Post updates by email:

Alright, let me just come right out and say this so that I can get it over with because I feel like such a BUFFOON.

Are you ready?

I changed my flight to Florida until next Monday, but I have a perfectly rational reason.

Well….rational for those, who like me, are afraid to fly.

If any of you have been watching the weather report here in the U.S., you probably heard about Tropical Storm Debby which is swirling around the west coast of Florida, but is also affecting the south coast of Florida (where my family lives); causing high winds, horrendous rain and flooding.


Because I never turn on a TV or watch the news, I discovered this yesterday morning when I called my brother Tom to confirm my flight information so that he could pick me up at the airport TODAY.

After we got off the phone, I instantly went online and checked the radar weather report for South Florida and it DID NOT look good. Suddenly, I got a panic feeling in my gut and started hyperventilating. But rather than totally freak out, I logged offline and decided to spend the afternoon sitting in my favorite park communing with nature in the hopes of calming down.

When I got home, I logged back online only to discover (in BRIGHT RED LETTERS) that now the weather report was giving ALERTS of tornado warnings in the area where my family lives for the next 24-hours.

Okay, this is when my panic and hyperventilation kicked into full gear!

I literally paced around my apartment like a chimpanzee in a zoo cage, screeching to myself, “No…I can’t do this…I can’t do this. I cannot get on that plane tomorrow. There is NO WAY.”

And besides being scared, I was pissed. Pissed because I had waited so long to finally get on a plane to visit my family who I haven’t seen in years, only to be met with a tropical storm cutely named, DEBBY, and a possible tornado.

Just for the hell of it, I went online to check the status of my flight to see if the airline was giving any kind of warning about a possible delay or cancellation due to the weather. And sure enough (in BIG RED LETTERS) it said, ALERT: Because of severe weather conditions and for your safety, your flight might be delayed, rerouted or cancelled.

Well….that’s all I needed to hear. I decided to cancel the flight myself.

I called my mother and told her that I could not get on a plane whether it was going to be safe enough to fly or not, because I knew that regardless there would still be a tremendous amount of air turbulence due to the tropical storm and I just didn’t want to put myself through it. And I love my mother because do you know what she said? “I don’t blame you in the least; I wouldn’t want to fly through this weather either. In fact, I told your brother Tom that I wish you would reschedule your flight until the weather is nicer because we're going have nothing but rain here all week.”

So I called the airline and talked to an awesome young lady who I was honest with, “Look, I don’t like to fly to begin with, so I’m not happy about the possibility of flying through a tropical storm or threats of a tornado tomorrow, therefore what are my chances of rescheduling?”  And she was so cool because she said, “Hey…I work for this airline and fly a lot, but if there were threats of storms or tornado's, I’d reschedule too!”

And the most wonderful thing about this is that she was able to reschedule my flight for the exact same time next Monday and issued the same confirmation number.

AND….the airlines only charge me $10.00 to reschedule!

After I got off the phone, I called my mother back and told her the news.

“Great, then it all worked out perfect. And I’ll see you next week, Ronnie!”

So there you have it folks, my true confession.

And please forget that you read my previous post, because I’m only going to repost it on Friday.

*only kidding*

And please pray that Topical Storm Debby blows out to sea by next Monday because I don’t want to have to repost this too...


Epilogue: And somewhere in the recesses of my mind I'm thinking, "Maybe I SHOULD HAVE taken the train!"

47 comments:

  1. I have to say I would have done the same Ron and I'm not in the least bit scared of flying! Hopefully the weather will be better when you go next week - fingers crossed. x

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm not at all surprised that you cancelled. I heard about the storms and thought about you. You did the right thing and, like Pearl said, even a non-scared passengers would rearrange. Anyway, look at it another way ... we bloggers have the benefit of your company for another week. Whooopeeee! Now, make sure you have a great Monday.

