Texas Sized Adventure

As many of you know, I'm planning taking a trip down to Texas. Well, that didn't exactly go to plan. First off, I was planning on packing my classroom up last week, but that didn't happen. I first finished yesterday. Then I had planned on getting to the Cities by 7pm, but I didn't get in until 11pm. But I got up in time, we drove to the airport, and I opened my bag, no ID... it fell out in my car late last night and I forgot. So my friend, who was already on his way back, picked up the ID (thank goodness I left the keys with him!), and brought me my wallet. Plane leaves in 40 minutes now so I race back to the counter, hand my ID, plop my bag down, and the rep at the counter says, "um, it looks like you don't fly out until tomorrow..." What... no... I have an interview tomorrow IN Houston. Sure enough, somehow when I was booking, I selected Thursday, not Wednesday. He tries to get me on the flight but after 40 minutes of computer work, he tells me that the earliest he could bump me would be an late morning flight for $600 extra. Now, I'm in tears... I explained I had a job interview, I had to go, and I just sobbed at the counter. What can I say, I was tired!! So I sat down and called home. Then I got paged by the rep again and he told me there's a flight to Houston through another airline for $300 but I'd first arrive at 7pm tonight. I called home again, and we decide to book this flight. I didn't want to be an inconvenience to my friends and have them come get me again, and I really just wanted to get to Houston - it has been a long and emotional week. Well, that flight is booked and in addition, if I don't cancel the flight tomorrow, I forfeit my whole package including my return trip since they were sold together. So I call the company I booked with and they're computers are down so they can't do anything. More crying follows... so after sitting at the airport for 4 hours, my mom and I decide the best thing is to just go to a hotel and relax for a night. Called around and got a room at the Country Inn by the Mall of America (MOA). They even were still serving breakfast when I got there! The room rate was similar to those in the area, but I got the King sized suite - I have a little living room with couch, chair, and TV and then a separate room for sleeping, again with a flat-screen TV. Plus the room was even ready by the time I got to the hotel so I got to check in early. By 11am, I was out! So I'm blogging from the hotel lobby, waiting for the shuttle to the MOA. The interview was canceled, the first time to reschedule was next Thursday, after I've left, but I also found out a little more about this position and it was a Sales/Marketing position for a company that sells health insurance to seniors... yet they don't have a website. What kind of company in the sales industry doesn't have a website?? So it sounded sketchy so I'm not too bummed. In the meantime, I'm going to relax, get some Chinese food (since I'm sure I won't have it in Texas!), maybe go swimming, and just relax. No time deadlines, no one to meet, just me... and my suite! :)

I'm not sure if I'll have much opportunity to blog while I'm in Houston, but I'm excited to go. I love flying, and seeing new places and old friends, and I may get to weather a hurricane! I've been through severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and even a forest fire, but not a hurricane. We'll see, the projected path changed since yesterday when it was pointed right at Houston, and is now headed towards New Orleans. I'll let you know how it all goes!!!