See that above? It is the AMAZING Frito-Lay flavor kitchen. That I almost didn’t get to see.
Here’s the story.
2 issues. 1) I am blond and 2) I am blond
Picked up at my house by a driver in a nice shiny black Cadillac Escalade. (Frito treats us GOOD)
Get dropped off at Tampa International.
Get on the Southwest flight to DALLAS.
Fly.
Plane lands.
I get off.
I go to the luggage area and wait for my cute red leopard print bag to emerge from the baggage spitter outter.
20 minutes passes and no bag yet. I check the overhead monitor..yep, Southwest Flight from Tampa. That’s me. People come and go. No bag still. Strange.
35 minutes minutes later. A lone grey bag continues to go around and around on the bag spitter outter belt. But my unmistakable bag has not appeared. I look around and everyone else is gone.
The only person in sight was a man in a suite holding a sign. I thought, it might be my driver, so I go up to him to read his sign. I asked him if he was there to pick me up. He said no and asked what driver company I was looking for. I had no clue, so I showed him my itinerary.
He pointed to my paper and said, You are in Houston.
WHAT???
I was baffled for a moment. I knew I was supposed to be in DALLAS. But he said I was in Houston.
OHHHH SH*T! Body goes numb.
I got off the plane at the first stop in Houston when I was supposed to stay on and complete the last hour to Dallas.
Oh God, Oh God, Oh God.
Panic mode.
I sprint, like an olympic athlete to the first info counter I see.
I try to get my words out, but I was sooo out of breath from my 4.2 second mile I was running, the poor lady couldn’t understand what I was sputtering out of my mouth.
“Slow down honey, whats a matter?”
Me..”I…Gottttt….Offff…The …plane when I wassssn’t suppo-sed too” (me short of breath)
Panting…”What should I doooo?”
“oh, honey..you need to go to ticketing.”
Full blown panic attack ensues.
Again, sprinting like Flo-Jo, I arrive at the ticketing counter.
6 people are in line in front of me. My parents taught me manners, so I dare not dare ask anyone to skip them in line. I pace and pace and pace. Finally I get called up to the counter.
Still out of breath, I tell the ticket lady my ridiculous blond issues. She calls the terminal.
She says, “the doors of the plane are now closed.”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” I cry out in the most pathetic pleading tone.
I suppose the person heard me on the phone and said, “she has 5 minutes to get to the plane.”
Sprinting, yet again.
I had to go through security again..they were quite suspicious of me running up to them foaming at the mouth, yanking my jewelry and shoes off. Had to tell them my story too. God, how many times do I have to repeat my total lack of travel ability?
They let me through security.
Run, run ,run.
I get to the terminal 40 minutes after the plane landed.
The ticket taker looks at me with the “tisk, tisk, tisk” look on his face.
As I walk on the plane, sweat rings forming under my arms, the flight attendant gets on his little plane announcement speaker and announces…
“Look who has decided to join us……Mizzz Green”
OMG, are you serious? I know Southwest flight attendants like to be funny, but did he just call me out like that???? My face turned bright red. Everyone was glaring at me fanning their faces with their sky mall magazines. I guess it gets hot on planes when they are waiting on the tarmac for 40 minutes for a dumb blond!
I did make it to the Frito-Lay flavor kitchen. More on that in my next post.
Oh, and Southwest ROCKS!!!! Not many airlines would hold a flight for someone!!!
Oh my gosh Leslie, you poor thing! Glad you finally made it to Frito Lay on time ~ can't wait to hear more about your trip.
oh i would have been freaking out too!!! glad you made it!
well at least out got a great story out of it!
And you got a great impromptu workout, too!
oh no…I travel a lot for work and sometimes I have to "wake" myself up because I am on autopilot. I double and triple check everything because I'm also blond and would do the same thing! Glad you made it!
Ohhhh goodness woman!! How embarassing!! Glad that the plane didn't leave without you though…can't imagine what a headache *that* would have been. Probably a lot worse than the heat exhaustion headaches of your fellow passangers who had to wait on the tarmac. 😉
KIDDING KIDDING!
omg, sorry I am laughing…I would just die if that were me, after I panicked, like you. So glad you were able to make the flight! (They make 2 stops like that??)
Oh you poor thing!!!
My heart was racing as I was reading your story!!
I have never flown and I think this just confirmed that I never will! I could see myself doing the same thing!
I'm so glad you made it to Frito Lay but I can't believe he said that to everyone?!?!
I would have died right there!!!!
what an experience,Les!
I should laugh….but I sorta had too…hehe 🙂
Too funny! Southwest do rock and I can't wait for the next post.
woo hoo you must be quite a runner!
Ya did good Les!!!! Can't wait to hear more!!
XOXOXO
The other Les
Leslie Loves Veggies
http://leslielovesveggies.net/
Oh, my Hell! You're too funny. I can picture me doing the same thing. I absolutely hate flying and never will again. The only thing worse than flying is going to the airport to begin with. At least no one stole your cute leopard Diva bag, Mizz Green!
You poor thing. BUT, thanks for the laughs. I needed some today!
That is why I dont fly. I knnow that is something I would do, and I'm not blond! Too funny. Cant wait to read all the trip.
Oh, that flight attendant was a wicked wench, calling you out like that. But I giggled.
I always have problems when I fly glad you made it ok!
We're not laughing AT you we're laughing WITH you. No. I swear.
Glad you made it back on board. I was just in Houston's airport last week and BARELY made our connecting flight because they moved the gate without telling us. So we went from Terminal A to Terminal E (had checked the boards when landed) and had to haul ass back to Terminal C. We ran up with 3 other late passengers at the same time, so we didn't get called out, lol. I can really appreciate the panic you had
I'm glad you made it! I had a blast with you! My breakfast date! Muuuu-Waaaahhh!
good lord woman. you just crack me up. you make me nervous and you make me laugh. and now youre safe.
thank god.
Oh my gosh, I'm cracking up. Sooo something I would do, and I'm not even blongd!
LOL – I know I've heard your story in person right when I met you… but I'm still smiling and replaying your facial expressions. Miss you! 🙂
Oh Leslie-I'm so glad you are human like the rest of us 🙂
And I totally want those racks with my own grocery store too!
Oh honey, that's embarrassing!! =( TOTALLY something I would do!! I get so confused in airports, I hate them. Thank GOD my husband has brown hair, I'd be screwed.
Im so glad you made it, you really made me laugh with this post.