rant (for katie)

so.... here was my day yesterday. enjoy.
first, some background info.
start location and time: 12:00PM Sioux Center, IA (some degrees below zero)
end location and time: 11:00PM Houston, TX (warm and toasty)

after a great week visiting family while dan was in finland (again) for work, eden and i headed home yesterday via sioux falls, south dakota and chicago, il. i do not recommend this route for any of you traveling to/from houston to the frigid midwest.
here is why.

1st issue: fight with my dad on the way to the airport about why i like to take direct flights from houston to omaha rather than have layovers in places like chicago or minneapolis.
2nd issue: saying goodbye is never easy
3rd issue: sioux falls security. apparantly i am transporting something extremely dangerous in e's diaper bag and it must be searched. also, must go through security gate twice b/c did not take eden's soft soled fabric shoes off. (we all know i was trying to smuggle illegal substance in my 18 month old's shoes)
4th issue: e's first temper tantrum, which culminated with her throwing a box of animal crackers at very sweet little boy who was only trying to be her friend
5th issue: flight is delayed due to either mechanical issues, or air traffic control problems (neither of these reasons make me feel secure)
6th issue: flight is delayed even more, therefore risking missing my o'hare connection
7th issue: while waiting in line for 30 minutes, e throws second tantrum, refusing to stay in her stroller and arching back while screaming, thus making it impossible to strap her in, which leads to me letting her run around and almost losing her while trying to reschedule flights
8th issue: get to counter where agent has booked the guy in front of me on the last reroute through denver to houston, therefore telling me my kid and i will need to either stay in sioux falls or stay in chicago overnight.
9th issue: first tears of the day are shed (by me, e had already broken that record)
10th issue (notice we are still in sioux falls?): finally on flight and e screams for record 20-30 minutes during take off, during which man in front of me turns around and asks if my child needs a doctor.
11th issue: tears again (by both mother and daughter)
12th issue: e throws her sippy cup at lady behind us
13th issue: e poops, BIG TIME
14th issue: e does not sleep
15th issue: land in chicago. would have time to make my connection, HOWEVER, there is no gate for us to go to so we sit on runway for 40 minutes
16th issue: since there is still no gate, they let is off near (not at) a gate into -8 degree temps where i have to stand with my baby and wait for them to locate the stroller (no coats of course)
17th issue: have missed connecting flight
18th issue: am told to go to a united counter where they will confirm my tentative reservation on a later american airlines flight, but can not find a united counter to save my life
19th issue: e's third tantrum, followed by the bliss of a 20 minute nap (praise the Lord)
20th issue: am told by united guy that all is well, but not to mention to american airlines people that i have any luggage or they won't let me fly out until monday
21st issue: call dan and get in fight and cry when he tells me to relax and not be so uptight
22nd issue: think things are okay, will make american flight, go to counter at gate to get stroller tag, and am told that i am not in their system and therefore can not get on the flight until i call united and get them to fix their screw-up
23rd issue: very rude counter lady tells me not to get mad at her b/c united sucks
24th issue: tell lady i am not mad at her but can not help being upset that i may get stuck in frigid chicago airport with cranky toddler
25th issue: many many tears shed--enough so to cause a nearby flight attendent to feel sorry for me and try to entertain eden (who has woken up and is not in the best of moods) to no avail
26th issue: sit on automated hold with united for 20 minutes while watching people board the flight i am supposed to be on until finally nice man at american counter (i guess they have one mean worker and one nice one at each counter)calls right over to someone at united and gets me on the flight
27th issue: board plane and e immediately throws fit b/c she must sit on my lap during takeoff rather than in the empty seat next to me
28th issue: even though she has only slept 20 minutes the entire day, and even though it is 9:00PM and well past her bedtime, do you think eden slept for even a minute on the flight? of course not.
29th issue: e poops AGAIN
30th issue: arrive in houston (more praising the Lord), to of course find that my luggage is lost somewhere and need to file claim.
31st issue: go to united to file claim, am told that must file claim with american, even though in chicago united guy told me NOT to mention to american that i even had luggage. so am concerned that this will cause problems but do as i am told
32nd issue: file claim with american and think all is fine but will soon find out that american has spelled my name wrong on claim check and when i call to check my claim this morning they can't find it. call united, and they successfully (it's about time they got something right) locate my luggage in houston and promise that american will deliver it within the next 6-8 hours.
33rd issue: still waiting....

mom and dad, i am NOT exaggerating!!!