Hello my dear friends and readers of this blog (if you’re reading this, you’re my friend… awwww). I’m safe and sound up in the woods of rural Minnesota, enjoying the temps in the lower 80’s instead of the high of 115 from that place I just left.
After finding out on Thursday evening that dad had passed away, I had Paul help me change my July 2nd airline tickets to come up here to June 21st. I spend all day Friday packing my and the kids’ bags and settle all my affairs to be away from home for 3 weeks. Everything has happened so suddenly that I am still trying to figure out where exactly I am from moment to moment!
A lot of people think I’m totally out of my mind to take my 3 and 5 year olds with me, by myself, across the country like this; but, I knew when we’d arrive that there would be family up here to help and I’m not alone. And really, everyone wants to see the kids and not boring old me after all. It’s nice to bring some happiness up with me, especially since the kids are too young to even experience grief over what has just occurred.
My travels did go well and the kids were on their best behavior. I think the stars and moon must’ve aligned on Saturday to create a day when they were actually behaving and in good spirits. Either that or they sensed that mom had about 5 hours of sleep in 48 hours and was at stress level of a nuclear warhead - they didn’t want to be picking up that red phone.
Those of you who know me, know I can take pretty much anything and remain completely calm on the surface. Below the surface I may have molten hot lava building for eons, and it’s not pretty when it finally erupts and I let it go. So imagine how I was on Saturday, after traveling across the country for 12+ hours, completely grief-stricken, on very little sleep with two young children, and had remained totally calm all day. Eventually something was going to give.
We landed at Gate ONE (I’ll let you guess out of how many) at the La Crosse Airport on our little trubo-prop airplane. Aidan fell into a deep sleep the moment the tires hit the pavement, after not one teeny tiny little nap all day. Everyone on the plane turned around and said “why is it so quiet all of a sudden? Where’s that constant little chatterbox?” It took me quite awhile to get all of us all the plane, with me carrying the finally sleeping Aidan, all our bags, and ushering Brigid down the aisle. I carried him outside immediately where Stacey (my brother’s wife) was waiting on the curb with her van. I got Aidan put in the carseat, and Brigid mentioned she had to go to the bathroom. So the two of us went back in and I saw our bags had not come out yet. No problem.
I took Brigid into the bathroom and as I was washing my hands, I heard the buzzer sound that the bags were on the conveyer. Since the bathroom is right outside the luggage area and we were in a very small airport, I told Brigid to finsh up and meet me outside so I could get our bags. I emerged from the bathroom and saw our 3 suitcases rolling around the conveyer and went over to grab them, but didn’t quite get there in time before they went back behind a curtain. The conveyer belt is a semi-circle that was still turning, so I waited for them to come out the other side again. They never did!
I stuck my head behind the curtain and my bags were not there! The airport was completely deserted and I started to panic! I sent Brigid out to the van and searched around for any airport employee and finally found a lady behind a counter. I nicely and calmly told her what happened and she said lazily “Oh. You have to be there when your bags arrive or they take them back.” WHAT?! How could I get them? She suggested that maybe I go to the very other end of the airport where there was an un-manned desk with a buzzer and maybe I could find someone to help me, but it was airport policy not to let bags sit out, and if you’re not there to get your bags then you have to get them from security.
Now… she had just dialed me up on the big RED phone.
I de-freaking-MANDED that she get herself back to security and find me someone that instant to get me my luggage, or get me a number that I could talk to someone, but she was enjoying her position of power and wouldn’t budge. The more upset and unglued I became, the happier the look on her smug little face. “Airport policy. Sorry.” She was truly enjoying herself and I was getting nowhere.
I made my way to the end of the airport and found the magic buzzer, where I proceeded to lay on it continuously for several minutes. I was about to barge behind the door, when Mr. Security finally emerged. I suppose he was only doing his job, but he opened the door to a completely unglued nuclear explosion in progress, demanding he get her luggage out this instant! Throughout all of this, I am proud to say that I refrained from using profanities by the way. He was also enjoying his powerful La Crosse Airport Security job and gave me the same speech about my luggage, but added that he couldn’t give them to me due to HOMELAND SECURITY.
Excuse me?
I’d like to take this moment to let that sink in. This is a perfect example of somebody throwing around their weight and power in the name of Homeland Security. That all-encompassing policy that allows anyone in the smallest amount of authority to play big-bad-cop. Yes, my friends, this is the world we now live in. I couldn’t get my bags because I allowed my 5 year old to pee. This wasn’t Chicago. This wasn’t New York. This was teeny tiny nothing airport in rural Wisconsin.
In the end, Mr. Protecting Society from Terrorism brought me my luggage, about ½ hour after I first screaming at him. I shouted at him that I have traveled to just about every major airport in this country and several around the world, and have never had anyone treat me so ridiculously poorly before. You see, even if I had been standing right there to fetch my bags, there’s no way I could’ve gotten all 3 large bags off the conveyer in the time they allowed them to circle around the tiny belt anyway.
Welcome home to La Crosse, WI. And they wonder why they don’t have much tourism here?