    ReplyDelete
  3. even though it may have been perfectly safe it's still going to be a mess
    delays up and down the east coast
    and why travel into miserable weather if you can avoid it
    I think you did a good thing

    Debby is a tart

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, man, Ron, this blows in all the wrong ways! The nerve of that bimbo Debby shaking her tail in my boy's backyard! But you did the right thing. You didn't just sit there and fret--you took ACTION. And that's very empowering. You don't have to fly in a freaking tornado. The delay in seeing your family stinks, but you'll get there soon enough and you'll have a fabulous time. Have a great day, buddy, and take care!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good move, Ron. I love to travel, but I seem to spend two weeks ahead of the trip, worrying myself silly on weather.com.........such as, "Will there be a flash flood while I'm hiking in a canyon in Zion and will I die?" LOL! Usually though, it IS about the flight and thunderstorms or snowstorms. I'm glad your family understood and that you weren't gouged by a change in plans!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good morning Pearl~

    "I have to say I would have done the same Ron and I'm not in the least bit scared of flying!"

    GOOD. Now, I don't feel so bad :)

    "Hopefully the weather will be better when you go next week - fingers crossed."

    That's why I rescheduled for a week because I think the weather should calm down by next Monday.

    *fingers AND toes crossed*

    Thanks for stopping by, m'dear! And have a SUPER week!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  7. Helloooooooo Valerie~

    "I'm not at all surprised that you cancelled. I heard about the storms and thought about you."

    So you DID hear about the storms? I had no idea because I never watch the news or even turn on my TV, so I was utterly surprised to hear about it?!?

    "You did the right thing and, like Pearl said, even a non-scared passengers would rearrange."

    Yeah, I think so too. I feel so relieved.

    "Anyway, look at it another way ... we bloggers have the benefit of your company for another week. Whooopeeee!"

    (((( You )))))

    Thanks for stopping by, dear lady! And yes, I look forward to another week of blogging with you guys!

    Have a faaaaaabulous week!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  8. As one who hates flying, I don't blame you one bit! Can't be too careful in my opinion!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey there Lady Dianne~

    "even though it may have been perfectly safe it's still going to be a mess
    delays up and down the east coast
    and why travel into miserable weather if you can avoid it"

    Exactly! And rather than having to sit at the airport and wait for them to say nay or yay, I just decided to reschedule the flight myself. Plus, I know that regardless there would be a TON turbulence flying into Florida and I just can subject myself to it.

    "Debby is a tart"

    Bwhahahahahahahaha! She sure is!!!!!!

    Thanks for stopping by, dear lady. Have a wonderful week!

    Much X to you and the gang!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey there Rob~

    "The nerve of that bimbo Debby shaking her tail in my boy's backyard!"

    YES! Can you believe the NERVE of that BIMBO?!?!? As Dianne shared...."Debby is a tart!"

    "You didn't just sit there and fret--you took ACTION. And that's very empowering."

    I just couldn't bare the thought of sitting at the airport waiting to hear what they said, so I decided to just change the flight myself.

    "The delay in seeing your family stinks, but you'll get there soon enough and you'll have a fabulous time."

    Exactly! It actually worked out perfect because next week my brother has a lot of days off from work, so he and my mother and I, can spend more time together.

    Thanks for stopping by, buddy! Have a super week!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hiya Bijoux~

    " I love to travel, but I seem to spend two weeks ahead of the trip, worrying myself silly on weather.com.........such as, "Will there be a flash flood while I'm hiking in a canyon in Zion and will I die?" LOL!"

    HAHAHHAHAHAHA! OMG, that is too funny because that's exactly what I did ALL DAY yesterday and it was making me more and more FREAKED OUT! And thanks for leaving the weather.com link because I just checked it out and it showed, that TODAY, Debby is hitting South Florida the most which makes me even more happy that I rescheduled!

    "I'm glad your family understood and that you weren't gouged by a change in plans!"

    Thank you, me too. And I'm absolutely delighted that the airline only charged me $10.00!!!!

