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About The Artist Jewelry Boro Frit Blends Policies Contact Web Site Links Gallery Journal |
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3/17/07 Well this was my big weekend. Mr Smiley's class in Asheville NC. Been planning it for two 1/2 months. The dance of who what and where my children ages 9 and 5 would be doing exactly for the 2 1/2 days I'd be gone. My inlaws all set up to take them one night, my neighbor taking me to the airport. It was all coreographed perfectly. I'd work friday until 1 then head to the airport for my 4:30 flight. My tools all wrapped carefully in bubble wrap in my luggage. Lot's of frit blends for people to try in my suitcase. Laptop and camera all ready to log the adventure on LE. Then the forecasts. Despite springlike 70 degree temperatures earlier in the week the weekend's weather called for a quick but nasty northeastern snow storm to blow through friday and saturday. I was optimistic. My plane would get out I was sure of it. Well it started snowing yesterday morning. I arrived at the airport at 1:30 to find that most of the flights had been cancelled. my flight was still on time however so I waited for over an hour and a 1/2 in this gigantic US airways line to get my boarding pass, got it went through security got to the gate to find the flight was delayed. I waited until 4pm with a small group of excited people going to charlotte. We were actually going to get off the ground! At about 4:10 we finally hear that the flight was cancelled. Now there's already over 200 people in line at the gate with one ticket agent helping trying to get people rebooked. People are freaking out everywhere. I called my husband and he started checking on line at the boston airport and their flights. I was in Providence but Boston MA is only an hour north. and I asked him to check the amtrak train and bonanza bus schedules too and basically there was nothing. So I waited for two hours in this line to see if I could get rebooked meanwhile I'm dialling the us airways number on my cell and finally get through. I talk to an agent and she can't find me a flight anywhere that would get me to Charlotte before sunday. So I go wait for my luggage and call Tom my dh who has not been able to find me a train. there's one leaving at 10pm that gets in to washington dc at 7 am but then the next train to charlotte doesn't get me there until 9pm at night and then I'm still 2 1/2 hours from Asheville by car, so that was hopeless. So then I ask my husband how he feels about me driving and he says I'm nuts because it's 800 miles and about 14 1/2 hours drive and it's snowing plus I'd get there in time for the class maybe but I'd be so tired I wouldn't be able to function. So I come home. now it's 6pm. I'm dejected sad and out of hope and I call Debbie (Pierces Designs) she lives in NC and she was going to share my room with me. So I tell her she needs to find another room. I feel bad and she feels bad. She was with Jodie (ruskin designs) and then I call Brent and he feels bad and tells me to call Gary (owner of the studio) and see what Gary can do about refunding my money. Then my parents call cause they are worried about me flying and are surprised to find me home. My dad says don't worry he and my mom will drive me to NC and sleep my hotel room all day and then come back sat night and I can take my scheduled flight home on Sunday. I can't believe they would agree to do such a sweet thing, I'm touched and excited so I say "ok are you sure? " they say absolutely and head over to my house. I start screaming with excitement, and head to the computer to mapqquest the adventure. It's now 7pm. my class starts at 10am. my husband is at the gym and my kids are at my inlaw's. I'm glad he's not home because he would say are you crazy? you are going to have your 71 y/o father drive you to 800 miles to NC in a blizzard? that's what he'd say and he'd be right. so just thinking about that makes me check a weather map and I see the ice snow line extends all the way down to washington dc. I get nervous. My parents show up at my house and they tell me the highways are trecherous with ice and people spinning out everywhere. We decide it's too risky. It would have been a fun adventure but not to risk our lives over. so it's really over. I'm not getting to Asheville. I suddenly realize that it's over. It's 7:30 now and I have a good cry. Then I call Gary. He hosting the meet and greet. They are all there, Brent, Debbie, Jodie, Carrie, Lana, having a good time watching Brent do demos. He says "oh we heard about you hon don't worry I'll refund your class fee." I'm so touched that he would agree to do that. I thank him profusely. My parents tell me the next class Brent teaches they want to pay for it. I tell them they don't have to do that but they are the sweetest people in the world and I'm lucky to have them. We laugh about the crazy adventure we had almost embarked on. They go home and I set about over the next two hours trying to get my money back from Orbitz. I finally get through. the customer service rep sounds almost as upset as me. I ask him if he had a bad day. he says I have no idea. I tell him I think I do. then he tells me the good news is I'll get all but one night hotel back. I'm relieved. It's now 9:30 and I head across the street to my neighbors to watch a movie. my kids were sleeping at my inlaws and my husband went out with a friend after the gym. Debbie calls me at 10pm on my cell. they overbooked the hotel and they won't give her my room because it's in my name and all paid for because I'm incurring a one night penalty. I talk to them for her and they agree to let her stay there but she will have to pay me because they have already been paid through orbitz. so she agrees to send me a check. she says they had alot of fun at the meet and greet and she's intimidated by watching Brent work his magic. She says she hopes she can keep up in class. I tell her to have fun and goodnight I'll be thinking about them all weekend. she says they will be thinking about me too.
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