Monday, June 30, 2008

You No Change Tickets - You Pay - It Company Policy!

Sunday could not have been crazier. Here’s how it went…

9:34 a.m. - Younger Son calls to tell us he has to work Monday until 10 p.m. - the night before we fly out of DFW at 6:15 a.m. Mind you, I gave him all the dates, a month ago, just for the purpose of scheduling his work schedule. Now Elder Son and Younger Son are going to drive in, all night long, right up to the airport, and get on the plane...hopefully, in time.


9:52 a.m. - After much sighing and beating of chests, we resolve ourselves to the idea that our boys might be grown up enough to handle this...after all, they are 27 and 20, respectively. (Laugh all you will, you will be here someday, too. You thought 18 years of age was the end of your obligation and worry? Not on your best day.)

10:00 a.m. – MLH and I start finalizing hotel arrangements for the rest of our trip to Boston.

10:10 a.m. – I start wondering where ticket #5 and #6 of the James Taylor concert might be. Mild freak out. I’m looking for the Fedex envelope, I find it, and there are four tickets in there. I realize I’ve not yet received the 2 additional tickets, so I call the Tanglewood Music Center, which is a satellite of Boston Symphony Orchestra. Of course, it’s Sunday, so they’re not open.

10:15 a.m. – I start checking all my credit cards online, trying to find the purchase. Wouldn’t be a big deal, but THE CONCERT IS SOLD OUT…and the two tickets are for customer friends that belatedly decided to join the trip. It wouldn't be too bad if we could only come up with four tickets, but...the concert is the reason for the entire trip. We've just found other stuff to do the rest of the week.

10:30 a.m. – I’m checking the credit cards on MLH’s computer while MLH performs system checks and searches on my computer, trying to find the ticket confirmations. It is a freakin' pain to go back 4 months and check online records, just saying. Search: James Taylor. No go. Search: Tickets. No go. Search: Tanglewood. Nope. Search: Boston. Nope. Search: Janie is stupid and didn’t confirm the purchase 100%, and didn’t follow up when no tickets came in the mail. Bingo! Meanwhile, all we have booked, hotel-wise, are three nights worth of rooms for a 7 night stay.

11:00 a.m. – We give up on the tickets, go back to the hotel reservations, and we research and book for 3 more hours. We’re exhausted. I have a headache – I can’t believe I don’t have those 2 James Taylor tickets in my hand, and we’re scheduled to leave July 2. What a doofus. A stressed out one, at that.


12:00 noon - We're still working away, and I have to let the dogs out. Zoie goes to pee, and Zack is right behind her, smelling where she went. I come in, and tell MLH. He checks her, and sure enough, she's coming in heat. We have dog sitters, but none that can handle Mr. Determined Zack should he so decide to mount Zoie. What else can go wrong? We call all the boarding kennels, and of course, they're booked. We call TNT Kennels, and they're booked. MLH thinks of calling Andy, Zack's trainer, and he agrees that Zack can come over and play. Zoie will probably have anxiety attacks, but we can't take a chance on an inadvertent breeding. Whew...got that handled.

2:00 p.m. – Spend an hour looking at rental cars. How do we haul 6 people + luggage around Boston, Providence, and Newport? Two cars are cheaper than one big one. Where are our guests? Why aren’t they helping us figure all this crap out? Oh, yeah – they’re on another trip.

3:00 p.m. – Finally get out of the house to eat breakfast/lunch/supper. We’re exhausted.

4:30 p.m. – Back to the house, and back at the arrangements thing again. For some reason, I decide to look at the flights we booked on May 27th. The dates are wrong. I call in to US Airways, thinking I can pay a small fee, and change the flights to shorten the trip by one day.
Man. Was I wrong. The change will cost $150 per person (X 4 = $600) PLUS the change in airfare…a total of $3300. I talk, I cajole, I plead, I beg for mercy – all to no avail. I ask for a manager – and same story, second verse. I swear, they both were in India or something. I even pulled the “Southwest never does that, they just charge the change fee, and you’re good. “ “Well, ma’am, we’re not Southwest – we are US Airlines.” No crap. I am so frustrated, I cry. I don’t know why, it didn’t change a flipping thing. Even that made me mad - I never cry. Well, only at Mork and Mindy and McDonald's commercials.