    Have a terrific week, my friend. And thank for stopping by!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  12. Good morning Suzi~

    Amen!

    Can't be too careful :)

    Have a wonderful week, my friend. And thank you for stopping by!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh Ron! I do NOT blame you! If it were me, I think I would have gone for the train. Well, I don't 'think' I know I would ;) But, you would have still been travelling through the nasty weather and still have had a week of rain. At least this way you won't :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hiya Babs~

    "If it were me, I think I would have gone for the train. Well, I don't 'think' I know I would ;)"

    OMG, you have no idea how yesterday I was saying to myself, "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I TAKE THE TRAIN?!?!"

    But you're right, I still would have to deal with this week of nasty weather. So it all worked out for the best.

    Thanks for stopping by, my friend! Have a wonderful week!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  15. Truthfully Ron, I don't blame you in the least because I would have done the same thing! I did see about hurricane Debby on the weather channel and she looks scary. Better to be safe and travel when she dies down.

    Glad to hear that it all worked out for the best and that the airlines only charged you a nominal fee because normally they charge much more to change a reservation.

    Have a wonderful week, Ron.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hola Denise~

    "I did see about hurricane Debby on the weather channel and she looks scary."

    Holy cow, I was watching it online yesterday afternoon and it look like she was tearing up the west of Florida with her TEETH! Yup...glad I rescheduled too - whew!

    "and that the airlines only charged you a nominal fee because normally they charge much more to change a reservation."

    When she told me $10.00 I said, "Are you kidding me?"

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, girl! Have a fantastic week!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm sorry you had to change your flights, but I'm REALLY glad that you did. Florida is a mess right now. And I feel MUCH better knowing you are safe! xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you, Meleah.

    ((((( You ))))))

    There was no way in HELL I was gonna get on that plane, even if they said it was safe to fly because I know damn well that the turbulence would be HORRENDOUS. I have a friend who is a flight attendant for Virgin Airlines and she said the summertime is notorious for storms and turbulence.

    I'm so glad I rescheduled too!

    Have a faaaaaaabulous week, girl!!!!!

    xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  19. But, I thought you liked rain, Ron!!

    Kidding. When the airline employees encourage you to reschedule your flight, you know you made the right choice! My first flight in 10 years encountered quite a bit of turbulence for the first hour, and that was NOT a pleasant initiation into the whole flying experience again. Let's just say I was thinking like MacGyver and trying to figure out how I might fashion a parachute out of the barf bag. Fortunately, things smoothed out before I had to put my DB Cooper plan into effect.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I wouldn't want to take a train in a tropical storm either! I don't blame you at all. Just use this week to relax and enjoy your time off and then go next week! Love you buddy!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Smart man.

    JUST sayin'.
    Even the mom was thinking you oughta reschedule--that shoulda brought some rest to your heart.

    You'll get there.
    I rescheduled going....I rescheduled returning.
    It was the right thing to do both times.
    And no one was more crabby about it than I was. LOL

    I, apparently, am the Queen of Crab! ;-)

    You're right where you're suppose to be today, sir.
    It's all good.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hey there Peg~

    You're right, I'm not so sure a train would be any safer than a plane in a tropical storm. HOWEVER, maybe a bit less turbulent.

    "Just use this week to relax and enjoy your time off and then go next week!"

    Yup, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I didn't even unpack my suitcase because I figure it'll just be set and ready to go next Monday :)

    Thanks for stopping by, dear friend! Have a grrrrreat week!

    X ya too!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Howdy Mark~

    "But, I thought you liked rain, Ron!!"

    Yeah, as long as I'm on the GROUND enjoying it :)

    "Let's just say I was thinking like MacGyver and trying to figure out how I might fashion a parachute out of the barf bag."

    Bwhahahahahahahaha! Yes, I remember you sharing your turbulent experience on your blog last year and I was thinking, "OMG...I would have DIED!!!"

