Dallas? Why Do You Torment Me So?

I do meet some very cool people when I travel. I’m no shrinking violet, so I talk to those around me and do find that everyone has a story: in some cases a very notable story.

My Face Book friends probably saw some of the status updates last week as I traveled home from Dallas. No doubt you had no idea the return flight cluster it was, nor had any idea how much fun I had in Dallas.

To start, I had to go to Dallas on business. I headed down on Monday, May16th. I left DC early enough to get to my hotel, work out, sun at the pool and girly up for dinner with a good friend and his daughter. Don’t go there. It is Ged, the gent who sold Jim’s aircraft for me.

I had a typical cab ride to Reagan with one of my regular cabbies from Alexandria Yellow Cab. Love them. I recommend them. Efficient, friendly and prompt! Other than a woman in a dirty yellow rain coat rocking some rubber leopard print cowboy boots; nothing unusual at Reagan. I boarded and immediately fell asleep. I’m like a baby in a car seat. I usually fall asleep before the safety instructions. No fear, I do note the emergency exit prior to nodding off.

I woke shortly before landing and readied myself for a visit to a favorite town. I was excited to see Ged and his daughter Meagan. I’d seen Ged when I ran the half marathon in Dallas in late March and it was good to visit again. I got to baggage and noticed the woman in the dirty yellow rain coat. I noticed she was hustling the folks in baggage for cab fare. I noticed people noticing her cowboy boots and I looked away. Very strange indeed: she had a flight to the airport but needed cab fare. She looked as though she’d seen better days. Her hair was a mass of extensions in a modified up-do and she had plenty of bags. I was curious about her story; but conflicted about chatting her up. I managed a snap of her as she approached the information desk and started to ask them for cab fare. I moved on and contacted my driver to get me to my hotel. I suppose, tonight, I regret I didn’t speak to her, as it might have been a good addition to the story. My bad.

So, off to my hotel, a quick lunch, and a trip to the hotel gym. I’ve been fighting my allergies and the congestion in my lungs, so I was determined to run it out. I actually had a decent treadmill and weight workout. From there I popped out to the pool to nab a few rays. I was glad that I’d left DC early so I could enjoy some down time. I had a leisurely shower and met Ged and Meagan in the lobby to head out for dinner. We had a wonderful meal at Pappadeaux. Yummy Cajun food! On the way to and from the restaurant, Ged drove me through the neighborhoods I’d run through during the half-marathon. Wow, the houses look much different when whizzing by in a convertible. You get a different view, but not the slow longing look when pacing by in a race. It was a treat to drive the streets I’d run just a few weeks earlier.

Beginning on Tuesday, I had a few days of work related activities that were enjoyable because I was able to share time with an old friend from Dallas and one of my co-workers. Tuesday night, my roommate and I ordered in Sushi and relaxed in our hotel room. The next evening we enjoyed dinner at the hotel restaurant and the following night we headed out with my friend from Dallas. I’ll speak for the crowd and say we had a ball. We started at Lemon Bar where a passion fruit hookah was the centerpiece of the night. I tried a few puffs, but with my lungs in the shape they were in I decided to be overly careful. I only took a few hits. I have to say that it was fun and I would definitely try it again when my lungs are in a better mood.  The food at Lemon Bar was very good. From there it was off to the section of town most folks may not know about. Yes, it was time to hit the gay bars. The first was S4. There was very little going on, but we knew to return at 11 when the show began. Yes, it was a Drag Queen Talent Show. Oh, don’t cluck you tongues at me. If you were in Vegas you would be paying hundreds of dollars to see female impersonators. Drag Queens, Female Impersonators…all one and the same.

To kill time we headed to the Round Up. There is something sexy about those cowboys. Dear God. I love a sexy dancing cowboy. Line dancing instructions were going on and there was a mix of homosexuals and heterosexuals in the club. I loved the fact that it was such a fun crowd. I love anyone that can Texas-Two-Step and keep his or her hat on! I did have a few jello shooters and as the hour drew near we headed back to S4. We grabbed front row seats and settled in for a fabulous night. We were not disappointed. I’m not sure who was my favorite “talent” but the Madonna impersonator was quite the athlete. Holy Running Blisters…I can’t move like that! Yippee we had a blast!

Friday rolled in and then the fun really began. 95% of the flights our crew were booked on were cancelled at DFW. Crikey, I wasn’t due to fly out until 4:30 pm  and at 9:00 am I was cancelled? OK, off to the airport. Trust me, a travel agency was of no assistance to me at that point in time. I needed to be face to face with a USAir agent to figure out how to get me home. I was in a panic as EW had booked a hotel for a long weekend of pampering and the pampering was to begin on Friday night when I got home.

USAir booked me on to an American Airlines flight leaving Dallas at 3:30 pm, connecting to Miami and then to Reagan arriving at 11:00 pm. Dear Goddess, let that work. That I prayed over and over. I wanted to get the hell home and start the weekend. Storms that were due to rumble through Dallas were brewing on the horizon. I could see them and they looked menacing. AA boarded us and pulled away from the gate. The storms were drawing closer and I crossed my fingers that we’d taxi before they overtook the airport: alas no. The captain informed us we would ride the storm out on the tarmac. I was hosed. There was no way I’d get home on Friday. I was sick that I might not get home on Saturday either. There was a back up of planes as far as the eye could see. I’d been chatting with the guy next to me on the plane and he and I had both been wishing for a departure before the storm. He was just as anxious to leave as I. In fact, I think we all wanted to get where we were going….after all it was Friday night. UGH!

