Stranded for real
Ok – so here is the problem.
Delivered by my Eldest son yesterday afternoon I arrived in good time to check in for my flight out of Calgary to Chicago. But no. I am not particularly religious but one of my favourite sayings is: God Said No. Well, God said NO. For the first time EVER my flight was cancelled. I have been delayed for hours and hours before but never cancelled. I cannot remember being cancelled EVER in my life and I have been flying to and fro for YEARS. I struggled not to take it personally.
No warning at all. I was Suffering from Altitude Blissfullness and had not even thought to check and worry about the weather. After all, the weather in Canmore and Calgary was glorious. The weather in Chicago was cool and clear. But the weather in DENVER (where my plane was grounded) was Terrible.
(Yes this was the view from my hotel window). So I was cancelled. And, in short order, rebooked on the second flight out the next day (today) at 8am. Everything else was booked solid.
Too bad. So sad. Never mind and oh by the way – Have a great day. Sigh. SIGH. Grumble, Grumble. And Smiles for the women trying to re seat an entire plane load of stranded souls. And the lady who gave me a map of hotel rooms close to the airport.
The good news is that this flight was not connected to another flight. So the only place I am late for is home. I have been late home before! And luckily I have good people to cover for me! 
I called everyone. Re-arranged everything. EVERYTHING. (For the next 24 hours). And booked myself a room in a nice little hotel. The bad news is that the piped-in music in the little hotel was Bloody Christmas Music. And I could not have a glass of wine unless I listened to the Bloody Christmas (ear-worm) Music because there was no room service. So I was forced to get Christmassy!)
But I turned my ears off and began work on Letters for my Baby Girl.
This is going to be a wonderful book and is now officially underway .
Like all good single women in hotel bars I retired early, read my book and slept in the utter quiet of a well managed hotel until my 4.30 wake up call. I love hotels.
Good morning. I should be in the air by the time you read this (should be – I will keep you posted) but I DO hope you have a great day.
Love celi
36 Comments on “Stranded for real”
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Oh dear – time for relaxing and a book. That Christmas music drives me nuts too 😉
Ouch. 4.30 wake-up – that’s a doddle for you, who are always up and about that early! I hope it all works out for you and you make it home without further glitches and hitches.
love,
ViV xox
What a fabulous expression: Altitude Blissfulness, and how horrible to have it cut short by the Weather Gods. I wish you could have had more congenial music with your enforced quiet time and glass of wine, but if it drove you to an early night perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. We’ll be very glad to have you back!
Safe travels……see you when you get back!
I can just imagine what Sheila had to say about this state of affairs 🙂 Safe travel, happy landings. Laura
Sometimes it is nice to be forced out of your best laid plans, but hope you get home this morning!
Safe travels, see you back at the farm.
I love hotels also….. I could escape to one right now to be honest… Just a couple of blissful hours of just my minds wanderings to listen too. But then again, with all the bad happening in my life right now, my minds wanderings weigh very heavily!
Wish we could cancel Christmas…. 😦
Flying us the most fun he says with a sneer. It is less so each time I go. Many things contribute. Weather is a huge factor. It doesn’t even have to be on your route as your saw. Anyway, I hope the rest of the trip went ok. It was very windy in the Midwest yesterday. Your plane might have landed in Detroit or Buffalo.
Well, since there wasn’t a single thing you could do about the weather in Denver and your plane cancelation, the very best option was to do exactly what you did, kick back a bit, have a glass of wine, work on the book, read a book and just enjoy! See you back on the farmy! 🙂
What a bummer! Hope plain sailing from now on 😀
I love hotels so much I think I lived in one in a former life. Any chance to stay in one, I’m there. Hope you’re already home safe and sound!
aaww – being grounded could be a blessing – it gave you time for YOU. Hogs and snout kisses – be safe in your travels my friend. XOXO – Bacon
Well Bah Humbug all around! Today is a new day and hopefully those wonderful folks who de-ice planes, clear runways, and help people who are out of pocket will have you flying home bright and early. That’s life isn’t it? We think we have things all worked out and a plan, only to be stopped abruptly and a new scenario in front of us. Here’s wishing you a happy arrival home today!
Empty skies, an empty bar and wine…I think that maybe you just wanted an extra day to yourself Miss C… 😉
Seriously though, as long as everything worked out, and you are home safe and reading this, then this little detour must be seen as a happy extra bonus. Sheila will forgive you, just give her some extra hay for her bed.
Someone wanted you to take an extra day of down time. I will imagine you might hear many horror stories of flight delays and cancellations here. I won’t add mine. I do hope you make it home soon and safely. I’ve learned to trust that things always happen for a reason but it’s not easy when you are stuck and want to go forward. I hate flights that take you so far out of the way and then take you back to where you need to be. It’s just crazy. Will be thinking of you and looking forward to hearing about your heartwarming, welcome home.
Great shot of the hotel as seen from a glass of wine’s perspective. Elegant! I have learned to carry ear plugs in my purse. They help a little anyway.