    As soon as heard about the tropical storm and the possible tornado I thought,"NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!" Actually, it all worked out for the best because next week is a better week for my mother and brother too. My brother has quite a few days off from work, so we can spend more time with one another.

    Thanks for stopping by, bud! Have a faaaaaaaabulous week!

    X to you and Tara!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hiya Mel~

    "Even the mom was thinking you oughta reschedule--that shoulda brought some rest to your heart."

    Yes, as soon as she said that I felt a MILLION times better because I just didn't want to disappoint her or my brother. It truly worked out for the best in so many ways.

    "I rescheduled going....I rescheduled returning."

    Yup, I remember you doing that when you went to see you sister. And for me, it was not a problem rescheduling because I have the whole month of July off from work, but brother...I was still CRABBY about doing it :(

    "You're right where you're suppose to be today, sir.
    It's all good"

    ((((( You ))))))

    Thanks for your sweet words, dear lady! Hope you had MARVI Monday! Enjoy your week!

    X ya bunches!

    ReplyDelete
  25. i was thinking of you this morning. best to go with your gut feeling and well debby is a witch, so don't mess with her. better to have you safe and here with us than without. you did well with the reschedule fee, i heard they (airlines) charge big bucks for that type of thing.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hey there V girl!

    "i was thinking of you this morning."

    OMG, while I was on the phone with my mother last night, I said, "Holy shit...now I'm gonna have to write a post about how I DIDN'T go to Florida today and they're gonna think I'm NUTS!

    Which I am! Bwhahahahahahahaha!

    But, you're right...I felt it in my gut NOT to go. And actually, it ended up being for the best, and not just about the storms, but because the next two weeks will be better timing for my mother and brother.

    "you did well with the reschedule fee, i heard they (airlines) charge big bucks for that type of thing."

    Let me tell ya, when she said only $10.00, I said, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!" Normally, they charge $50.00 and up!

    Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet words, Val!

    (((( You ))))

    Have a faaaaaabulous week!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  27. This is good news. I'm sure you would have wasted precious vacation days huddled together inside just trying to stay dry instead of stalking the beaches and enjoying the nightlife. And only $10 to reschedule? It's cool that the airline didn't try to gouge you there!

    Now, pray for good weather next week! Fingers crossed that the sun comes out with a vengeance :-)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hey there Herman~

    "I'm sure you would have wasted precious vacation days huddled together inside just trying to stay dry instead of stalking the beaches and enjoying the nightlife."

    That's what my mother shared on the phone when I told her about changing my reservation because this whole week is suppose to be nothing but rain. So it all worked out for the best :)

    "And only $10 to reschedule? It's cool that the airline didn't try to gouge you there!"

    I know, can you BELIEVE that!?!? The young lady I spoke to said that because I had made my reservation so far in advance that she would only charge me a minimum, but they normally charge much more. I was soooooooo lucky!!!!

    "Now, pray for good weather next week! Fingers crossed that the sun comes out with a vengeance.

    AMEN!

    *fingers and toes crossed*

    Thanks for stopping by, buddy. Hope you had a fantastic Monday! Enjoy your week!

    X to you and family!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Honestly Ron, I would have rescheduled too and I'm not even afraid of flying. You're right, the turbulence would have been there even if it was safe to fly.

    And good going on getting a very cheap reschedule fee. $10.00?

    I'm sure things with the storm will die down by next Monday for a much smoother flight!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hiya Matt~

    "I would have rescheduled too and I'm not even afraid of flying. "
    Thanks, I'm glad to hear that!

    "And good going on getting a very cheap reschedule fee. $10.00?"

    Yup, can you freakin' believe that?!? I feel sooooooooo lucky!!!

    Yes, I'm hoping that by NEXT Monday everything about the storm will be calmed down :)

    Thanks a bunch for stopping by, Matt. Have a grand week!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hey Ronnie I am back from my little break! Glad to hear you rescheduled that flight! I am pretty afraid of flying myself (although I make the trip to Florida pretty regularly) and I would have certainly rescheduled. Better to be safe than sorry!

