Time for me to fly....

I've been around for you, been up and down for you, but I just can't get any relief.

Sometimes, the biggest stresses are the ones you can't do anything about.  With planning this move, it's been trying to make our flight reservations.  We were told that we would have to wait until our visas came in before we could get a paper that said that the government flights were full (which they are) and we could fly commercial.  I did the visa paperwork on the 14th of May and they said it would be 5-10 days to get them back.

I make you laugh and you make me cry.  I believe it's time for me to fly.

We called on Friday.  No visas yet.  We called yesterday.  Still no visas.  But!  Now they tell us we don't NEED the visas to make flight arrangements!  How governmentally typical.  So this morning, DH and I and the kids first went to the visa/passport/Port Call (v/pp/PC, let's call it) office to see if maybe our visas had showed up.  Not there still, so we all tromped over to Travel.  And they promptly send us back to the v/pp/PC office.  The Port Call guy has to give us this paper to fly commercial.  So we want this paper, even though we don't have our visas, which they said we could do.

You said we'd work it out, you said that you had no doubt...

The Port Call guy is not at his desk.  They think he's somewhere in the building.  They advise us to sit down and wait.  Also waiting for the exact same thing is DH's classmate, SGM Monty, going also to Vicenza.  So we wait and chat and wait.  I try to explain to him how small the base in Vicenza is.  He is doubtful, but he'll find out soon enough.  After 30 minutes, we ask about the Port Call guy again.  Can anyone else get us that paper?  Can anyone FIND him?  More waiting.  15 minutes later, the FedEx guy walks in the door.  Does he have our visas?  No!  But he has SGM Monty's visas.  SGM Monty turned his in two days after I did!

Oh, but I'm tired of holding on, to a feeling I know is gone, I do believe that I've had enough.

It's been an hour we've been waiting now.  We've chatted enough.  Where is the Port Call guy??  Finally the guy in charge asks another lady working there and she says, "Oh, Port Call Guy is at a doctor appointment.  He might not be back till this afternoon."  That was when I started feeling very stabby.  I was working on a sock and those size 0s would have made a neat hole in someone's trachea.  Fortunately, the guy in charge noticed my seething and got on the phone and called someone at Travel.  He told them to let us make our travel arrangements even without the paper.  We can't actually pick up our tickets, but we can make reservations, which is FINE.  I'll take that.

I've had enough of the falseness of a worn out relation.  Enough of the jealousy in the entire duration.

Back we go to Travel and the nicest lady on all of Ft. Bliss clicks away at her computer and asks us when would we like to fly to Italy?  DH and I look at the calendar and I count 3 days of driving from El Paso, 4 days of vacation in Florida, 1 day of driving to Atlanta....so fly the 17th....and DH says, "Wait."  Wait, he says.  Say huh??

Time for me to fly, I've got to set myself free.  Time for me to fly, that's just how it's got to be.

There at the travel counter, just as we are ready to make reservations, DH says "I think we should stay in Florida longer.  The hotel is only $39 a night.  Let's stay a few more days!  We can relax and not try and do everything in just a few days."  I remind him that we will be living in hotel rooms for many, many days on end.  He promises me that we should do this, it will be fun, let's go for it.  The super nice Travel lady is waiting, grinning.  Fine, I say, and tell her we'll fly the 22nd.  Whoops, no flights on the 22nd.  Hey, what's one more day.  We'll go the 23rd.

I know it hurts to say goodbye, but it's time for me to fly.

So wow.  That was quite a morning, but we have flight reservations!!!  This is so exciting because now we have A Plan.  It's not the plan we had at first, but whatever.  I have confidence knowing that DH can't get too stressed out on me because this was HIS idea to stay in FL longer.  Mmmhmmm.  Not my idea.  But it's going to be fun with a capital B.  Beaches, Boats, Busch Gardens, Best friend, Beall's Outlets, and Becca hanging out with the family.

Now I've run out of good song verses, so here's the rest of the flight deal.  We're still dropping the car off and flying out of Atlanta, but it's not a direct flight anymore.  We've got a 6 hour layover in Frankfurt before going on to Venice.  That's because it's Delta who has the direct flight out of Atlanta and they have a rule that pets cannot fly on the plane if the temperature is 85 degrees or above at the time of check-in.  Atlanta in June?  When is it NOT over 85 degrees?

I wasn't willing to take the risk that there we would be, passports in hand, luggage at our feet, vehicle shipped, and if it's 86 degrees, we would not be able to fly.  Because we can't leave Josie behind, she has to come with us.  So by taking the United/Lufthansa flight, we do have a longer day, but it's a climate controlled cargo area for the dog.  She's going to be in her box for more than 18 hours!  I feel awful, but what else can we do?  Poor doggie.

The movers will be here for the first wave of packing in one week.  And soon enough, it will be time for me to fly. 

This post brought to you by REO Speedwagon.  Just say no to curly mullets.

Comments

[Lisa]

I have to say that the REO Speedwagon theme of this post has me concerned about your sanity. However, since REO is an 80's hairband and not a 90's pop band, I will set those fears aside and focus instead on how much you're going to miss me in two weeks. Florida is fine but without Lisa? Really?

[Chris]

Is there no way she can be let out? Poor doggy/kitty.

But wohoo for the "A Plan". I can't imagine the worry and stress you have had getting to this point. Now "it's time to Relax! One beer stands clear, beer after beer,"....oops, wrong song!

[Krista at AfternoonMoon]

Oh, that stress is immense! My passport did not show up until the DAY BEFORE we were to fly into Rome. $1700 on a plane ticket, thousands on prebooked hotels and excursions, all would have been cancelled if it came one day later. 7 months waiting and I had to call my state senators offices. I was a basketcase! I really, really hope you get your VISA soon!

[mandycharlie]

I just wanted to say Thank You Becca for responding to my blog, I shall look forward to reading yours.

thank you so much,

Mandy
x

[Becca]

Only the government can make a mandated move so freaking difficult huh???

Good news on the puppy travel thingy. Ask the vet for meds to relax him/her? and the 18 hours will go quickly...just take some scented baby wipes in case of pee accidents