We just could not catch a break...
11am PST (1pm CST) - we check out and request the shuttle to the airport. bellman says, we can't use the shuttle without a car seat - but yet, we did it twice before without problems.
11:15am PST - Bellman Tony says he's got it all worked out and will call a taxi with a car seat to take us to the airport (which is a short ~3miles away) and hotel will pay.
11:30am PST - no taxi yet - carport people try to help and there is confusion on needing a car seat when using the shuttle.
11:45am PST - mom is getting worried that we'll miss our 1pm flight to Chicago. Very nice carport Kevin helps gets things cleared up. Bellman Tony gives him and us some 'tude.
12pm PST - taxi finally comes. we hope in (no car seat) get to the airport 5 min. later and WE end up paying for the taxi...Bellman Tony screwed us! If I could ring his neck, I would...better yet, I would like to write a review on his performance. (i've really gone corporate now!)
12:15pm PST - we check in only to find our flight is delayed and will not leave til 3:15pm due to the bad weather. Plus nothing really to eat. Great!?! We'll munch on snacks til Chicago where we can grab a quick bite.
3:15pm PST (5:15pm CST) - we get on the plane and sit there for a little while til 4pm before leaving. Flight time = 3hours and we land about 9pm CST. Owen falls asleep at 3PM and takes a 2 hour nap - YEA!
9pm CST - we land and then sit on the runway for another 45 min until our gate is available to us
10pm CST - we book across O'Hare to our connecting flight. All we want is to get home. Just imagine me running in flip flops with my computer bag and purse over my shoulder pushing Owen in the stroller...
10:30 pm CST - we have made our connection, gotten on the plane and then told we are currently without a pilot who should be here 'any minute'
11pm CST - 'Pilot should be here in the next 5-10 minutes'
11:30pm CST - 'This flight has been cancelled, the pilot is flying another plane to Columbus' If you could only hear all the words floating in my head - none are very nice. We get a room complementary of American Airlines. We think we have a better chance with driving home on Sat. so we didn't rebook. We were told to pick up our bags at baggage claim.
12:30 am CST - no bags, we found out their policy is that if the flight is cancelled, they do not unload the bags - this would've been helpful an hour ago! Instead the bags will take the first flight out to Cincy the next morning. We run around in the snow outside (in flip flops) trying to figure out where to catch the stupid shuttle
12:45 am CST - we catch another shuttle to the hotel. Owen has been awake since 7pm CST and looking like someone just stole his best friend.
1am CST - we are in our rooms with no clothes but the ones we have on - which is t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops - how fitting for 25F Chicago snowy weather. When we first get in the room, Owen is wide awake and eating everything in sight. Owen falls asleep shortly after filling his belly and we start doing a search for cars only to find pretty much everything is booked online. Owen's been up for close to 16hr with a 2 hr nap.
2:30am CST - we call it a night and decide to get up early to do some calling around. we've been up for way too long.
--------
6:45am CST - we can not find a car but American is able to get us on the 9am flight to Cincinnati. We quickly tare down and get ourselves back to the airport.
9:05am CST - we are on the plane - hungry and tired. Owen throws a tantrum. Tom is sitting in a separate row and Owen & I look like a piece of art with yogurt, granola, and chocolate all over us, including my hair!
Noon EST - we arrive in Cincinnati, only to find that our bags didn't...argh! but we do have car keys and a home to go to!!
Home Sweet Home - I have never been so happy to be back in Cincinnati!
...went up the Aerial Tramway. The 10-min tram ride takes you up to 8,516 ft up into the mountains. Owen was so excited that he fell asleep on the ride up. The tram was standing room only in which the entire platform rotates 360 twice in one trip. The guide instructed people to not grab the rail too tightly as those are stationary but you still needed access to the rails because as you go over the 5 sets of posts, it will cause the tram to swing as you continue to proceed upwards. The temp at the was in the upper 40's and sunny. We only took a short hike since we weren't quite prepped for trekking in the slushy snow.
...drove through the Joshua Tree National Park. It was pretty awesome to see how quickly the vegetation can change as you drive through the park.
Yesterday, we had our 18mo check with the docs - he's 31" tall (30th percentile) and 21 1/2 lbs (10th percentile) - I have no clue where all the food is going, he's constantly eating and eating a lot.
