time I’ve forgotten a kid at school in 8 years and it wasn’t even my kid…geesh. The last ball I dropped wasn’t pretty….
Laurel and I were coming home from the Alt Summit in Salt Lake City. We had had the most excellent three days and our minds were swirling with all the great info and ideas we had heard. Laurel asked that morning if I was tired and I replied that the only tired part of me were my eyes..otherwise all good! We were anxious to get home for a number of reasons….Lexi (Laurel’s daughter) was playing in a volleyball tournament, Mac had a hockey game and all four of our girls had their dance show in the evening. We were to land at 12:25pm, so there was ample time to get to all of the kids’ activities.
Source: travelandleisure.com via Visit on Pinterest
Our plane was to leave Salt Lake at 11am, but there was a weird inversion happening with the weather and the fog was super thick. We heard of planes being diverted to other cities….yikes!!! The agent made an announcement that our plane was circling and just waiting to land. We got super lucky….our plane landed and we boarded a mere 45 minutes late…still lots of time!!
As we waited for the other passengers to board, I asked Laurel calmly….”Did you grab Jason’s car keys from the safe in the room?” Why the heck would she have grabbed them? What was I thinking?? Oh yeah, I wasn’t! I had to face it…I had fogotten the keys in the safe! I was so livid with myself….how could I have done that?? Ok Pam, come up with a plan….Onstar, yes that’s the plan. So I texted Jason and asked if he could use his Onstar app to unlock and start the car when we arrived at the airport. The text came back….”My car isn’t compatible with that app.” Dang…now what? Panic was setting in as I knew I only had a few minutes before I would have to turn my phone off. I texted Jason asking him to see if someone could bring keys to the airport…so super inconvenient for someone else, but I was desperate! The announcement came over the PA to turn all electronic devices off. Laurel was sitting on the aisle and held up her mag to block the view of the attendant as I continued to text Jason, asking him to check on taxis, couriers, you name it. His last response was that he had to shower and eat lunch as he had to get Mac to his hockey game….that didn’t go over too well with me! I had to turn my phone off…..all I could do is pray….
We pushed back from the gate and waited again…..the pilot came over the PA to tell us there was a problem with an engine valve and we’d have to pull back into the gate. I turned my phone back on with what little battery it had left…..checking my texts…still no plan in place. I was sweating now! I watched the pilot leave the plane and walk on the tarmac to talk to the mechanic. I read the mechanics lips…”One and a half to two hours”. Double dang…..I had to get back in time for the girls’ dance show!!
We deplaned, found the closest electrical outlet and plunked ourselves down. Laurel was talking to me about getting some lunch…blah blah blah…I wasn’t responding as I was trying my best to hold back the tears, but they came anyways. I needed a moment! Then it came to me….the hotel was only 10 minutes away. Maybe I could get them to deliver the keys to the airport? I called and security said they’d go and check the room. As I waited for them to call back I furiously texted Berkeley and Dylan telling them what to do to get ready for the show….tap shoes packed? hairdos decided for each of the dances? Snacks packed? Man, I wanted to be back in time!
I wasn’t getting a call back so I called the hotel again. They said they couldn’t find the keys and that there was still someone in the room. Wrong room people!!! And then Daniel the bellman took the bull by the horns. A sprint up to our room, keys retrieved and a call to let me know he was leaving the hotel in a red SUV. It was going to cost $25, was that ok?? Heck yah! I talked to the gate agent and let her know that I was going out through security and was assured I’d have lots of time. As I was just about to step outside the airport, I got this text from Laurel…”Bust a move. Starting to board. Not lying!” All I could think of was, “Oh, crap, what do I do?” My hands started shaking as I tried to text Laurel back but the letters were all garbled. “Lord, what do I do?”….I think I even said it out loud. Do I abort the mission or wait…abort or wait? Just then I saw the SUV approaching the curb where I was. I literally threw two twenties in the door, said my plane was boarding, grabbed the keys and RAN!
I ran through the doors, up the stairs to security. I told the security guard my flight was boarding and he’s like go, go! He sent me to the shortest line and I told the dude in front of me that my flight was boarding and he picked up his stuff and was, like, go! Thank goodness Lo had suggested that I take off all my jewelry and only take my passport and boarding pass before I went out. I think I literally got through security in 22 seconds! And then I RAN….I was busting it through the airport, running full tilt in my Tory Burch boots (which proved to be not bad for running). I ran past the people movers and then around the corner to our gate lifting my hands in victory as the passengers sitting at the gate looked at me like I was a crazy person. Turns out they just barely started boarding first class passengers as I arrived at the gate, panting and totally out of breath.
So, that was one of the crazier moments of my life. Seriously….anyone who saw me running in the airport that day, full tilt, panic stricken look on my face probably thought I had lost my marbles. Oh well, I was just happy to have Jason’s car keys and to be taking off momentarily…and yes, I made it back in time for the girls’ dance show.
I often find that things I stress and worry about turn out all good in the end. I know that the big guy up there is looking out for me and I need to trust Him more and myself less….cause I’m just not that reliable! I can’t do it all and that’s ok! It’s all good!
