Airport Homesteading - the Long Trip Out of Phoenix

It'd been a long couple of months. I knew one of my dogs died and wasn't sure the status of my other animals back home - it's true that no one else pays attention as much as the owners do. I'd just hours before bid goodbye to my best friend. I had on this trip had my wallet stolen so had the added challenge of getting on the plane to go home without my license, ticket or other normal information.

That in itself was a circus - I had to be in Alabama in order to get a replacement license, or any identification, which if I couldn't get on the plane I couldn't get to Alabama to get a replacement! Well with the help of my best friend's husband showing his identification and a few key improvisions I was safely beyond the TSA gates and in plenty of time for my Southwest air flight home from Phoenix.

I glanced over after grabbing a bite to eat to see the flight number showing delayed. Groan. Well a half hour - not that bad of a delay. Then a few minutes later it flashed CANCELLED. It seems until the winds stopped there were no flights leaving. Can it get worse? Oh YES it can. It can ALWAYS get worse!

You see, when it cancelled there was a little matter of luggage - the airline won't hold it. Which meant I *had* to go back out beyond the gates - or who knows where it would end up as unclaimed baggage. Joy.

So I had all my luggage - and that little rule about not leaving your luggage unattended. Yea that conflicts with the little bitty size 3 restroom stalls airports have....and in trying to wedge me and said luggage in said restroom I took off and proceeded to lose the handmade scarf I had. In Phoenix - yes that will never be seen again and I'm sure someone else is enjoying it without a clue the story behind it. Or not.

But I digress. So no credit card, travelers aid was unavailable, no way to get anywhere until the next day so like many other travelers it meant dragging our bags everywhere with us, trying to get through with what food places were open that weren't outrageously priced and somehow trying to find a semi-comfortable place to at least browse the internet for entertainment.

It was like a techno-homesteader - those prime spots next to wall outlets were the first to have claims staked. Nap under the phone booths? Hey at least it was dry and there was music to listen to.

The long night was finally over - another aggravation along with the crowd trying to get through the backlog in flights to get where we should have been the previous morning. Then I had to get back through the security checkpoint - this time without benefit of the friend and his identification. Had to throw out a soda 'cause it might be explosive - like I wanted to spend any more time in Phoenix by this point.

I was tired, wanted food and a shower, first flight out went to Nashville not Birmingham and by that point I didn't care as long as it wasn't Phoenix. A full day late I was finally airborne....a change of planes in Houston and hoping the wind didn't blow again. Getting off at the Nashville airport George Strait's "welcome to Nashville" never sounded so good.

With seeing body scanners and groping for 'security' reasons becoming more commonplace on top of the hassles of my last flight - there's just not many places I need to be that badly to entertain the idea of flying again. The wind might blow again and airport homesteading just isn't on my list of things to do this month. Or next.

It might be funny one day but for now I still shudder every time I hear Phoenix, airport and Southwest Air in the same sentence. Even two out of three brings a chill. There are roads that run both ways and if the wind's blowing it's almost faster.