One More Vacay Day!!....Post Views...25,242

    What would YOU do to get one more vacay day and  go to a Milwaukee Brewers game with son Chuck and family??

    How about sleeping 6 hours on Monday night in anticipation of flying home on Tuesday afternoon?  
    Why 6 hours?  Well, Gram G stayed up until 1AM to finish her Midwest tour blog entry before returning home.  Then she had to catch a ride into Milwaukee from OcOnOmOwOc with daughter Angie at 8:15 when she went to work.  Somewhere thru the night I was awake for an hour or more.
    Got to Chuck's home successfully, hung out with 2 granddaughters for a couple hours.  I said goodbye to them as they left for a bike ride. Anna and Chuck treated me to lunch and after Chuck offered his mom some free computer tech help. Chuck discovered he could listen to his mom' music on Spotify! 
   Meanwhile the girls returned to find Gram still there.

 They said goodbye to me again and Chuck drove me to the airport at 2:45 since we already knew my flight was delayed. On the way he told me they were going to a Brewers game that evening. The local Little League teams were going to parade around the ball field and 2 of his girls were included. 
    At the airport he got me in and settled.  We said our goodbyes.  As I was busily checking in Chuck was back in a few minutes.  I had left my phone in the car.  We said our goodbyes again.  Soon the attendant and I were engaged in figuring out my delayed flight and known missed connection in Vegas. When it became apparent that I would be spending the next 4 hours in the airport and then getting into PDX at midnight or getting a flight the next day, my panicky mind told me to call Chuck quick before he got too far away.  While the clerk is chattering in one ear, I am talking to Chuck and using the other ear to hear his responses.  
   He graciously returned to take me home overnight and bring me back for the 6:30AM  flight into Phoenix.  BONUS!  I get to go to the ballgame with them!!
   Back home the girls once again said hello to Gram....And on with the evening at Miller Stadium!!








Hanging with the sausage guys, Olivia (left) with Chuck, Louisa (left in blue), the Young Marines

    Departing at 6:30AM means getting up at 4:30AM to get back to the airport in time.  Getting up at 4:30 means Gram waking up at 3:30 and not going back to sleep.  Yeah, 5 +1/2 hours sleep. (Gram G doesn't see the SUNRISE very often...) 

Saying goodbye to Lake Michigan, WI                   Hello to Phoenix
    We left at 6:30 for a 3 1/2 hour flight to Phoenix and arrived at 8:05 with a temperature of 92 degrees. Being short on sleep it took me a few minutes to figure this out.   (According to Phoenix time I had been up since 1:30AM.) How can one be up soo long and it still be only 8AM?
       The gate where we deplaned was showing a Portland flight that was delayed and leaving in 20 minutes.  With anticipation I inquired about the flight, but no way were they going to let me abroad....said it was overbooked.
     My flight into Portland leaves at 11:05 and arriving 1:45.  I think this is the same time zone, but at this point I'm not sure.  It is now 9:30 in whatever time zone and dimension I am in.
(Here is a freebie:  Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.)
     With Gram G being SO tired and sleepy she wasn't sure how to invest the 3 hours till her final flight to home. One perk here in the airport is 24 hours of free WIFI.  I gave myself a pep talk and told me to buck up,use those hours productively and BLOG....WALA...this intriguing post. 

Even had time to buy a box of Prickly Pear Cactus candy!!  Never had cactus before. ...Ouch...hope they took the pricklies out ...Gonna save it to share with family coming soon.
     Granddaughter Angie will meet me at the airport for a late lunch at Olive Garden and my Midwest Family Tour will be officially ended.  Vancouver summer fun time can begin!

     BUT WAIT.....THERE IS MORE....

      As I finished the above post and was packing up the computer I heard an announcement in the distance that the Portland flight was overbooked and volunteers for a "bump" were needed.  (Always a goal of mine).  But as I walked to and past the podium there was a long line of travelers.  I figured some others would get the compensation and, anyway, I needed to get HOME.  
     Wearily I walked on to the restroom, then a food stand and returned to the gate.  Since no one was lined up I mosied up to the clerk and inquired that shortly before she had made an announcement about needing volunteers to give up their seats.  She looked at me as though I were an answer to prayer, hurriedly said yes, and, lets see what we can for you.  Ends up she puts me on a flight thru Oakland and on to Portland where I will arrive home 4 hours later than planned.  In return I received a generous amount of flying dollars for Southwest.  Yeah!!   A good return on a 4 hour investment.
      Two more flights, a short search for my bags in Portland, Deb picks me up and I am HOME by 7PM.  A long day since 1:30AM (PDT) and 11 hours sleep in the past 48 .  

End of Gram G's epic 6 week Midwest Family Tour....

 This has been a good 7 "one more vacay" days in the life of Grandma G.

"Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteous is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep."  (Psalms 36:5)