( trying to keep it positive ) of being stuck in Chicago O'Hare for an entire day. I have the winter storms on the East Coast to thank for that blissful day in Chicago.
I should have known that I was not going to make it to my destination. The whole week before my trip, I was dreading it. I didn't have any strange danger premonitions. Like I knew I wasn't going to fall out of the sky or get lost in Detroit ( my destination ). I just knew it wasn't going to be a great trip somehow. It's my psychic ability. Or my psycho brain thinks I am psychic. Either way, I had a feeling. It was a feeling of dread or doom. It was more like a, "I'm not sure if this is a good plan," kind of feeling.
I landed in Chicago early which never happens with American Airlines. I was stoked. maybe my premonitions were wrong after all. I made it to my connecting gate in plenty of time to see that is was delayed. No big deal. There delays to be expected because of the storms. I was different from other passengers. My flight was going to take off as planned. Sometimes I forget that I'm not special and I am just like everyone else, especially when it comes to the diabolical nature of airlines and cancelled flights. And so the saga began...delayed, stand-by, cancelled flight, stand-by and so on until I realized that I was not going to make it to my destination. I wish I had known I was going to spend the day in Chicago. I would have caught a cab and hung out. Maybe I would have eaten a hot dog. The possibilities would have been endless. Instead, ticket agents were mean and I was a blithering idiot and a cry baby by the time I was able to get a return flight home. During the time I was in good spirits, this is what I did:
1. I bought a book that I may or may not read called The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. I love the title and it is on the New York Times Bestseller list. I am sure I will eventually read it because I do love the book cover and the title is brilliant.
2. I bought a t-shirt for my husband and my niece. I love to buy t-shirts in the airport. That and key chains.
3. I bought Starbucks coffee. They are everywhere!!!!
4. I walked from gate to gate as they changed and cancelled my flights through out the day ( with all of my crap! I carried on my luggage for this flight because I would only be gone for a night ).
5. I used the 20 minutes of free WiFi I had available to me and watched most of an episode of Friends. That Joey is a crack up and Phoebe is a genius. Plus, wasn't it great when Chandler and Monica hooked up? Good times.
6. I took pictures of the snow outside. It was snowing. Don't judge me. We hardly ever see snow in Texas.
7. I wrote in my journal about nothing. OK I babbled. Same thing.
8. I read two chapters in To Kill A Mockingbird.
9. Facebook entertained me a little. Then Pinterest. I pinned until I could pin no more! I am an expert pinner my friends.
10. I discovered that Chicago O'Hare has the best toilet seats. There is a plastic cover over the seat that changes out when you waive your hand over it. it literally rotates the old one out and puts a nw one on. I was so amazed that I shared a video on Facebook and I will share it here. I'm telling you it was amazing! Oh the wonders of technology. Will it ever cease to amaze me? I think not!
So that was my day in the airport. Who says it has to be boring? I'm just saying!
