4:00 AM stopped at a rest area to close our eyes for a few minutes, switched drivers and on our way again.
Arrived at the airport at 5:40 AM. joes bag was there!
Made bill's hotel room at 5:40 local time after being the first customers at Starbucks next door.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Sunday, June 5, 2016
June 6, 1:30 AM
Well, that certainly did not work.....he did NOT pry himself away, but just kept right on drinking....something about the view from the 10th floor bar being too spectacular to leave, or something....
Because of that, Younger took what was described as a "leaner", into the door of the elevator.
3 stitches in his forehead later, the drunk doctor had him back on his feet and called to tell us that we were now supposed to call him and do formal neuro checks every hour as we drive from now on.....because the doctor was going to bed.
Following the doctors orders, we called, he answered, and he gibbered something to us about his hometown using some incoherent, thick Canadian accent. We did not quite understand him, but took his word for it, we felt he was fine, and hung up.
Our first injury, and we haven't even started riding yet.
Meanwhile, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter were very bright in the sky above as we drove along.......
Well, that certainly did not work.....he did NOT pry himself away, but just kept right on drinking....something about the view from the 10th floor bar being too spectacular to leave, or something....
Because of that, Younger took what was described as a "leaner", into the door of the elevator.
3 stitches in his forehead later, the drunk doctor had him back on his feet and called to tell us that we were now supposed to call him and do formal neuro checks every hour as we drive from now on.....because the doctor was going to bed.
Following the doctors orders, we called, he answered, and he gibbered something to us about his hometown using some incoherent, thick Canadian accent. We did not quite understand him, but took his word for it, we felt he was fine, and hung up.
Our first injury, and we haven't even started riding yet.
Meanwhile, Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter were very bright in the sky above as we drove along.......
The saga continues.....note the website says Joe's bag is not on the flight to rapid city........phone call to AAdvantage customer service argued with me and said that "Dallas has nothing to do with your bag"..........had to hang up and call someone else, who, thankfully confirmed that the bag was indeed on the flight.
However, they will not deliver it to the hotel because "we are not there"! What??? Of course we are not there.....yet.......we still have 10 hours of driving ahead of us!!!! So he says, wait until you get a little closer then call......WHAT? Yep, that is what he said.....
Net of everything is that there is no way to get his bag delivered before noon tomorrow. So, we would have to take our chances and go directly to the ticket counter in the morning and hope that the ticket agent would be kind enough to walk us up to baggage claim, unlock the door and help us search.........
Unless we can get Bill away from the bar at the hotel and take a taxi to the airport and get it NOW!!!!!!! What are the chances that will happen....we shall see.....
However, they will not deliver it to the hotel because "we are not there"! What??? Of course we are not there.....yet.......we still have 10 hours of driving ahead of us!!!! So he says, wait until you get a little closer then call......WHAT? Yep, that is what he said.....
Net of everything is that there is no way to get his bag delivered before noon tomorrow. So, we would have to take our chances and go directly to the ticket counter in the morning and hope that the ticket agent would be kind enough to walk us up to baggage claim, unlock the door and help us search.........
Unless we can get Bill away from the bar at the hotel and take a taxi to the airport and get it NOW!!!!!!! What are the chances that will happen....we shall see.....
As I was saying, the agent told us we can track our bags online through the American Airlines website. OK, maybe later. Off to the bus stop to catch the Alamo shuttle bus to the rental place. We could not do a one way rental directly, even though we were standing at the counter in front of the agent. We had to stand there and call the 800 number and do it over the phone while the agent surfed the Internet or texted his girlfriend or what have you. Anyway, his ears picked up when Joe recited the reservation number out loud to him while he entered into his computer, and told us it would be 299 dollars. Of course Joe added the 13 dollar insurance and the 8 dollar iPass for the tolls.
Great. On our way. Stopped at McDonalds right outside the airport for a hamburger and coffee. as we walked across the parking lot, Joe said "you know, before we get too far down the road, we should check the status of our bags ourselves, just in case.......in life, you should always trust but verify."
Online, it showed that indeed, Joe's bag was loaded on the flight to Dallas, but my bag did not show it ever leaving CHicago. Odd. Better get on the phone. Finally contacted someone, and she discovered that after MY bag was loaded, it was subsequently pulled off the plane and was back in Chicago! She recommended we go back to the airport and retrieve it, because there is no way the bag would arrive in Rapid City at this point until later in the morning tomorrow. Again, not an option.
