I Wonder as I Wander…

My latest trip was to Austin, TX. I had the Texas Regional Convention--it was wonderful--great people and lots of fun! There wasn't too much exciting to report on that part of the country--although I did eat at a fabulous restaurant called Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen. They had wonderful food!

I left for Austin on Wednesday--the convention was Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If I had every trip like this one, it might get old. Although it would have been so much better if hubby would have been with me. I guess I just can't leave him behind.

I got to Austin TX and everything went great until I was suppose to leave on Sunday AM. I got to the airport and they had cancelled my reservations because I had offered to give up my seat for a free ticket on the way down. They didn't need me, but had booked me on another flight--so marked me as a 'no show' and cancelled the rest of my reservation.

Well, I could have gotten on the plane, but they were way overbooked and were begging people to give up their seats, so I cashed mine in for TWO FREE tickets--YaHoo! BUT there was a price to pay....

First they said I could get on the plane that was leaving on Monday evening at 5:45 pm and I'd get home at midnight. I was suppose to leave at 7 am on Sunday and get home at 3:30 pm Sunday. Here's where if DH would have been along, we would have just rented a car and saw the sights for two days, but I wasn't real excited about that on my own.

So they set me up in a hotel, gave me voucher for meals and send me on my way, but said to call back around noon, because there might be a chance I could get on the flight that was leaving that evening. I went to the hotel, took a nap, called them back and found out that I couldn't get on that later flight, but they were sending a shuttle to San Antonio and I could get on that and catch a flight to Minneapolis/St. Paul Sunday, stay over there, and be on a flight to Int'l Falls Monday AM.

The shuttle picked me up right at my hotel (which I checked into at 8 am and checked out of at noon) and we drove to San Antonio--which is usually a 1.5 hour drive. However, we ended up in very slow moving traffic and it took us just over 3 hours. My flight was delayed some, so I finally got to Mpls around 9:15 pm (suppose to get in at 8 pm).

My son picked me up at the airport and I went over to his house--we didn't have much time to visit, because we had to get up at 6 am to catch my next flight Monday AM.

I got up early Monday, took a shower and packed my bags and looked out the window--YIKES a HUGE snowstorm hit the Mpls area--there was about 5 inches of heavy, wet snow and it was coming down steady. NW kept saying the flight wasn't cancelled, but we couldn't get out of the driveway--so I changed my flight to Tues. AM. (The Mon flight was eventually cancelled).

I did get to visit with my son, his partner, and then my daughter (who's school had been cancelled) braved the elements and drove over for supper Mon evening. So we had a nice time.

I finally got home around noon on Tuesday and it was great seeing hubby again. I do like spending time with him.

And I did score TWO free tickets. Again, I said if dh would have been along, we would have gotten FOUR tickets! Ahhh, If Only.... But these free tickets will allow him to go with me even more!

In all my travels, this is the first time I've managed to get any free tickets.