I Can Talk About This Now ...

Ever have one of those situations where people mention it and then look at you and say "too soon?" Well, sit down and let me tell you one ...

I was home in NS for two weeks before mobilizing to my new job up north. As is the characteristics of time off, days meld into each other and slip away in blissful succession. (yes, i said blissful)

My flight home was on Sunday night at 5:45pm on June 18 landing in Calgary at 12:30am June 19. I look back I think that I was quite aware that I wasn't aware of which day was which given my vaction mode so I checked my itinerary fairly frequently.

After two absolutely fabulously glorious and carefree weeks hanging out with family and helping Dad around the yard, I was floating through my Sunday at my sister Heidi's. She was quietly doing laundry, bro in law Kenny was watching football and my dear, sweet, quiet, peaceful dad was in the living room on his computer.

I'd leisurely taken an impromptu nap, and I was chilly so I was wearing my little dress with lulu pants underneath (not very attractive) and upon waking up, with mascara running down my face (see above comment), I, too was surfing the internet and casually looked over at the stove and saw that the time was 4:45.

It was at that instant I realized something very, very terrible was happening.

With a sharply risen core body temperature, I went calmly to get my itinerary in hopes I was wrong; and sure enough, I'd sailed right through my vacation with peripheral attention to my departure time and date. Thinking because I was arriving on the 19th, then I was also leaving on the 19th.

I shattered the silence of a lazy dayz Sunday afternoon in disbelief with a frantic 'I AM SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE AIRPORT RIIIIIGHT NOW'.

Yes indeed. I was. Today was the 18th. The day of my departure and it was presently and precisely one hour prior to take off.

Laundry dropped, TV instantly abandoned, Laptop shoved to the side, the rest of the house came racing to my aide with me in full panic mode. I just stood over my suitcase motionless and crying. I was completely paralyzed with no cognitive thoughts or decision making abilities running through my brain.

Dad pushed me out of the way, hauled my suitcase on the bed, Heidi shoved all my belongings into it leaving me sweaterless for my chilly plane ride home. I didn't care at this point, and had enough sense to take my lulus off and pass them to her. I knew enough to change from the dress to jeans and she threw a shirt at me and I grabbed my giant red/black leopard print scarf. The only footwear I could find (she's a VERY speedy packer) were my cowboy boots, and there was no room for my fedora (which has lace and sequins) so I wore it. Not exactly what the gal / guy who envisioned either the boots or the hat had in mind when designing ....

So within, lets say, 5 minutes, Kenny got the car from the garage, and Dad carried my big suitcase out. And Heidi got all the odds and ends packed and microsecond decisions made on what items would stay, go or be mailed out at a later date and we were out the door.

After locking the apartment, Heidi and I both picked up my handbag at the same time and didn't even have time to decide who would carry it, so we both did. We felt like were in a scene of Home Alone. We giggled as we awkwardly ran down her hallway, but it was more of a nervous, 'we're going to pretend you're not an idiot' kind of laugh.

Still with make-up all over my tear-stained face, and me painfully aware of what a walking, well, at this point, running, fashion crime scene I was, we drove (i can't tell you the speed) to the airport.

I got there with 20 minutes to spare, and when I was calmly assured the plane wasn't leaving without me, (sweet, sweet Nova Scotians - really - there's noone else like them) I stuffed one last item in my suitcase and broke my (fake, gel) fingernail right off, ripping into the actual nail bed, (ouch) causing blood to go everywhere. The agent went to get me a band aid, sauntering away, la la la la la, and finally came back with it opened ready for application. (meanwhile, back in Leanne Land, the train had fully de-railed and sauntering wasn't on the agenda)

After hasty apologies and hugs goodbye, I got through security and my gate was directly at the top of the escalator so I was nice and close by, but let me tell you - I hadn't been sitting very long when they made the boarding call.

The more I ventured to tell the story, the more I heard 'oh, that happened to me ... blah blah'. So I eventually stopped feeling like a twit but I still feel terrible for wrecking a perfect Sunday afternoon!

oh! and there were no flights with availablilty on Monday from Halifax to Calgary so I would've missed my flight to my new job on Tuesday.

I still get hot when I think about it.

That is all.