AARGH!

So I'm sitting here in the Sacramento airport.  I'm supposed to be boarding an airplane bound for Las Vegas... bound for IDEX, and the Teddy Talk event there (I'm a moderator at that forum and was asked to attend to represent it)... in less than thirty minutes.  I'm supposed to be hitting the tarmac in Vegas before 3:30, with more than enough time to taxi myself and my carry-on bag to the Rio for the big event.

That's what's supposed to be happening.

Unfortunately, US Airways and their flight crew think differently.  The incoming jet that's supposed to pick me up in Sacto and ferry me to Sin City has been delayed due to weather and "crew rest," and won't even arrive to Sacramento until 4:00 to pick up delayed passengers on doomed flight #139.  The flight itself itakes about 1.5 hours. 

The Teddy Talk event at IDEX, where Mindy Kinsey, Editor of Teddy Bear & Friends, and Judi Paul, fellow moderator, bear artist, and friend -- and who knows who else? -- are expecting me, is just one hour long,  from 5pm to 6pm.

Join me, won't you?, in doing the math on this: IF my rescheduled, later flight lands in Vegas on time, AND we get out of the airport quickly (we're packing only carryon bags), AND there's no traffic to the Rio, AND we can find the venue quickly, THEN I might be able to attend, like, the last 17.2 seconds of the TT event.

AARGH!  AARGH!  AARGH!  AARGH!  AARGH!

Sitting here, feeling irked and sorry for myself and worried about the political ramifications on my career -- Will people think I don't care?  Have I lost all credibility? -- now that I'm officially going to be a "no show", I feel marginally cheered by the fact that today's SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE headlines the following story:  "Bumpy summer in store for fliers," and then goes on to tell the stories of multitudes of similarly irked and delayed passengers, one of whom has been rebooked on a flight to Puerto Vallarta two days from now -- with ZERO compensation (all of this, by the way, from the same airline that's holding me up today.)

I'm looking forward to seeing IDEX itself and to time with hubby and seeing a Cirque show and the spectacle of Vegas; I've never visited.  But the entire point and purpose of this trip was to be in attendance tonight for that one hour, representing Teddy Talk at the TT Event, meeting Mindy and Judi, and hopefully others -- collectors, artists -- who registered or might walk in to the event.  We would have flown out earlier but Tim had to work yesterday, so that was out, and today, the only other available flights were literally twice as expensive as the ones we actually booked.  <sigh>

I can't begin to express how disappointed, angry, crushed, annoyed, etc., I am right now.

Please send your support!

Mindy, Judi, artists, collectors, and friends ... if you're reading this, I'm so sorry.  It was beyond my control.

Comments

[Veronica]

Awww Shel...what a bummer!! Curse you airlines people!!! ARRGGHHHHHH!!!! Hope you get moving soon...and they are waiting with a double martini or something when you get there!

[Chrissi]

Nothing is reliable anymore, esp flying :(
It stinks you'll miss the TT event, sending big hugs your way.

But there's got to be an after party!!
Keep us posted

BIG HUGS,
Chrissi