I'm here

Whew...

I'm surprisingly very chipper for a someone who has had only 3 hours sleep!  I just couldn't go to sleep last night, which is kind of strange because I was so in the mood to take a nap Sunday afternoon. I was seriously thinking of taking a nap, but I naturally did not have time for it.  I was expecting Lizzy to work until only midnight, but unfortunately a few people who were scheduled to work were no shows, so she didn't get out until around 1:30.   I just lay there in bed sleepless most of the night.

I'm finally looking forward to the summer.  Perhaps I'll be able to "sleep in" during my vacation.  Sleeping in for me is waking up at 8 a.m.  I remember, as a kid waking up on a Saturday at 11 or sometimes at noon.  Those were the days, huh?  I think those days are pretty much gone for me until I reach senior citizen age. 

The morning started with drama, all over my poor mother's airline tickets.  I helped book them with the travel agent, and she is leaving on the same day as my brother and his family are leaving, in June.  My brother got his tickets weeks ago.  My mother still hasn't received hers.  I'm leaving in August, and I already got my tickets.  Something just didn't seem right.  When I discovered that her check for her flight in June wasn't cashed yet, it made me worry, so I made another call to the travel agency. 

Oh I have NEVER had so much trouble to book a flight in my whole life.  Apparently, there is another woman who shares my mom's name (my mom has a common Portuguese name) but still there is just no excuse for this mix up.  They booked the wrong person with the last name Costa to the wrong flight apparently.  Although the problem has been fixed (NOW), and they have apologized up and down over it all this morning, this just still pisses me off a little. 

 I had been checking on flights everyday since the first of the year until they finally made flights available last month.  I made it a point to book the flights as early as possible.  I called in the flights and spoke to the woman at the agency who promised to call me back the next day with the totals.  She of course never called.  I called the next morning, and she basically tells me that she remembers me calling, but she didn't book the flight, and the flights were full.  Lovely.  Then she apologizes and books the flights for my mom, and my brother and his family, but tells me she will book it anyway because of a cancellation but I needed everyone to make payment in full by the next day, Lisbon time.  My brother calls up all rushed the next morning to book his flight, and I hurry and drop off my mother's payment at the travel agency building the night before to secure my mother's flight.  The building was not unlocked like it was promised to be, so my daughter had to put it under the door. 

When my brother calls in, the travel agent woman informs him that they didn't get my mother's payment.  Apparently her envelope was "lost" for a few hours until the custodian of the building proudly brought it to their office.  "Your mother's check just walked through the door!"  I'm told.  Okay, that was a relief.  Now it's a month later, and they still haven't cashed the check, and they booked the flight to another woman who shares my  mother's name?! 

Oh the insanity!

Don't they know that Portuguese people are born nervous?!  I'm not kidding.  My mom was already going for her "nervous pills".  I'm the first to tell you that we have high anxiety issues!  Oh the drama!!  The travel agent (by the way we are working with a Portuguese travel agency-who really should know better) woman called my mother to reassure her that she would be on the flight with my brother.  Tickets should be in the mail this week.  She apologized up and down over the phone.  My mother still doesn't believe it until she has those tickets in her hands.  The travel agent lady's voice sounds too similar to her crazy cousin's voice (a whole other story in itself)--and this is not very reassuring for her. 

I'm glad I just listened to my instincts told me to call and CHECK AGAIN.  After all this, they should put my mom in a first class.  I wouldn't mind being in first class myself for that matter.  I just hope this is the end of Airline ticket drama.  Why can't things just fall in placeeasy for once?  :SIGH: 

After speaking to the travel agency, I did find out where our flights "Stop".  It's a direct flight, but it stops (I'm assuming for fuel) not in Boston or New Jersey, but, Ontario, Canada.  I've been to Newfoundland, but never to Ontario.  I'm wondering if we'll be able to stretch our legs out for a spell while we are there and check out Canada--the airport at least anyway.  Sometimes they let people walk around, and sometimes they want to keep passengers on the plane.  Luckily, it's mostly a night flight, and Nicholas will sleep most of the time--I'm hoping anyway. 

I'm wondering what to wear on the plane now.  I want to wear white, but I don't know if I can risk it.  Should I wear pumps, or spring for really low Mary Janes?  I could go in tennis shoes and shame my mother in front of all of the relatives that gather at the airport and never hear the end of how disappointed she is seeing me arriving in a comfortable sweatsuit ensemble; but I want to enjoy my vacation.  I know mom is wearing a suit on the plane.  Fortunately, I won't have to match her outfit because she'll be flying in with my brother--that will be his problem.  Yes, when we were younger, the whole family traveled in cooridinated colored outfits.  The last time both of my parents flew together they were upscaled to First Class simply because, according to the steward, the "looked like the belonged in First Class."  This of course was a very proud moment for my mother.  I swear, they were dressed up like Nancy and Ronnie.  My daddy was so cute in  his tie, but, looked so uncomfortable. 

I got an email finally back from EX man.  He writes that he intends to help pay for the tickets.  He doesn't say how much, or when he intends to pay, but at least I got a  yes answer..  This is good.  His birthday is coming next week.  I have to make sure the kids remember to send something.