At least I got some of that "steam" out of my system. Now onto the tasks of funeral-planning and wrapping-up of affairs, that we are quickly becoming experts at doing. I'll take my silver linings wherever I can find them!
After finding out on Thursday evening that dad had passed away, I had Paul help me change my July 2nd airline tickets to come up here to June 21st. I spend all day Friday packing my and the kids’ bags and settle all my affairs to be away from home for 3 weeks. Everything has happened so suddenly that I am still trying to figure out where exactly I am from moment to moment!
A lot of people think I’m totally out of my mind to take my 3 and 5 year olds with me, by myself, across the country like this; but, I knew when we’d arrive that there would be family up here to help and I’m not alone. And really, everyone wants to see the kids and not boring old me after all. It’s nice to bring some happiness up with me, especially since the kids are too young to even experience grief over what has just occurred.
My travels did go well and the kids were on their best behavior. I think the stars and moon must’ve aligned on Saturday to create a day when they were actually behaving and in good spirits. Either that or they sensed that mom had about 5 hours of sleep in 48 hours and was at stress level of a nuclear warhead - they didn’t want to be picking up that red phone.
Those of you who know me, know I can take pretty much anything and remain completely calm on the surface. Below the surface I may have molten hot lava building for eons, and it’s not pretty when it finally erupts and I let it go. So imagine how I was on Saturday, after traveling across the country for 12+ hours, completely grief-stricken, on very little sleep with two young children, and had remained totally calm all day. Eventually something was going to give.
We landed at Gate ONE (I’ll let you guess out of how many) at the La Crosse Airport on our little trubo-prop airplane. Aidan fell into a deep sleep the moment the tires hit the pavement, after not one teeny tiny little nap all day. Everyone on the plane turned around and said “why is it so quiet all of a sudden? Where’s that constant little chatterbox?” It took me quite awhile to get all of us all the plane, with me carrying the finally sleeping Aidan, all our bags, and ushering Brigid down the aisle. I carried him outside immediately where Stacey (my brother’s wife) was waiting on the curb with her van. I got Aidan put in the carseat, and Brigid mentioned she had to go to the bathroom. So the two of us went back in and I saw our bags had not come out yet. No problem.
I took Brigid into the bathroom and as I was washing my hands, I heard the buzzer sound that the bags were on the conveyer. Since the bathroom is right outside the luggage area and we were in a very small airport, I told Brigid to finsh up and meet me outside so I could get our bags. I emerged from the bathroom and saw our 3 suitcases rolling around the conveyer and went over to grab them, but didn’t quite get there in time before they went back behind a curtain. The conveyer belt is a semi-circle that was still turning, so I waited for them to come out the other side again. They never did!
I stuck my head behind the curtain and my bags were not there! The airport was completely deserted and I started to panic! I sent Brigid out to the van and searched around for any airport employee and finally found a lady behind a counter. I nicely and calmly told her what happened and she said lazily “Oh. You have to be there when your bags arrive or they take them back.” WHAT?! How could I get them? She suggested that maybe I go to the very other end of the airport where there was an un-manned desk with a buzzer and maybe I could find someone to help me, but it was airport policy not to let bags sit out, and if you’re not there to get your bags then you have to get them from security.
Now… she had just dialed me up on the big RED phone.
I de-freaking-MANDED that she get herself back to security and find me someone that instant to get me my luggage, or get me a number that I could talk to someone, but she was enjoying her position of power and wouldn’t budge. The more upset and unglued I became, the happier the look on her smug little face. “Airport policy. Sorry.” She was truly enjoying herself and I was getting nowhere.
I made my way to the end of the airport and found the magic buzzer, where I proceeded to lay on it continuously for several minutes. I was about to barge behind the door, when Mr. Security finally emerged. I suppose he was only doing his job, but he opened the door to a completely unglued nuclear explosion in progress, demanding he get her luggage out this instant! Throughout all of this, I am proud to say that I refrained from using profanities by the way. He was also enjoying his powerful La Crosse Airport Security job and gave me the same speech about my luggage, but added that he couldn’t give them to me due to HOMELAND SECURITY.
Excuse me?
I’d like to take this moment to let that sink in. This is a perfect example of somebody throwing around their weight and power in the name of Homeland Security. That all-encompassing policy that allows anyone in the smallest amount of authority to play big-bad-cop. Yes, my friends, this is the world we now live in. I couldn’t get my bags because I allowed my 5 year old to pee. This wasn’t Chicago. This wasn’t New York. This was teeny tiny nothing airport in rural Wisconsin.
In the end, Mr. Protecting Society from Terrorism brought me my luggage, about ½ hour after I first screaming at him. I shouted at him that I have traveled to just about every major airport in this country and several around the world, and have never had anyone treat me so ridiculously poorly before. You see, even if I had been standing right there to fetch my bags, there’s no way I could’ve gotten all 3 large bags off the conveyer in the time they allowed them to circle around the tiny belt anyway.
Welcome home to La Crosse, WI. And they wonder why they don’t have much tourism here?
At least I got some of that "steam" out of my system. Now onto the tasks of funeral-planning and wrapping-up of affairs, that we are quickly becoming experts at doing. I'll take my silver linings wherever I can find them!
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