Only one thing changed…the four of us will be staying one more day, while our customer friends will be going home as scheduled. And, thank God (He knew I was pushed to my limit!), some sweet Tanglewood member cancelled their reservations this morning, so I was able to pick up 2 more great seats for the James Taylor concert…at the regular price. I called MLH, and he was so excited – until he realized how much we overpaid the scalper in December for our four tickets.

Now, for the rental cars. Next trip, I’m paying a travel agent, I don't care what the cost is…they earn their money! And I know, good travelers are supposed to check every single detail, and double check them again...but...I was traveling!!!

It’s never boring around here!

16 comments:

Lone Chatelaine said...

I don't know how you do it. I need a Xanax just reading that :)

Y'all have fun!

Rae said...

Me too! Wow how stressful!

Lynellen said...

You are so funny! I love your writing style. Do you find yourself writing blog posts in your head? Are the times made up or did you make a note of them? Enquiring minds want to know!

Karen Townsend said...

I loved Boston when I was last there. It's been about 4 years. My son and I traveled to Logan from IAH and spent the night. We went to see Blue Man Group at the historic St. Charles Theatre. Next day we caught AMTRAK and went up to Maine where hubby was working on a job, commissioning a rig at the shipyard. Son and I stayed there for a couple of weeks with him and it was heaven. Took AMTRAK back to Boston, shopped and went to Aquarium of New England then left next day back out of Logan. It was an excellent trip. Not enough time in Boston, though. So much a history junkie like me wants to see there!

Have a great trip. I know you will.

That Janie Girl said...

Chatelaine and Library Girl: maybe I should have taken a Xanax - I might not have cried.

Lynellen: no, ma'am, not really, I don't write them in my head. I mean, who could make up this kind of crap? I really use writing as a type of therapy. As to the times, well, I do work in the engineering world, which means I have to be somewhat precise. Also,I could kind of tell by the cell phone call log what and when something happened.

Karen - we're really excited - this will be my first time in Boston. We're going to watch the reenactment of the Boston Tea party, and do some other historical things. I'll let you know how it goes!

scotte said...

Bloggers, I want you to know that you have never met someone with more skills than Janie. She can put together Deals, arrange whole Sporting Events, help some aquaintance get their work done, schedule lunches for her and 12 customers for the next 2 months, shoot in a sporting clay event (of which she is more likely than not, a founding member), Deal with 2 over energetic hounds, Deal with a problem with Z&Z, help a friend in Christ with a spiritual problem, all while driving from Denver to Pueblo!!!!
Okay maybe not shoot in a sporting clay event! Janie , I'm sorry I called you boys hounds, but they are 27 and 20.
I hope that you and hubs can let ole James croon your cares away!! At least until its time to do all the stuff you probably have planned. YALL HAVE A BLAST AND LET THEM KNOW WEST TEXAS IS HEARTILY REPRESENTED!! TWANG IT UP!
Love yall

That Janie Girl said...

I paid him to say that.:)

Gregory Anderson said...

Wine is cheaper than Xanax.

Less side effects, too.

That Janie Girl said...

Even really, really good wine!

Pam said...

Janie, you're killing me! Please tell me you will be chilling on this trip. No bidness, no blogging (until you get back-although you will be missed!),no ZZ craziness, just enjoy JT and your guys. Have a great trip-talk to you when you get back.

Doozie said...

Good grief, I can't believe it. You sooooo need to do the travel agent thing. Never been to boston, but I bet you have a great time. Are you going to visit Crane, Poole and Schmidt?

That Janie Girl said...

Pam - we're chilling, we're chilling...sort of!

Doozie - I'm trying to visit it, but I can't find it! Oh, wait...it's a fictional law firm (says Wikipedia :). We can buy the sweatshirts, though...want one? I'll try to find you one.

thisisme said...

I need a holiday just reading that. Wow! Hope you are having a great break though.

That Janie Girl said...

We are having a wonderful time. We should be out and about being touristas...but we're watching Wimbledon and chilling.

Yum.

Snooty Primadona said...

OK, so we're allowed to cry when it involves getting James Taylor tickets. We're girls. We do that.

I'm a jealous wreck, even though I've seen JT 5 times.

Gwynne said...

I've been offline for too many days. Can't wait to read the rest of your travel posts (starting at the bottom :-)! I'm way stressed out already!!