Operation Return2Oregon: Stalled...

I'm starting to feel I'm becoming quite the salty traveler.

Today marks no exception.

Thanks to my handy-dandy updates from Orbitz to my cell phone, I find out my first flight is delayed.  No biggie.  I'm connecting in Chicago.  Land of one big ass airport, a butt ton of planes, and a cool dinosaur to stare at.  Easy peasy.  Wrong.

One flight to Chi-town has enough to screw the pooch for a lot of travels.  There were a couple guys trying to get to Frisco for business.  Some newlyweds.  Oh, and then there's me.  I'll call myself the Worldly Wanderer.  I don't really have a home.  I have a storage unit.  And I bounce from Place of Awesomeness to Place of Awesomeness.  Awesome, really (ya, I felt I needed to throw another awesome in there).

But let's not forget the retard behind me in line.  "Why is everyone waiting to check in?  Do they not know how to use a kiosk?  Hey (talking to his friend in line), be sure to take out your KY jelly from your carry-on.  It's more than 3 oz.  I'm just going to cut everyone to check in.  (He does then comes back).  Seriously, who waits till the morning of to buy plane tickets?"  Wow.

This guy never realized that a 45 minute delay kills that 45 minute connection you had for that next airport in your nation-hopping travel plans.  Apparently they never taught that in "How Not to be That Douche in Line at the Airport 101."

After a hefty wait in line to talk to a human, there was pleasant news at the counter.

"The next flight to leave Chicago [I'm assuming to leave somewhere near the vicinity of the West Coast] is 5:30pm."

Tonight?  Yes.  Tonight.  Spend all day wandering around a random airport?  Denver I can do.  New Belgium Brewery right off the Annex where United/Skywest flies.  Yes, please.

"Umm, I don't really want to spend all day there.  What about leaving here [Norfolk] tomorrow?"

"There are no flights out of Chicago until Tuesday."

"Okay, that works."

Weird look at me, like are you crazy lady...most people are irate at this point.

So I got the same flights I would have hit today had there been no delay, but instead I get an extra 2 days to play.  And the chance to sleep in a bed vs. an airplane to gain that hour of sleep lost.  I'll take it.

And luckily the guy at the counter was pretty funny.  Most people around me where worried about making their meetings, which I understand, but knew that it's out of their hands.  Ce la vie.  We'll try this again Tuesday.  I'm getting good at this delay stuff.  Medford at Christmas.  Denver at the same Christmas.  Snow storm at Sarah's (which was totally acceptable and awesome by the way - ya, another awesome).  Now this.  Whatever.  I'm cool.  And there's enough milk and Cheerios to hold me out for another week and a half should we run into problems.  But let's not.  I have a cruise to make.  And sunburns to avoid.