I'm On Tulsa Time

Marc and I are in Tulsa for the workshops.  It was in interesting journey getting here.

In November, Marc realized he had American points that were going to expire.  He had enough to get a ticket.  He decided to get a ticket to come to Tulsa before those points expired.  I was thinking I probably would not make this trip.  Then when a few people said, "why don't you come, too?", I began seriously thinking about coming.  I purchased a ticket on Continental last year to go to Little Rock.  Emergency surgery put a sudden end to that trip before it even began.  That ticket, too, was about to expire.  I paid the change fee and booked myself a ticket to Tulsa.

Marc's original plan was to go to the dump to feed yesterday and get to the airport in plenty of time to catch the 2:30 flight.  The Continental flight leaves earlier than the American one.  I was going to take Maryuri to Teleton, meet Dalys there, and get on to the airport.

Somewhere around 6:00 a.m. yesterday, I was racing around trying to get all things in order before I left at 7:15, when Marc announces, "oh no, I have missed my plane."  I am kind of thinking that since the only American flight leaves at 2:30, it would be hard to miss it.  Well, his ticket was booked for Tuesday, not Wednesday.  Suddenly, Marc is buzzing around also.  He is leaving with me to try to go get this fixed. 

As we drove down the mountain, we decided Marc would take us to Teleton and when Dalys arrived, I would take a taxi to the airport.  I was ok with that.  Never knowing what morning traffic will be, we left really early.  There was no traffic for some strange reason and Maryuri and I were at Teleton long before Dalys was supposed to be.  We waited.  Maryuri was quite content.  I told her we were waiting on Dalys and she was happy.  It got nearer and nearer to 9:00, the time of Maryuri's appointment and no Dalys.  Finally, at 9:00 I went in.  Maryuri became very angry because I had told her we were waiting on Dalys and there was no Dalys.  After smoothing her ruffled feathers, we walked into the appointment.  Maryuri once again was happy and sat down to work a puzzle. 

Dalys called from outside and  I rushed out to meet her.  I got things worked out with her and left.  I do quite well at rolling with the flow and changing plans and adapting to the situation most of the time.  But when leaving one of the children in an uncertain situation and things involving flight times, I can get extremely nervous.  Since I was dealing with both, I was beside myself.

I negotiated the cab fare well.  Yay me.  I did not do that so well the first time I had to take a cab.  The first time I got gringoed bad.  I got to the airport, got checked in and had plenty of time.  I bought a granita to settle my jumpy stomach. 

Fortunately for me, except for a loooong layover in Houston, the rest of my trip was uneventful. 

However, Marc did not have the same luck.

American let Marc change his ticket with no change fee.  That is unheard of.  God is good.... all the time.  But his adventure had not even begun.  Marc had to overnight in Miami and was to get to Tulsa around noon today. 

This morning at 4:00 a.m. our U. S. cell phone rang.  I was so tired.  At first, I did not even know what was making that noise.  I realized it was my phone and that it was 4:00 a.m.  That is never a good thing.  I answered and got a recorded message from American Airlines saying a flight had been canceled and rebooked for 10:00, arriving at DFW at sometime later and Tulsa at 3:05. 

When I went to breakfast this morning, I immediately heard that a fuel tank had got on fire, causing a huge fire in the Miami airport.  Thus, explaining why Marc's early morning flight had been canceled.  After attempting to call me from a payphone that required change only, finding the change, having the phone steal the money, I received a call on a borrowed cell phone from Marc saying there had been a fire, his flight was canceled, and he would arrive in Tulsa around 3:00.  All I could say was that is old news. 

I enjoyed two great lessons this morning and the fellowship of several friends, went to lunch at McAllisters's and then made it to Target and heard one more great lesson from Trey Morgan before Marc arrived at the airport.  Yay!  He is here at last.

We heard another great lesson tonight.  We are enjoying the sweet fellowship of friends.  Tomorrow promises to be another day of deep, inspiring lessons,  heavenly singing and more fellowship.  We are having our cups filled, being renewed and encouraged.  And we might even work in a trip to Wal-Mart.

For this few days, how blessed we are to be living on Tulsa time.

Terri