    ReplyDelete
  32. *waving*

    Hey there Shae!

    Great to see ya, girl! I was wondering how you were because you haven't posted in a while. Glad you're back!

    " I am pretty afraid of flying myself (although I make the trip to Florida pretty regularly) and I would have certainly rescheduled. Better to be safe than sorry!"

    My sentiments exactly! Wow....I had no idea you flew to Florida regularly. I lived in south and center Florida for 20 years.

    Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a super week!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  33. Ron, I was watching the news about Debby a few days ago and I can't blame you for rescheduling your trip because it looked BAD. I hear by the end of this week it'll pretty much be blown over though. And congrats on getting a very cheap rescheduling fee. That's great!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hey Robert~

    Yes, when I watched the news online on Sunday it looked REAL bad. I could NOT the believe the amount of wind, rain and flooding they had - SCA-RY! Even where my family lives there were threats of a tornado watch.

    "I hear by the end of this week it'll pretty much be blown over though."

    A friend of mine from Florida emailed me tonight and said that by Friday it should be clear - THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    And yes, wasn't it great that the airline only charged me a minimal fee? BLESS them!

    Thanks for stopping by, bud. Hope you're enjoying a great week so far!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  35. Ron don't feel like a "buffoon". I don't blame you one bit for being nervous about that bitch Debby. And I'm really happy that the airlines only charged you ten bucks to change your flight! THAT is awesome!

    **Doing a happy dance**

    Your mom is such a sweetheart! She wanted you to reschedule but she didn't tell you because she didn't want to scare or worry you. But then when you told her you did exactly that, she "confessed" and told you what she had been feeling! A TRUE mom!

    I'm glad you feel more at ease, Ron, and will be calm when you get to Florida! You deserve a restful time with your family and a bumpy ride on an airplane wouldn't have produced that! It could take days for your mind and body to adjust and "calm down"!!

    Hang in there! And have a fantabulous week!

    ((YOU))

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hellooooooooo Pam~

    Aw...thanks, dear lady because at first I felt like a wuss for not wanting to fly, but after reading everyone's comment of support, I see they would have done the same thing :) That storm was some scary SHIT!

    "And I'm really happy that the airlines only charged you ten bucks to change your flight! THAT is awesome!"

    Wasn't that AWESOME? When she said, $10.00, I couldn't believe it. I thanked her a HUNDRED times!

    "But then when you told her you did exactly that, she "confessed" and told you what she had been feeling! A TRUE mom!"

    Isn't she faaaaaaaaaabulous?????

    And it truly worked out excellent because next week is much better for her and my brother anyway.

    Thank you so much for your sweet and supportive words, dear friend. I feel much better :)

    (((((( YOU )))))

    Have a FANTABULOUS week too!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  37. Lemme tell you, bro - you made the right decision. The weather SUCKED all week! It wasn't horribly windy here on the East coast but rain, rain, rain and flooding. Plus flying through it would have been a bitch even if they went way over the Atlantic.

    Today is SUNNY and too freakin' hot for words!

    Anyway, glad the airline was cooperative and that you didn't have much of a problem. See ya soon!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hey Nitebyrd~

    "The weather SUCKED all week! It wasn't horribly windy here on the East coast but rain, rain, rain and flooding."

    That's what my mom said too. As soon as I told her about changing dates, she said, "Excellent!"

    "Plus flying through it would have been a bitch even if they went way over the Atlantic."

    Yup...that's exactly what I was afraid of because I lived in Florida for 20 years, therefore I know even days after one of these storms, the sky is still rocky :(

    OMG...it's hotter than HELL here too! Today it was almost 100 degrees and humid!

    "Anyway, glad the airline was cooperative and that you didn't have much of a problem."

    They were so nice about rescheduling. I LOVE that airline!

    Thanks for stopping by, Sis! I'll call you sometime next week to see when a good time will be for us to meet. Can't wait!