Back to the airport we went, weaving through the heavy traffic, negotiating through the busses at the departure terminal. I ran in, tried to explain to the agent I was here to pick up my bag, but to no avail! I went up to a random American bag handler guy who kindly allowed me to walk into the back office where the bags are stored. I had to walk up and down isles of shelving holding all sorts of bags, and luckily found it!
Off to the curb, where Joe had to negotiate with the sister police officer to allow him to wait for me. Threw the bag in, and off we went.
Gummy bears, thunderstorms, and an incredible double rainbow later, we are almost to Madison, Wisconsin.......
Now, we have to figure out how to get Joe's bag........
Great. On our way. Stopped at McDonalds right outside the airport for a hamburger and coffee. as we walked across the parking lot, Joe said "you know, before we get too far down the road, we should check the status of our bags ourselves, just in case.......in life, you should always trust but verify."
Online, it showed that indeed, Joe's bag was loaded on the flight to Dallas, but my bag did not show it ever leaving CHicago. Odd. Better get on the phone. Finally contacted someone, and she discovered that after MY bag was loaded, it was subsequently pulled off the plane and was back in Chicago! She recommended we go back to the airport and retrieve it, because there is no way the bag would arrive in Rapid City at this point until later in the morning tomorrow. Again, not an option.
Back to the airport we went, weaving through the heavy traffic, negotiating through the busses at the departure terminal. I ran in, tried to explain to the agent I was here to pick up my bag, but to no avail! I went up to a random American bag handler guy who kindly allowed me to walk into the back office where the bags are stored. I had to walk up and down isles of shelving holding all sorts of bags, and luckily found it!
Off to the curb, where Joe had to negotiate with the sister police officer to allow him to wait for me. Threw the bag in, and off we went.
Gummy bears, thunderstorms, and an incredible double rainbow later, we are almost to Madison, Wisconsin.......
Now, we have to figure out how to get Joe's bag........
Sunday morning pickup at my house by Joe. 8:30 AM. Nice ride to Syracuse in the Buick. Nice early arrival to the airport. Minimal security line. Pre check did not matter, the line was short, although my bag was searched because they saw the CO2 canister in my bike pump.
Then the fun started.
The plane arriving from CHicago was delayed. We boarded late, but then had to sit on the plane while they checked over some "technical" details about fuel or something. Eventually departed considerably late, and of course, as we exited our plane in Chicago, the departure screen listed our flight as "closed". We were too late.
The agent at our gate tried to help, was unsuccessful, directed us to the courtesy or customer service phones, and Joe and I each had the same outcome......no way to Rapid City until the next evening or Tuesday. Not an option.
Road trip it had to be! Google maps said it was 899 mile, and only 13 hours!......but we first needed to get our bags.
The agent assured us that our bags were down at baggage claim, terminal 5. They pulled our bags because we missed our flight, so they will be down there. We just need to go to the customer service counter in baggage claim at the terminal number 5 carousel. Makes perfect sense, and quite logical of course.
The customer service agent at the desk however, informed us that Joe's bag had been scanned and loaded onto a flight to Dallas, and would thereafter be put on the only flight to Rapid City for the rest of the day. My bag was also scanned in and loaded on a different Dallas flight leaving sometime later, but should also make the flight out of Dallas to Rapid City that evening.
OK, we will pick them up at the airport when we drop our rental car off at the Rapid City airport whenever we finally get there. The agent also informed us that we have the ability to track our
Then the fun started.
The plane arriving from CHicago was delayed. We boarded late, but then had to sit on the plane while they checked over some "technical" details about fuel or something. Eventually departed considerably late, and of course, as we exited our plane in Chicago, the departure screen listed our flight as "closed". We were too late.
The agent at our gate tried to help, was unsuccessful, directed us to the courtesy or customer service phones, and Joe and I each had the same outcome......no way to Rapid City until the next evening or Tuesday. Not an option.
Road trip it had to be! Google maps said it was 899 mile, and only 13 hours!......but we first needed to get our bags.
The agent assured us that our bags were down at baggage claim, terminal 5. They pulled our bags because we missed our flight, so they will be down there. We just need to go to the customer service counter in baggage claim at the terminal number 5 carousel. Makes perfect sense, and quite logical of course.
The customer service agent at the desk however, informed us that Joe's bag had been scanned and loaded onto a flight to Dallas, and would thereafter be put on the only flight to Rapid City for the rest of the day. My bag was also scanned in and loaded on a different Dallas flight leaving sometime later, but should also make the flight out of Dallas to Rapid City that evening.
OK, we will pick them up at the airport when we drop our rental car off at the Rapid City airport whenever we finally get there. The agent also informed us that we have the ability to track our
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