I'm baaacccckkkk

No, I haven't fell from the face of the earth, went around it a couple of times it feels like!!! 2007 has started with a bang. The first week of the year had me flying to West Palm Beach, Florida for a week training conference. The Crowne Plaza on the beach - so nice, nice instructors too, they let us out early a couple of days to enjoy the beach. The weather was windy, but beautiful. The locals were actually complaining of a cold front. The temp actually dipped down to 73!!! All was good, passed the class, got my certificate, and had half a day to relax on Friday. Saturday we checked out and headed to the airport at 9 for a 10:55 flight home. NOT..... Our flight had been canceled due to bad weather in Dallas. We were being changed to Chicago at 4:30, mind you it is 9:30 now and we are already at the airport. So we sit and wait, and wait and sit, and wait, and wait some more. I purchased a book, so at least I read while I waited. Finally we are in the air and headed west. We hit O'Hare to wait some more for our 9pm flight to Little Rock. 9 finally arrives and so does our plane, we board, settle in and then we are asked (or told) to get off the plane. They had overbooked the flight and seems we were not making a connecting flight so we didn't have to be on the plane. It didn't matter that we had been over 12 hours trying to get home so far. After some strong words, the airlines put us up in a rather nice hotel I might add, gave us meal vouchers for that night and the next morning, along with transportation to the hotel and back and a voucher for a future flight. Do I need to add at this point our luggage is still on the plane bound for Little Rock and we are standing in line for a cab in Chicago!!! We, along with several other misdirected weary travelers end up at the Wyndam in Chicago at 10:30 with no necessities in tow. The hotel supplied us with toothbrush and toothpaste and soap and stuff, but didn't seem to have an extra set of clean underwear or make-up, go figure!! With a 10am flight we knew we were going to have to leave the hotel at 8 so off to bed. We awoke to 20 degree winds with snow and ice, a vast difference from the morning before in Florida. But finally we were in the air and headed for Arkansas. I was never so glad to get home. ....for now! 25 days till we sail the Caribbeans!