Standing By is Good on Flights if Not in Life

Sometimes on trips that I'm just not feeling, I wake up and say, I'm done. This was one of those trips. Arizona was one of those trips. That's when I call the airline. I see what the change fee is and if it's less than the hotel and car rental fee for staying longer, I'm out of there. So. That's what I was told by this very chipper American Airlines rep this am. That's all it took to put me into hustle mode and get out of dodge. I was all excited about home until I got a call from the travel agent saying that the woman was mistaken, the change fee was not just $50 but also $280. That. Not so good. I had checked out of the hotel and into Starbuck's. I had an hour until I had to buy food and train people. Two groups of people. And my spot in the hotel? It was taken. And my bottle of Chardonnay? I gave it to the front desk clerk. She was nice, it was a good bottle. And hey, people handing out alcohol to me has never been a bad thing. Still. I wanted to go home. So I called American Airlines. Somehow. I managed to -- by telling the truth, mind you-- which only works on certain occasions -- get this supervisor to allow me to go standby the day before my scheduled flight. Amen to that. The trainings went off without a hitch. I love the skincare lead at Dadeland. The whole "cast" are actually super cool and made an impression on me when I was there in July. Still, there's no place like home. They warned me I'd hit traffic. I didn't. The rental car was half what I expected. Which I may not be paying for in the long run-- but I am now. Less out of pocket, not bad. And once I got to Miami International? The front desk clerk let me do the standby and even though I was one of those specially selected searches by the TSA (yes, the same people who ruined my clothes)-- I made it to the gate and onto my flight. And a little girl named Sophia sitting next to me even made me a drawing. Complete with a lot of happy faces. I didn't even care when she kicked me as she slept. The parking shuttle? Came immediately. More money saved for the company. I'm good without even trying. Who knew?

Then, I got home to a place to park. Skunk. Funny, purring Skunk. An email requesting services in New Jersey (I can visit Kate-- on them!!!). And Ohio (I can see Cleveland where Drew Carey was based... well, why not, right?). So I replied like the idiot I am. Because although I don't feel like a writer right now or feel like I have time to write. Or like I have a home, I am paying my bills again. And since Kelly is moving out December 1, I have to have funds to move or stay or whatever is supposed to happen with me... I'd like to think there's a plan somewhere. Even if it isn't mine. There will be no Skunk and Will watcher giving them love who they love. Home base will be less homey. But there comes a time we all have to move on.

And me, I seem to move from airport to airport. From city to city. After three years of going absolutely nowhere. Now I'm getting frequent flyer miles. Seeing things and people and malls I'd never thought I'd see. I love LA a little more. I can't wait to be stuck here again. In a good job. And use those miles to take a trip somewhere I really want to go.