ROBYN AND BRENDAN'S WEDDING

I made my first trip home the first week in May, for Robyn and Brendan's wedding. Being back was great -got to catch up with some friends and stopped by work to see how everyone there was doing. But....the visit was far too short. I wish I could have extended it for another 4 or 5 days, just to have time to see everyone, and to relax a little bit more.

Regardless, a great trip home.

Now, about Brendan and Robyn's wedding: it was FANTASTIC! Over the last couple of years, I've been to my share of weddings and this one was one of the most well-done events I've been to. It was beautiful and tasteful and laid-back and entertaining. The bride and groom were both gorgeous and basically glowing with happiness.

The speeches were funny, the food was tasty and the alcohol was plentiful. All-in-all, a great combination. When I get married, I'll be lucky if my wedding turns out to be anything as enjoyable as this!

Congratulations Robyn and Brendan!

The New Couple

Robyn and I: Post-Dinner, Pre-Excessive Alcohol Intake

Catching the garter

Okay, I've done the sappy, look-how-happy-everyone-is-to-be-here bit. Now it's time for my cynical the-world-is-a-big-ole-mess and what-the-hell-is-going-on-here rant.

Did you expect anything less?

After a great (albeit rushed) visit home, I headed back via NWA and the skies above. My flight was scheduled to leave Buffalo at 5:02 pm.

5:00 pm: sitting in the terminal, waiting to board. And waiting on a supposed "quick" oil change.

5:30 pm: sitting, having just been told we're "waiting on a part".

5:45 pm: STILL SITTING, waiting to board.

Hmm....my connecting flight leaves Detroit at 7:03 pm and it's at least an hour-long flight to get there. In my unique "I'm too nice for my own good sometimes" way, I approach the ticket agent who tells me "your flight will land at 6:57 pm, so I bet you'll make your connecting flight". Said with a big, plastic smile.

Ummm....(confusion in my brain)......I'll make my connecting flight in SIX MINUTES??? I won't even get off the AIRPLANE in those 6 minutes.

So, I called NWA and switched my flight, to skip Detroit and head straight to Minneapolis. When I left at 6:50 pm, my original flight was STILL sitting on the ground. Arrived in Minn 20 min late (due to some stomach-churning circling we'd done in the air) and RAN for my connecting flight that was supposed to leave at 8:50 pm. I arrived, sweating and panting and generally flustered, before my plane had left the ground. And thought I was a lucky girl for having made my connecting flight.

I should have saved myself the run.

We sat in the airplane (locked in like sardines is more like it) for over TWO HOURS waiting for the nasty thunderstorm to pass. In short, my 7 hour flight lasted a whopping 13 hours...good lord.