Hehe, me too. And I often make use of them, especially in the Metro, in trains, buses and trams. So good! 🙂
Some unexpected time for yourself, some wine and a chance to re-examine Christmas music. If nothing else it makes for a good side story. Safe travels. Here outside Winnipeg there is snow falling. A baking day I think!
oh dreary me-but now as I read this you are most likely on your way home! And you are such a smart organizer….cheers!
http://katheworsley.blogspot.com/2015/12/wordless-wednesday-december-16-2015.html
Terry was supposed to fly into Denver headed to Kansas City, MO, when his flight was finally canceled. The good thing is he was HOME not there.
Linda
Bah humbug to canned Christmas Music 😦 Maybe God was telling you to just take one more day to yourself and thank goodness there was wine 😉 Safe travels miss c!
I hope you got home safe today. I hope you could relax a bit and digest that experience. What a mess. And yes, God said NO. For the moment. – I was a bit thoughtful as you said, you never have been cancelled before. And now you were cancelled. Being cancelled sounds so weird, so final. Not being there anymore. Finished, over, off – gone. 😦 Thanks God that’s just an expression…
We have a saying: Anyone who goes travelling has stories to tell! So have you. – I love that shot with your glass of wine. Just perfect.
A NO! and Christmas music…..God is laughing 🙂 I always like the idea of hotels, until I get to my room and smell the underlying old cigarette smoke, then the fabric deoderiser used to cover up smells, and wonder who slept on the pillow before me, and what might be on the mattress…..oh and those plastic-y blankets that are never warm…….and recycled air and windows that don’t open…….then I remember I don’t like staying in hotels very much at all. You’ll be home by now, I hope….welcome back.
You handled it well and I know that you will be winging your way back to your farmy and all your lovies there. Maybe God said no so you could have just one more day without a ton of responsibilities. 🙂
I hate canned Musak – Christmas or otherwise. How come we managed to get through life before they invented it? Sorry to hear about your flight cancellation, but as usual, you found a way to use the time – to work on the book. I too woke early today, it was three thirty and by four a.m. there was no sign of slumber so I sat up with my knitting and worked away. I hope by now you are well on the way home to the farm chorus of welcome.
I’m sorry for you but glad you tried not to take it personally. We have been cancelled, booked on a non-existent flight, delayed for hours and hours, and everything in between. If you fly, these things happen. Bah, humbug. xxx
Guess God thought it would do you good a little pause between your mini vacation and back to the farm . Glad you could accept it and make the most of what you were handed . And thank you for your smiles towards the ladies trying to reschedule everyone , I’ve done it many times , and it ain’t easy , on either side . Hope you’re back safely and have a great welcome.
Oef! What a pain in the neck! Well, at least when you are served lemons you know how to make lemonade — good for you. Looking forward to seeing you back on the farm, as I’m sure all your critters are too — and expect you are back with them now. ~ Mame 🙂
Have just had a morning doing ‘chores’ all over the place and the Christmas ‘music’ followed me around and around and around – sometimes one could hear three different ‘carols’ from where one was standing . . . bad enough that one cannot watch ten minutes of TV without Xmas food, presents or doings being mentioned ad infinitum!! So appreciate your feelings . . . hope you are well and truly home by now . . . surely the animals don’t moo and squeak and squawk to music 😀 !! But how I love hotels too: would love to change into Eloise and live in the middle of the Big Apple . . .
And isn’t the reorganizing/arranging a picnic?! Between a 2:30 am confirmation that my John would need bypass surgery in a hospital 7 hours from home and a 9 am departure to get to him I had to arrange care for 2 dogs, 2 horses, 3 chickens, 2 ducks, a mini donkey and of course Percy pig not to mention the farm itself. Not quite clear on how I did it but it worked out for the near 2 weeks before we got home. Good neighbors are a treasure worth more than gold. I had a lovely little inn within walking distance of the hospital and they took wonderful care of me but I really don’t care to repeat it!
Sorry our Denver weather did that to you.
Ha! What a dilemma, grinchy. Glad you sorted your priorities and went with a glass of white. I suspect that when the sleigh bells rang, you weren’t listening.
You must have been sending out SOS signals mentally – kept thinking about you all day and whispering little prayers and hopes because I’ve often found that when a “signal” comes in, something is going on.
Things happen as they will. Having been a road warrior for a while for work, for you eventually learn to roll with it..and if anything can go wrong, it will.
You did find a hotel and it looked nice despite the music attack. Even if you enjoy it, it’s is often so loud and perky that it gets annoying.
Wishing you safely winging home now.
Love the pictures. The first holds that wonderful cold silence. The second is a bit magical: the sign and little light seem to be asking you to come out and play. The last is just luxurious and warm – great composition, colors.
Rest up, little lamb
Your comment about Christmas music made me smile! 🙂 I couldn’t agree more — I like traditional Christmas music, but songs like All I Want for Christmas and Wham’s Last Christmas make me squirm. They’re awful IMO!
Thankful for the good helpers at home. I hope you were able to enjoy a peaceful day.