The Curse of Iowa

Ok, if you knew this before, and some of your did, I have now confirmed that there is a definite curse the just keeps emitting from Iowa. I was sent back for one final week this week, and today, was told to go home and prepare to come back for one final week again next week. Ohhh boy does that make me happy. I'd love to completely readjust my life because this company we work with cannot give us proper data that we need to make our software and their company run effectively. But that's not all. Here is the ugly airline story for this time, this time, the message is brought to you courtesy of United. They may fly the friendly skies, but they have angry an Tyler on board.

I had to fly United this time on purpose because of my poor scheduling and having a soccer match in Mitchell on Sunday afternoon. So, I got my 6:30 flight and was supposed to go through Chicago to get to Cedar Rapids. Fine. Not ideal, but it had to happen that way to accomidate the soccer game. So, I get done with my game and am running slightly behind. I high tail it to Sioux Falls, and get to the airport cutting it close to the 45 minute check in deadline. So, I get to the automated check in box, and swipe my credit card so it can read my information. Immediately, I'm greeted with a notice that my flight to Chicago is delayed, and I'll miss my connection. It gave me several re-booking options, but all of them on Monday. I spoke to an agent, and she informed me that I could get to Cedar Rapids that night, if I go through Denver. Yup, it's happened again! Denver. Sioux Falls, to DENVER, to Cedar Rapids, and last time I figured it was a fluke, but I guess I was wrong. Ohh well, at least I get in that night and don't have to wake up early to catch these planes. Ok, so I'm re-booked and headed to Cedar Rapids. As we're coming into Denver, the flight attendant gets on the PA system and begins assisting the passengers with gate information. "...flights to LA leave from B54, flights to Seattle leave from B64, flights to San Fransisco leave from Gate B46, and...the flight to Cedar Rapids from Gate B58. Which one of these is completely ridiculously not like the others since we're coming from SD?? I just kinda sat there and laughed and muttered, "Wow, who goes to Denver to go to Cedar Rapids. Someone needs to buy a new map."

So, I get to Iowa just fine, and get settled into my hotel room and get some rest. 8am the next morning, we arrive at the phone company and start to prepare for the big week. We start planning and configuring, and doing everything that needs to be done to get this thing going. Around 2pm, we hear a rumbling that there is a problem, and it's not the little kind you can work around. Sure enough, it's a big problem, and we're going to be delayed until at least Thursday. Ok, that leaves our being there a major flop because we leave Friday morning to start flying home again. So, they decide to have meetings and they were going to tell us right away this morning what the plan was going to be. As of lunchtime, we still didn't have an answer. Around 1:45, we are told to book flights back home, as we're leaving that night. So, I hit the website with fury trying to find my flight home. I found the one I needed, but it left at 2:55, which only left 1 hour and 10 minutes to get back to the hotel, pack, and get to the airport and make the plane. Not going to happen. Well, I was then left with 2 options:

1. Wait until tomorrow and head home in the morning.
2. Catch the 4:30pm flight, that connected back home through DENVER!

Guess which option I was asked to take. If you guessed the DENVER option you are correct! 3 times. Seriously! 3 times. If I had a dollar for each person that has laughed at me because they heard I'm flying to Sioux Falls from Cedar Rapids through DENVER, I'd have enough money for my rent payment this month. I guess at least it's a nice airport, and my flights have been on time. But here I sit in the middle of my 2 1/2 hour layover in DENVER, again!! So now I'm left in a major pickle. If I fly Delta, I might get pushed over to United and sent to DENVER again. Or, on my flights from Iowa when I'm coming home, as every Delta flight I've been on so far has been, I'll be 1 1/2 hours late leaving Cedar Rapids and won't get home until an ungodly hour, if I even make it on the same day. What do I do?? I wonder if I can get a direct flight on Delta to Atlanta, then to Cedar Rapids, that'd do the trick for me! Ohh....nope, I think it actually has to make a stop in DENVER first.

--this post written in an agitated state in DENVER.