Olivia and the Great Outdoors

Over the past couple of weeks, we've started wanting to take Olivia outside. She's taken an extreme liking to dogs, so she likes to be outside and see all the dogs that walk by, or to see the neighbor's dog when she is outside. Of course, there are two dogs at daycare as well, so she likes them a lot. We've already said we don't want a dog because I don't want to walk it in the winter. I'd be more of a "put it o a treadmill" type of owner. Plus, we don't want the dog in the house terribly bad, so we are fine with it, but Olivia sure likes them. There has started to become another issue though. She'll run to the door and will point at the door, and she'll scream if she doesn't get to go outside. She absolutely loves being outside, even if there isn't a puppy out there. And, when you come back inside, it's bad news for sure unless she is hungry or wants to go to bed. So, we have an outdoor lover, and that could make our lives interesting. It's fine in the spring and summer, but fall and winter might be an issue.

Here are some of the fun things we find Olivia into these days.

Stay at Home Dad!

Well, Olivia is at it again. She ended up sick over the weekend and is quarantined at home (away from daycare) over the next 3 days. So, Wednesday we go back and hope for a good report. The big problem is that she won't eat unless it's cheerios and goldfish. That's about all we get in her, but she is drinking her milk well, but that's not enough. So, with Heather needing to be at school, I'm the stay at home dad for the next couple of days. That should be a fun experience. Tomorrow, we'll head up to mom and dad's to go to a funeral, so that won't be as much fun, but we'll make it. It will just be Olivia and dad so I'll get that experience as well.

After 3 weeks of trying, we finally got Olivia's one year pictures taken. We've had a terrible time getting these in. But, thanks to Tom and Steph, we got them done. Olivia wasn't feeling well, so it was a challenge, but we did get some good shots. We are glad that we finally got them in!

Ohh, I can't forget, one week to go until Heather and I celebrate our anniversary! Already been 2 years. The time seems to be flying by, so far, things are going well, so no complaints! Now, back to the challenge that is our daughter....breakfast, not going well....hopefully that will change coming up. Here is the "shared" photo from facebook that was put up.

Delta not being good

Well, after several months of things going smoothly when traveling, i finally ht the snag. Yesterday trying to get home from Montana, it took me all day, literally.

We started off the morning going to the airport and getting on the plane like normal. But as departure time came and went, and they pilot kept getting on and off the plane, we know something was up. So, finally, he came on and talked to us that the plane was leaking fuel, and that he wanted us all to get off because they were going to start the engines and let them warm up as they suspected a seal needed to just warm up to seat correctly. So, we all got off the plane and went back up to the terminal. After about 45 minutes, it came time to get back on as the seal had taken hold and no more leak. Well, we were late leaving, and thus late getting to Minneapolis. So, we rush to the gate and try to catch our flight to no luck. So, we got the gate agent to put my boss and I on standby.

So, we get to the 3:30 flight to Sioux Falls, my boss and I go right to the counter and inquire about standby, and the agent tells us that we're on the list. So, we didn't think much of it and went to the seats and talked. About 15 minutes before departure, I looked at the monitor and I wasn't on the standby list that was displayed at the gate. So I went back up to the desk and asked the agent why I wasn't on the list, and I had to literally beg her to put my name on the list. She argued with me that there were 2 seats if people didn't make their connection but there were 2 people on the list. I had to then explain to her Delta's own standby policy to try and get her to put me on the list. The policy is that on Standby, your name is in the specific order based on travel disruptions on the day, and you ticket value, and you frequent flier status. I was quite high on all those items, but the agent kept telling me she couldn't get me on the list. She tried for a few minutes, then finally asked for help, but somehow they'd screwed things up so badly, they couldn't get me on the list. So, the other guy got the seat and I got left in Minneapolis. I was not happy in the least.

So, we get to the 5:40 flight, and I go to the gate and check in but the agent asks for a volunteer as they have overbooked the plane. So, one lady goes and volunteers which then left the agent with all 50 seats taken. So, the 49 board and the gal that gave up her seat and I were standing there. She asked me if I got the seat and I said that I didn't think so, that I was just trying to get home and was on standby. So the agent was looking for the last person who they said was running through the airport. She waited and waited and finally said that lady that offered to give up her seat had to get on the plane. The lady asked the gate agent if she could stay behind and I could have the seat. At first the agent said no, but she persisted and said that she really wanted me to have it. I was just floored by her kindness. I told her I would be ok, but she ended up convincing the agent to give me the seat and leave her behind instead. So the agent took one last look for someone running, and then said to me, "Ok, lets go." I thanked the lady that gave up her seat, and the agent went to the computer to get me the seat and just before she finished up the other lady comes moseying in asking if she made it. The agent had to take the lady with the ticket, and I was left behind again, but was extremely blessed by the lady's kindness.

After failing again at 7:30, my 10pm flight finally got to Sioux Falls a little before 11pm last night, and after a horribly slow baggage delivery, I finally crawled into bed around 12:45 this morning, only to be awoke by a little girl poking me at 6am. It was a good feeling to be home, but I wasn't a big Delta fan at all most of yesterday.