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LIVING THE DREAM! This is my life, a dream world filled with adventures, treasures, reflections, laughter, and tears. Welcome to my world. Stay a while and visit. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

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Thursday, January 1, 2009 - Happy New Year!

Posted in Slice of Life

    This is Day 1 of my L.A. adventure. It's a travel day from NY to L.A. Our plan left very early (6:00 AM) and we cut it very close. So close that we almost missed our flight. We arrived only 30 minutes before departure due to the heavy snowfall and low temperatures. Once we arrived at the airport, we couldn't park where we usually park due to drifting snows and poor signage. So twice around the airport looking for an entrance to get us into long term parking added time onto our trip. From long term parking to the terminal through a foot of snow delayed us even further.
     Once inside, we were confronted a multitude of travelers that were also delayed by the weather. At least 5 groups of travelers were ahead of us in line, all delayed by the weather. The travel agent asked if anyone was departing for Atlanta. Everyone in my line said yes. We were all ushered to the front of the line much to the display of all the others who arrived earlier than us. As our bags were checked in and we were ticketed, I kept glancing at the clock. Time was ticking. From the ticket counter, we were encouraged to hurry to the security gate to hopefully catch our flight. As RJ and I rushed over, I was dismayed to find the line through security long, extremely long. I could not image how we were going to get through this line and still make this flight.
     The line moved along quite quickly. The TSA agent checked our passports and noted our names against our tickets. From there we were herded into a variety of lines to go through the scanners. I took off my boots and sweater and put them into a container. I opened my laptop and took it out along with my cell phone. In front of me was the woman at the ticket counter who was also traveling to Atlanta. I knew I was in trouble when she started opening up her bags and taking out a myriad of small bottles with different liquids. Awe… I couldn’t believe it. Now I was sure we would never make our plane. Of course, as the bag was being scanned, everything stopped and was backed up and rescanned. Tick, tock, tick, tock. I asked the TSA agent if it was possible to continue scanning our bags. She replied, “What time did you get here? Were you here 45 minutes before your flight?”
     Well, that wasn’t exactly the response I was expecting. “No, not exactly,” I said.
     “You are to be here a minimum of 45 minutes before take off.”
     Okay. I guess I was told. So I had to cool my heels and wait as patiently as I could until this woman’s bags (ALL of them) made it through the scanner. Now my heart was starting to beat a little quicker. My time was running out. As my things were scanned and popped out the other side, I quickly gathered my laptop, backpack, sneakers, and sweater and took them off the conveyor belt. The woman with the small bottles was still there talking to the TSA agent about her “little” bottles.
     RJ and I took off down the aisle toward our gate. I said, “If we missed this, it won’t be for lack of trying.” RJ was right on my heels.
     The gate was in site. No one was there but the ticket taker. We ran up. No time for a pit stop before boarding. I ran up to the counter and stopped to tie by boots. “My husband has the tickets,” I said.
     The ticket taker said, “You’re lucky. We should have closed the doors 10 minutes ago.”
     I really didn’t care if the gate should have been closed or if it wasn’t. I just wanted to be in the aircraft and on my way. RJ gave the tickets to the man as I passed through the door and on my way down the walkway to the aircraft. Finally, we were in our seats near the wing and on our way to visit our son and daughter-in-law.

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