Hello - not from Hawaii

We are not in Hawaii as was the plan.  And a plan I was worried about from its inception.  I had a bad feeling about this trip.

We got to the airport on Tuesday, went through security without an incident - which for me is amazing - then all hell broke loose.

We were to fly out of gate 45.  That gate was at the end of the airport.  I almost made the entire trek without stopping, but I finally had to sit!  We were, of course, two hours early.  The joys of flying.

We were sitting there reading (and starving since it was 1pm and lunch was to be on the plane), when the announcement was made that we would be boarding out of Gate 18,

One must remember we were at the Houston Intercontinental Airport.  It.  Is.  Huge.  So off we went. We got about half way (probably a mile - no kidding!) when my back decided I had abused it enough.  I stopped at the handicapped area and said I needed to go the rest of the way on a cart.  You see, Gate 18 was at the OPPOSITE end of the airport.

When we got there, it was wall to wall people.  That was when I really got a bad feeling.  The gate we were supposed to be in was not to Los Angeles but to Orange County.  The next one was to Washington.

To cut to the chase - our plane was over an hour late.  Normally that would be just a minor irritation.  In this case - a disaster.  We wouldn't make out connecting flight to Hilo.  Apparently, we were not the only ones on the flight to LA because they told us to go to customer service (and that is most definitely an oxymoron),

G trudged off to Customer (dis)Service.  We were told we (1) would be put up in a hotel if we missed our connection and fly our the next day, or (2) we could fly to LA, change planes and fly to San Francisco, then change planes and fly to Honolulu, and then change planes and fly to Hilo.  We save our pennies and fly first class because we don't fit into the 18 inch seats in coach.  Yes, it is horribly expensive, but we simply don't fly often (wonder why).  We would not have our first class seats with any of the choices offered.

SO - we cancelled the flight.  Getting our checked luggage back took another two hours.  Son in law came back and brought us home.

What a nightmare that was.  I was a little relieved I have to admit.  I don't know what the rest of the trip would have had in store for us.  It could have gotten so much better, or this could have just been the beginning.  Who knows, but I am in the comfort of my own home, sleeping in my own bed!