    X ya!

    ReplyDelete
  39. we had some sprinkles from the outer bands of that tropical storm where we were in the Bahamas this past week, so I don't blame you a bit for opting to change the dates. The visit will be so much more enjoyable and less worrisome for you and your family if you don't have to contend with nasty weather. The worst part of our journey was on the way home - passing through customs in Fort Lauderdale we were standing in that slow moving line behind a group of boy scouts who had clearly been camping for a while without access to showers or deodorant. They were stinkers! :)

    hope you have a safe journey and a happy visit! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  40. Welcome back, Diane!!!!!!

    "we had some sprinkles from the outer bands of that tropical storm where we were in the Bahamas this past week, so I don't blame you a bit for opting to change the dates."

    I was wondering where you ladies went on your vaca?!? The Bahamas....ooooo, how FUN!!!!! WOW, I'm delightfully surprised that you only got sprinkles being so close to the water. That's awesome!

    "The worst part of our journey was on the way home - passing through customs in Fort Lauderdale we were standing in that slow moving line behind a group of boy scouts who had clearly been camping for a while without access to showers or deodorant. They were stinkers! :)"

    OH. MY. GOD.!!!! I can only imagine what the PLANE smelled like on the way home!!!!

    Hope you had faaaaabulous time in the Bahamas! Hope you post some photos on your blog!

    I will be posting a bit while in Florida, just to keep you guys updated.

    Thanks for stopping, girl! Enjoy your weekend!

    X to yo and Cristybella!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Debbie is such a silly name for a storm of that magnitude...glad you can reschedule your vaca for another and more opportune time...

    ReplyDelete
  42. Greetings Amy!

    Welcome! Thanks so much for stopping by. Nice to meet you!

    "Debbie is such a silly name for a storm of that magnitude.."

    HAHAHAHHAHA! You're right! They should have named her "Brunhilda!"

    Yes, I was so glad I was able to reschedule for this coming Monday. MUCH better timing!

    Hope you're enjoying a great weekend, Amy!

    X

    ReplyDelete
  43. I'm so glad you didn't get on that plane, either. I hope your family all got through it without too much damage. Isn't it a bitch, though? Like you said, you FINALLY make the plans and this happens.

    I can't believe the airlines only charged you $10. That's unheard of. Good for you! Have a wonderful trip! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  44. Jay - Depp EffectMonday, July 02, 2012

    My goodness - you actually CONSIDERED flying through a hurricane, even for a minute? Blowed if I would have done! You are braver than you think, my friend!

    I quite like air travel (apart from the tedium involved with airports and long distance travel) but I would have rescheduled. Where's the fun in flying through bad weather if you have an alternative?

    I think that those of us with fears and phobias tend to second-guess ourselves so much that we often think we're behaving irrationally when truly we're not!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hey there Chrissy~

    No, my family experienced no damage, thank god. Just a lot of rain and wind.

    It all worked out for the best, not only about the storm but also because these next two coming weeks are much better for my mother and brother.

    "I can't believe the airlines only charged you $10. That's unheard of."

    I know, can you BELIEVE that?!?! I was so happy when they told me that!!!!!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, girl! Have a great next two weeks. I'll see ya in Florida!

    X to you, Millie, Vinny, and Dino!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hiya Jay~

    "My goodness - you actually CONSIDERED flying through a hurricane, even for a minute? Blowed if I would have done! You are braver than you think, my friend."

    Actually, I only considered it for a SECOND, but then thought....NO WAY!!!!

    "I quite like air travel (apart from the tedium involved with airports and long distance travel) but I would have rescheduled. Where's the fun in flying through bad weather if you have an alternative?"

    Exactly, that's why I rescheduled. And luckily it worked out to be better timing. Yaaaaaaaaaay!

    Thanks so much for stopping by, my Libra friend! I'll see ya in Florida!

    X

    ReplyDelete

I moderate all comments before publishing. Thank you for stopping by.