Oh yeah, and I'm MARRIED!!!

We're back and married. I'll be working on the stories soon.

Airlines and luggage.........RANT

OMG! I'm completely in awe at how airlines handle luggage. I've flown very few times in my life, and lost my luggage (excuse me, had it delayed) more than 1/2 of my flights. And they really don't care! As long as you get your luggage within 24 hours, they are not responsible for anything. Even after 24 hours the responsibility is extremely low.

My first flight ever was to NYC in 2004. We flew out of Wichita, layover in Chicago, then on to NYC. Back we had a layover in Dallas. No problems at all.

Then off to Vegas from KC, direct flight both ways, in 2005. No problems.

My 3rd flying trip was in 2007 to MSP, layover in Atlanta. I get to MSP, no bag. This one really was lost. No record of it other than leaving Wichita. According to reports, it left Wichita, but did not arrive anywhere.
I was spending the weekend in MSP, meeting 20 some other knotties, with nothing to wear. I was leaving there, straight to Vegas for a conference. Well, I of course had to go shopping, and since the airlines had no clue what happened to my luggage, I shopped for the week in Vegas. Figured it would be easier and cheaper than shopping in Vegas.
I had arrived in MSP Friday. I have no idea how many phone calls I made trying to find my bags. Finally on Sunday, I got someone who actually got off her butt and went to look. Sure enough, there were my bags, still in Atlanta. She shipped them off to Vegas for me.
When I got my bag, it was shredded......well, for 2 days of no clothes and a shredded bag, I got a whopping $100. Wow.

This month I flew to Mexico. We were to leave KC, layover in Chicago and land in Cancun at 12:33 pm. Our KC flight left late and our Chicago flight left early. It was quite the site, me carrying my wedding dress, running through the Chicago airport.
The only way now to get to Cancun was to have another layover in Atlanta. So, off to Atlanta we went. Of course I knew I was going to loose my luggage. When we got on the plane in Atlanta, headed to Cancun, I was watching the bags being loaded on. And I saw one of mine! Whew, the sense of joy I had at that moment was wonderful. Then, all of a sudden they drive off, with my bag still on it!!! WTF!?!?!? FI tried to tell me I was crazy, it wasn't my bag. But, I knew it was. I saw the tear and the special tags........it was mine! And, of course, when we got to Cancun, 10 hours late, my bag wasn't there. In fact, 4 of our bags didn't make it. They were lost. The computer didn't know where they were.
While shopping in Playa del Carmen for new clothes, we saw another American and said something about lost luggage. She said "let me guess, Atlanta" I guess they are famous for lost and delayed luggage.
The four bags did show up late the next day. It had all of my clothes, all of my mothers clothes, my sons clothes and most of my wedding stuff. Talk about a stressed bride.

Now here we are returning to the states. We land in DC and have to claim and recheck all of our luggage. It is all there. We land in KC. We are missing 2 bags. WTF? Of course KC doesn't fly to Wichita, so how are we supposed to get them? This is great. We called the next day, Sunday and they say our bags are in KC. Well, we tell them they were supposed to go to Wichita.
The bitch didn't put that on our claim. In fact, we find out she didn't even do a claim. She filled out the form and wrote the bag numbers, but she didn't file the claim or assign a number to it. So, the guy on the phone does. Great. Our bags will be flown to Chicago, then to Wichita,. Today I get a call from a delivery guy saying he is delivering our bag. One bag?? Yes, only one bag. So, we call again. Guess where our other bag is? Memphis. Another WTF?!?!? It will be in Wichita tomorrow.

So much for getting all the laundry done today.

We're off to get married!!

After a night of no sleep, I got everything done! We have a few more things to pack, running off to a friends to borrow her suitcase.

I'll post pics when I return as a MRS.!!!!

