Our Jouney Home

After our little adventure on Thursday night, we all just sat and talked for a while about what we should have done differently and then just talked in general - you know, "Girl Talk".  So, of course like every other night this week, we went to bed late.

Luckily for us there is a checkout time of 12:00pm.  We didn't have to be at the airport until about 3:30pm.  We went to bed without setting an alarm and at 10:00am Carlos woke us and asked about going to the mall (I guess they had planned it last night sometime).  So, we all got up and got ready to leave.

The mall was in the "5 mile radius" from the hotel.  So, we checked out of our rooms and then checked in our luggage with the concierge.  They held on to our luggage and then even gave us the shuttle to the mall.  We went and everyone bought things to take home.  That's where I got Brennen's "Atlanta Gift".  I found him a cap with the Broncos on it.  (I know that gifts from places that you go should be about places that you go - but he doesn't really care about Atlanta and I knew he would love the Broncos cap!!!  So, I hoped that just knowing it came from Atlanta would be good enough for him,).  Then I "people watched" while everyone else did big shopping.  Bill was the first done with his shopping after me so he and I went to the cheesecake factory and had a piece of cheesecake.  He got plain (boring) and I got Key Lime.  It was marvelous.  Just as I finished my last bite, the others started coming in.

We caught the shuttle back to the hotel and picked up our luggage.  Then the shuttle took us to the MARTA!!!  We rode the train for a while and then had to change trains.  We got off the first and the second one, came within minutes.  As I saw it approaching I stated "Man, we are on Point Today - Everything is working out".  I looked for wood and since there was none available, I knocked on Carlos' head.  We loaded the train and then guess what !!!!!!  - (a little reminder that this is why my blog is titled "ONLY TO JESS").  The train didn't move.  After sitting there for a few minutes the conductor came through stated that one of the doors wasn't closing and she needed to do a maintenance check on them.  She did checks on all of the doors on all of the cars.  Then she announced - Everyone Off.  They would send a different train to pick us up.  This one is shutting down.  (I don't even need to ask - but who do you think everyone blamed? Yup!  Me!).  We groaned and got off.  Just a minute or two went by and the other train came.  We rode it about an hour and ended up at the airport.

I checked the times and we were still GREAT on time.  So, what did my very oblivious self say to the group!  "HEY!  We are still GOOD!"  and I thought I was going to get hit with 4 very large suit cases.  I found some wood and knocked on it.  We went through the crazy airport and got all checked in and our luggage checked in.  We went through security.   Then we found our gate.  It was only about 5 down from security, so that was good.  But then we still hadn't eaten and had some time to kill.  So, we went looking for a restaurant.  We didn't see any by security - so we kept walking on.  We walked quite a while and then came across the map thing.  You guessed it - the restaurants were on the OTHER side of security.  So, we turned around.  As we passed our gate I contemplated just posting up there and waiting.  But then I remember about our adventure coming and decided I needed to eat.  So, I kept walking with my friends.  Just so happens that at the security point, there is double doors and then the other hallways.   Yup!  About a mile down, is TGIFriday!  We went in and ate a great lunch.

After lunch we walked slowly to our gate and then it was time for boarding.  We got on the plane and the rest of our day was just as smooth.  We landed in Dallas right on time and had about 1 hour and 15 minutes until our flight.  We casually walked to the train that took us to our side of the airport.  Then we found our gates and then they changed gates and we found that one too.  We then hit the snack stand and restroom.  We posted up to charge our phones and wait.

As we were waiting I "remembered" that I had handed Carlos the keys to my car back in Roswell 5 days earlier.  (He had a carry on bag and I did not.  Instead of the keys poking my leg in the airplane seats, I asked if he would just throw them in his carry on.)  So, I thought now would be a good time to ask for them since we were just waiting.  He stated he didn't have them.  I remembered back to when I was packing my suitcase last night and I didn't find them.  That's when I initially remembered giving them to Carlos.  But he was in bed so I couldn't ask him and then I had forgotten by morning.  But, just as we were having this conversation the PA came on stating that our flight was delayed due to a staffing issue.  So, since we had nothing better to do, we looked through his backpack with ten gazillion pockets.  We discussed each detail of our conversation in Roswell 5 days prior.  Even Bill remembered us talking about it and thought he remembered me giving them to Carlos.  Well, we searched his bag for a while.  Emptied it twice even.  NO KEYS.  Well, if they aren't in my suitcase and they aren't in his carry on, where were they?  Then a twinge of a memory hits me.  I remember the night we arrived in Atlanta, when we changed trains or were waiting for the train or something at the train station, he pulled his jacket out of his bag.  I remember hearing something hit the ground.  I remember looking around and not seeing anything and shrugging my shoulders and going on.  Was that my keys falling out of his bag?  Did they fall out in the hotel?  AAAGGGHHH!!!!  I tried to stay cool.  I called Amber and asked her to bring the extra set to the airport.

We finally boarded the plane to Roswell and then waiting on the plane for the flight attendant.  She had to get called in after another flight because I guess ours wasn't there or something.  Anyway, she finally came and we took off.  Luckily, a different attendant got us all settled before she got there and all we had to do was take off when she arrived.

We arrived in Roswell about 10:15pm.  I cried tears of JOY!  Literally.  I think everyone was really glad to be home.  Even one of the guys admitted to tearing up a little.  We were exhausted.  And glad to be home.  Carlos stood with me at the baggage claim while I looked for my car keys in suitcase.  I told him I would do it when I got home but he was pretty stressed over loosing them so I looked.  Guess what I found in the first pocket I opened - Yup!  My keys.  

I went and got Brennen from my mom's and then went home.  Man, I slept good that night.  The next morning I woke up not feeling well.  I figure it was from exhaustion, change in climates, and all that goes along with traveling.  But after being exhausted for a whole week after being back, I rested last weekend and felt some better this week.  My sinus infection did come back, but it is under control today.  Sorry there were no pictures.  I was TOO TIRED.

So, hope you guys have a great weekend and HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY!!!!