I Didn't Get Home today

I'm writing this posting from Dallas.  That's as close to home as I could get.  And how did that happen, you ask?  Well, pull up a chair and I'll tell you.  As you'll recall John left for the airport to catch an early flight home.  When I arose, I showered, packed, grabbed a cup of coffee, and checked out of our motel.  I found out the way to get to the car rental return.  I needed to get the car back to Budget at the time I had said I would.  Remember, they threatened to penalize me if I returned the car early.  Specifics of the penalty weren't available, however.  I dropped it off right on time.  I hauled my stuff up to the airtrain and took it around to the American Airlines terminal where I found that American had cancelled a 9:30 flight and a couple hundred people were trying to rebook.  When I snaked my way to the check-in kiosk, I discovered that my flight had been moved up an hour and a half!!!  And my seat had already been given away.  As far as I'm aware, I never got any notification of this huge time change from either American or Travelocity.  BTW our motel reservation for last night was made through Travelocity.  The motel had no record of the reservation.  The motel staff worked hard to make certain there wouldn't be a double credit card charge. Anyway after learning the not-so-good news, I was directed to that other line with all the people rebooking.  Eventually I made it up to the counter and was told that I wouldn't get home tonight and I'd have to go standby which is what I did.  To do so I had to check my bag which would make the next flight even if I didn't, which is exactly what happened.  So American bumped me up to the next Dallas flight as a standby.  I waited two hours until the next flight boarded and thankfully I made that flight as a standby.  Nice flight to Dallas where I picked up my bag that beat me to Dallas by two hours and hauled it to a ticket counter nearby.  I was placed on the first Norfolk flight tomorrow (as the first standby) and received a sort-of boarding pass with no seat assignment.  But I had to wait until tomorrow to check my bag.  The agent then offered to arrange a Super 8 motel room for me at a low rate and she called their courtesy van to come get me.  I thanked them, but I had to wait more than half and hour for the van, but then I found out why - it took about that time to return to the motel.  The Cards won today and the USA soccer team didn't.  No new birds.  I hope I write the next blog from Norfolk.