So, we sat and sat and I was texting EW with updates. He was at the hotel; I was stuck in 11D on American Airlines on the tarmac at DFW. Eventually the pilot had to return to the gate as we were tapping on the time limit for the new passenger bill of rights. The choice was to disembark and attempt another connection: more than likely an overnight in Dallas and a fingers-crossed flight out the next day. I decided to stay on the flight and take my chances getting to Miami. I felt if I got East Coast I could get home much easier.

The gent in the middle seat moved location, as there were so many open seats. I stayed put and said a quick hello to the young man in the window seat. He was busy reading and I was playing word games on my iPhone.  Eventually we pushed back to the tarmac with commentary from the pilot that he was more or less haggling about the route we would take to Miami. Finally we were cleared for take off and we did. Yay, I’d get to the East Coast although I knew I’d not see home until Saturday. I’d spoken with EW earlier so he new that I was SOL until Saturday.

I had a bagged lunch from my meeting and I finally dug into it to see what I had to eat. I offered half of my sandwich to the young man next to me and he declined, but I did give him the apple and protein bar. I knew he had to be just as hungry as me. We chatted a bit and he said he was from Monterrey, Mexico on his way to Miami for a Christian Music Award Show. He said he had a song that was up for an award.

Now, when I say chatted, please understand that I speak poor and little Spanish. What I learned in high school has not stuck around much other than to order a beer, ask the time, and find the local bathroom. Come to think of it, that is traditional weekend conversation for me in English! Is it Happy Hour? Can I have a beer? Where is the ladies room?  HA!

So, the cute young man next to me told me his name and gave me his card. His name is Miguel Saucedo http://soldadodelreydereyes.blogspot.com/2010/08/miguel-saucedo-hecho-en-casa-2010.html

I don’t know if this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJyXvr_CikE

is what was up for the award or the album Hecho En Casa. I do know that we had a good time chatting and I told him I’d link in on Face Book with him and that he would be in my blog. He did tell me that he is actually surgeon. Again, I was working through the language barrier. He said he handles digestive problems, so I figure he is an Internal Medicine or Gastroenterologist doctor back in Monterrey. He said his music is his hobby. WOW, what a great hobby, and what a delightful seatmate on a very crazy flight that was to get crazier as the night continued.

We went back to our books and our captain came on with an announcement that we were making an unexpected landing in Tampa because we were low on fuel due to the route the air traffic controllers had sent us on. When he said Tampa, I let out an audible yippee. Tampa, I have a home in Tampa, I could get off and get a chance to sleep in my own bed and battle back to DC in the morning. We landed and I called my sister Sue immediately and asked if she could pick me up at the airport. She said, “I didn’t know you were coming to Tampa this weekend.” I replied, “Neither did I!” I love my sister Sue; she didn’t blink an eye and headed to the airport to pick me up.

I looked at Miguel and told him I was disembarking and explained why. He was a bit concerned about getting to Miami and I explained that the plane was stopping for fuel and heading out immediately after. He’d be in Miami 40 minutes after take off. He was relieved and I wished him well with the award show and I bolted the plane.

The gate agent was a bit fussy with me for getting off the plane, but my tummy told me to make the decision. If I was going to be stuck until dawn without a connection it was best to be stuck in my own home! By the time Sue got to the airport to pick me up, I’d made arrangements with American to have me out on a 6:35 am flight to of all places, MIAMI!  I then had an immediate connection to BWI and I’d be there by 11:00 am. Praise the Goddess. It was rather humorous when I called AA. The woman that assisted me said she’d never had a situation where a passenger abandoned the plane. I explained my desire to get home because of the weekend EW had planned and she was more than happy to work out a new schedule for me. My weekend with EW would actually work out. I called EW to let him know the poop and headed to my big comfy bed in Tampa. On the ride to the house I hired the blue shuttle van to pick me up for my flight. HA! I got to my house at midnight fell into bed and got a quick 2.5-hour nap, up and showered, and at the curb at 4:00 am for my trip back to the airport.

Yessiree: I was headed home. And then the pilot came on with the “mechanical problem” news. WTF? Was I not to have this fabulous weekend with EW? Prayers to the Goddess were answered and we were airborne in time for me to connect in Miami. We took off without a hitch and I was exhausted, so a nap on the flight was definitely in order. I awoke in time for the landing announcement and I was as excited as a child at Christmas.

I made a quick stop at the American Baggage Department and had a good laugh with the agent about my luggage. He looked it up and assured me it was headed to DCA from Miami. EW and I were able to retrieve the bag on the way to the hotel. Finally, I was home. I flipped clothes for the weekend’s festivities and we headed to our hotel so I could have a much-needed nap.

EW and I laughed about the flight debacle and all I could do was shake my head. I had the tour of the Midwest when I headed to Dallas for my half-marathon and I had the tour of Florida on this crazy trip. I’m thinking I’m not taking any trips to Dallas in the near future.

There were several highlights of the trip. I got to wonder why an airline passenger was panhandling for cab fare. There was a spectacular full moon while I was in Dallas and I snapped several shots with my favorite from the rooftop pool. I was entertained by some fabulous Drag Queens. I got to renew a friendship with Dawn. I got to meet Miguel Saucedo. I got to visit my sister Sue for 45 minutes, sleep in my own bed in Tampa, and make it home to spend a wonderful weekend with EW.

Yes, life is good and the Widow never misses a beat! Until next time!