Stuck in Tampa --- Almost!

Thursday was supposed to be an easy travel day. Had a flight from Tampa at 1 pm (see, no getting up early) and arriving at LaGuardia at 330. Easy, fast, home in time to have some of the day left. My plan was to leave the hotel around 10 am, get to the airport, return the rental car in a relaxed fashion and have plenty of time to check in and get to the gate.

However, Mother Nature had a different plan. There was LITERALLY a tornado going through the town I was in. I had on the television and I knew all the street names they were mentioning in the path of this tornado. Finally they said all was clear where I was as the tornado moved West and if you had to go out to do it now before the next wave of storms arrived.

I had checked on line and my flight was on time and I really thought by 1 pm there would be sunny skies. I contemplated for a few minutes getting back  into bed and doing the trip on Friday, but remembered threats of snow for Friday so I launched myself off. Lots of puddles, broken branches, etc. but driving was Ok. Was all checked in, at the gate by about 1130 and my card said they'd start boarding at 1220 so I sat there.

Soon, of course, an announcement was made that the flight departure had changed until 310, the gate changed so we all trekked to the different gate, etc. By the time we left, just going on  5 pm, there were FIVE DIFRFERENT GATES.

I was thinking that the worst part for me is about 90 minutes out from New York. I was tired, sore, hungry, claustrophobic, wanted to take my clothes off, undo my bra, put my feet up and yet I'm trapped in this seat in the dark.

Small blessings: The plane arrived at the gate closest to the exit which never happens to me plus the luggage came out pretty quickly also at the nearest carousel. I hate when the carousels are empty and I'm at carousel #1 only to be told "Delta flights come into Carousel #14 -- that's about a mile down the corridor."

So I got home, happy to be here, no make that REALLY HAPPY --evenewn though I had checked my voice mail, I had seven new messages, all from people who had heard about the tornado which moved past me headed straight for the airshow grounds where it did a bunch of damage to displays and to aircraft. All my clients were Ok.

I have moved Forward, Slow all day today, but I'll get caught up. My suitcase is still there where I left it last night. Untouched, but I'll get to it.