OH MY GOSH

...COULD IT GET WORSE? YES!
okay---deep breaths.....in...and out.....
i am sitting at the atlanta airport....my plane will be 5 hrs late leaving.....OH MY GOSH.
it gets worse...and funnier....
yesterday we (dancingmoose) left beautiful Dallas for a lovely trip to Valdosta, Georgia to do a show....we had a quick stop in Atlanta to change planes to get to Valdosta (right on the Florida/Georgia border)....so, after arriving at 1030 for a 1210 flight....we are told that, due to bad weather in Atlanta (tornadoes in Mississippi), our flight is delayed til 110....OH MY GOSH.
then 210....then 315.....there is a computer on the plane that is broken...so they are flying in a new part from atlanta...OH MY GOSH....so we shrug and get out books and movies and entertain ourselves. We will miss our connection to valdosta, but there is another at 815...so we are fine.
at 4 STINKING o'clock, we leave dallas.....as we take-off, the front of the plane hears an unpleasant noise...and about 20 minutes later the pilot says that the nosegear on the plane has something wrong with it....so WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO DALLAS....flyby the air traffic tower and let them look at it (i'm picturing a bunch of men with binoculars...and i wasnt wrong)---so we fly back...fly by...and LAND...so they can fix the FLAT TIRE.....this all takes 2 hours---to fly back, fly by, land, taxi, get off the plane...stand around...get back on...watch the safety video again and take off. we obviously wont make our Valdosta connection...so we decide to rent a car and drive the FOUR STINKIN HOURS to valdosta...our show is 830-1130 a.m.....did i mention we are on Delta? Delta tells us that they have put us on a 10 a.m. flight to Valdosta---thanks-- but no thanks----we'll drive.....so we land in Atlanta at 930 p.m.! THEY WONT GIVE US OUR LUGGAGE...because it is labeled as going to VALDOSTA...even tho there is no flight to valdosta...it will be on the 10 a.m. flight that we cant do...on friday ...OH MY GOSH....we explain it has our SHOW EQUIPMENT/COSTUMES/PROPS....oh well.....they offer to look for it...but that will take up to 4-5 hours...again...no thanks....but maybe we'll get the luggage in valdosta at the airport....BUT NO! OH MY GOSH!
no rental car places will let us drive one way to valdosta...so we have to drive to AND FROM Valdosta....so we cancel our flights and get refunded....and tell them TO HOLD OUR LUGGAGE IN ATLANTA...we are assured this will happen. the rental AVIS will only allow one driver (the one with the name on the credit card)---so Gordon has to drive the entire way! we are on our way by about 11 P.M.! we stop at a Walmart in MACON, GA to get CLOTHES and toothpaste...and try to figure out how we will do the show without OUR STUFF. we have our music on a cd and on the computer and on a flash drive....so we can do it---ITS JUST NOT AS CUTE....
driving...hunger sets in....THERE ARE NO FAST FOODS ON INTERSTATE 75 ON A THURSDAY NIGHT AT 1 A.M. OPEN...NONE...OH MY GOSH
so we grab snacks at a gas station and keep on heading south...i'm sure its a lovely drive...
we arrive at our hotel at 3 A.M.----our hosts in Valdosta checked us in and left our keys to help us out---they were great thru all of this....I ask for a 615 WAKE-UP CALL.....jump in the shower and go to bed....for 3 hours.....OH MY GOSH
we get to VAL-TECH and prepare for our show....which isnt much preparation without costumes...we all got new jeans (mine were a size too big---yay!....except no belt----SO THEY KEPT ON SLIDING DOWN THE ENTIRE SHOW)...and a new shirt....
the AV guy is less than GREAT...and so we cant hear our music as we are singing....OH MY GOSH....so its a little off...a lot....did i mention Tim is sick? OH MY GOSH.....Gordon explained to the group about our 'adventure'---they are very nice about it....we keep saying 'imagine tim in an elvis costume---really---its a great costume'.....
during Tim's Eminem song.... THE HOST GUY WALKS UP TO HIM---WHILE HE IS ONSTAGE----SINGING----and interrupts him---say it with me----OH MY GOSH---there are tornado warnings in the area...
OF COURSE THERE ARE!
so we continue and finish the show....say goodbye to our wonderful hosts....the southern Georgia group of the National ASsociation of Social Workers.....and head back up to Atlanta....drive thru a horrible rainstorm (remember the tornado warnings)....so we duck into a Cracker Barrel for lunch...come out and drive 5 hours to Atlanta....yes...5 hours....the last 2 hours were fender to fender traffic...OH MY GOSH! poor Gordon.....he stopped at a dairy queen for an ice cream---but even ice cream wont help this!
We arrive in Atlanta....OUR LUGGAGE WENT TO VALDOSTA! .....OH MY STINKING GOSH...even tho we werent on that plane...so much for homeland security!....so they will ship them to our homes tomorrow....yeah...i'm not holding my breath....so I call home and keep updating Ace ( he is home alone today after school til I get home)....
OUR PLANE IS DELAYED 40 MINUTES!....you know the drill.
OUR PLANE IS DELAYED 60 MINUTES!
730, 804, 830....10 P.M.....1245 A.M.---thats right ....DALLAS IS HAVING BAD WEATHER!
GOSH OH MY!
no meal vouchers.....not for weather related....
so i paid 7.95 to have internet and get some things done.....called ace---he is going over to a friends house...going on 3 hours sleep...OH MY GOSH....
i HATE ATLANTA AIRPORT....it is huge and confusing and you could die there and no-one would find you for weeks...i am making a fierce phone call to delta on monday----can you say compensation? OH MY GOSH!
DO I FEEL BETTER...not yet....i need to get home....
the next day-----got home at 130......the flight left at 1130 (atlanta time)----drove thru horrendous storms....lots of turbulence....not the scary kind---just never undo your seatbelt kind...the lightning show was unbelievable....sat next to a nice 15 yr old kid going to see his grandparents....
so glad to be home....oh my gosh.
SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE----MY LUGGAGE IS STILL IN VALDOSTA! delta will be known as meredith airlines by monday night....only because customer service isnt open today!

lyric's beautiful day

jasmine with her Ben....sitting on the stairs at the wedding...love this 'madonna' type picture.

the fam after the wedding. What an amazing home to have the wedding.

Lyric & her pink peony bouquet---Iva Hall (jas MIL) did the bouquet.

traditional cake cutting/feeding....he was very gentle----she got him good.

the fam at the wedding---see my babies!

i'll post more----been a long wonderful week----but here are some pics to get you started---more will be coming.

yes...he's here

this is after his first bath and hair combing----nurse loved that she could part it!

a bit like elvis? he hadnt really opened his eyes at this point....but this was his position in utero

looks a bit like Cary Grant dont you think? debonair & suave

oh yeah---didnt like being prodded at all----calmed down pretty quickly, but has a very healthy cry.

This morning Benjamin Aaron Hall was born. Jasmine's body was not co-operating....he was ready to come and just growing everyday....so the dr decided that 3/3/09 would be his birthday. He was born by c-section at 7:56 a.m., weighing in at 8 lbs 14 oz and 20 1/2 inches.....HUGE...at least compared to what we anticipated. He spent his first day being adored by grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. Jasmine did really well...other than being traumatized by the i.v. being put in.....she is sore tonight...will be in the hospital til thursday probably. These pictures are from my facebook----more will be coming!