Ok, not in WR mood

I should be doing something.........but instead I'm here. Maybe you'd like to know what I have done?
Quite a bit, actaully.
-I got my dress, my first fitting was my final! She did an awesome job!
-I'm officially tanned, well tan enough anyway.
-I got my ring cleaned, FI got his sized
-Picked up the clothes from the cleaners.
-Here's a HUGE one, I finished my flowers. I have to show pix of Katie Sue's flowers, she was my inspiration!
-Bought all the stuff to make the bouts
-picked up marriage liscense application (which reminds me of a vent)
-confirmed and finalized everything with the WC and photog
-got the forms wrote for ex to get notorized. Only problem is he can't find a notary to sign them without me present, so we have to make a trip up there. About 2 1/2 hour drive.
-And here's the biggest one! I drove around all day looking for a wine decanter and couldn't find one I liked. The next day FI went to a couple places on his lunch break (without me asking or knowing) and found the PERFECT one!! How's that for a great FI?!?!?!

I think that's about it. I still need to make bouts, print some stuff, glue some stuff........have our civil ceremony in the states. Oh, and finish packing.

All my friends are doing it!

I should preface that with my friends that live in my computer. They ALL have blogs........most of them had blogs when I started, which is why I started. I think today the rest of them started one.
I added a link to my favorite librarians......you will LOVE her stories. They actually make me smile before 10 am. And as my IRL friends know, that is a VERY hard task.
Eventually, I will link to all of them. But right now I should really be working on something wedding related. We leave in 3 days!!

It's been awhile..

I've been busy trying to get all wedding stuff done and ready to go. It's going much better now. I did spend a whole day driving around and looking for a wine decanter with a topper, to no avail. But FI took his lunch break the next day and found the perfect one!! I also realized that the bag for my dress is see through, and I have to carry it on the plane. So, one of my friends found a white bag for me!!

I just finished finalizing my employees schedule for the next 2 weeks. I hope no one else tries to book, they may not like the answer. I did send out an e-mail warning them I would not be here, and my employees schedules are limited. So, I will try my best to say no and not feel guilty.

I go for my final fitting for my dress today. I really hope everything fits right and we don't have to leave it there longer.

The ceremony is basically finished, I just need to add a couple things and decide which reading to take out. Otherwise it is way too long!!

Well, off to finish making checkmarks!

I imagine you're probably wondering why I haven't talked about my kids?

Well, they are both from my first marriage, which means they aren't always here. And when they aren't here I really don't like to talk about them, because it makes me miss them more. It's one of those out of sight out of mind things for me.

But, they are here this weekend! My daughter is 10, going on who know what, and my son is 8. He is a mama's boy, and I know I shouldn't be happy about that but I am.

They were supposed to go back to their dads today, but when we were getting ready to leave my son got sick. He felt it in his room, and tried to make it to the bathroom, but didn't. I just got done scrubbing the walls and cleaning the carpet in the hallway. Poor guy.
But, they get to stay one more day! Ex lives about 2-2 1/2 hours away.

We had a blast this weekend, going to a children's play and the art museum.

They really have the best of both worlds. We raise them as city kids, museums, plays, restaurants, etc.... While their dad raises them as country kids. Home cooking, lakes, bike racing, car fixing, etc....

My to do list

Ok, here it is. Everything I have to get done by the 18th.
Business:
-make new client packets
-make address labels and stamp postcards to go out
-finalize employees schedules
-finish and mail in 941

Wedding:
-make form for ex to fill out so we can travel out of country with kids
-confirm with photog
-make programs
-write our ceremony and vows
-make a day of timeline
-plan activities for mexico for us and guests
-finish playlist
-get my engagement ring cleaned and FI's band sized (jeweler closed until 10th)
-make bouts and boquets
-pickup clothes from cleaners
-buy jewelry (first have to find some)
-pick up dress and hope the final fitting is right
-get daughters dress straps shortened
-call courthouse and find out how to get married before we leave
-by wine decanter and cork for our sand ceremony

Personal:
-pay bills
-set up auto transfers
-strip and refinish dressers
-laundry
-clean whole house
-buy a postcard for someone

That's not so bad, right??