Here we go again. It could be a book. Traveling With Brophy. Fun times, with a little bit of scattered brain thinking along the way. Living in the moment has its advantages, IF you can remember enough of the past so you don't lose things or get lost along the way.
DAY 1: Arriving at Lindberg Airport in San Diego. Jet Blue was fabulous, by the way. I hope the guy in the aisle didn't mind me standing up and stretching at my seat! Plenty of leg room, head room, and a TV. Bring your own headphones and food. So we arrive and we are among the first group off the plane. I purposely organized my stuff and did not put anything expensive (like a camera) in the seat back pocket. I was sitting on my jacket...and for a split second I thought to myself, "I should pack this now so I don't forget it." But I didn't. So we get up, grab our carry-ons and head for the door.
"Where is the bathroom?" My mom said..."It can't be too far," but it kinda was. Out through the gate, past the rocking chairs, "There it is!" So in we went. "AHHHH!" I left my jacket on the plane. "You're kidding!" No I kid you not. You wait here..sit in one of these chairs and call Dotty. I'll run back to the gate.
So, back to the gate. Deserted. Are you kidding me? It's only been 10 minutes! How come when you're sitting at the back of the plane it takes 10 minutes just to get to the front of the plane?There is no one from JetBlue around. Not one person. So I walk back to talk to a TSA officer...."Where should I look? Who should I ask?"
"I would go back to the gate..there's another flight leaving in a couple hours...somebody will show up."
A couple hours??!! #%^&^%$ So back to the gate. Along the way I meet up with the 3 flight attendents from my flight. "Oh, the black jacket? The gate attendent has it and will bring it off the plane in just a minute...."
"Sweet!!" But it wasn't just a minute...the gate was deserted the plane was in blackness, the one JetBlue employee had no idea who to call or what to do. So we waited....I learned a few things: When travleing out of your area, make sure you have phone numbers with area codes in your cell phone address book. It's a pain if you don't have numbers memorized. Oh, and once you leave the jetway (that little tunnel you walk through to get on the plane) you cannot get back..you have to wait for someone to open the door from the inside or have special priviledges.
SO my jacket was being held hostage on the plane. We all knew it was there, we just didn't know how to get it. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, a little lady in an orange vest walked through the door carrying my jacket. "I'm sorry! I had no idea you were up here waiting for me. Do you know how much stuff gets left behind on flights every day?" Yes, I can imagine, I really can. Good thing I don't fly every day, you have an entire lost and found bin of my stuff.
So with jacket in hand, we head downstairs to Carousel 7 to retrieve our bags and my golf clubs. Bag 1, then bag 2, then the bags stop coming down the shoot while the carousel goes round and round. I walk to the other side....at this point the passengers have dramatically thinned out. There are only a few scattered faithfuls waiting, hoping for their bags. There are definitely no golf clubs.
Suddenly a voice over the loud speaker announces that golf clubs, surf boards and baby strollers can be picked up against the wall next to Carousel 1. Excellent!! So I go wait with the 4 golfers returning from Hawaii. They get their clubs. That's it. No clubs for me. CRAP! This is not happening. "Where are my clubs?"
"Go ask that guy." So I go over to the guy grabbing and ticketing unclaimed luggage. The baggage claim area is practically deserted now, except for my mom and Dotty waiting patiently.
"Excuse me...but my golf clubs are not here."
"What flight were you on? What airline?"
"JetBlue"
"Oh...those clubs are next to Carousel 1...." So back to the other end of the baggage claim area where my clubs are right where they are supposed to be. Thank goodness!
So, I also learned, sometimes you aren't given the information you need....but if you can ask the right person the right question soon enough, you will avoid a lot of needless sweating from all that running around.
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