Description:Page 1 of 2 page layout for circle journal entitled "My Life is a Gamble". We were each instructed to describe a gamble in life that we have taken and what happened.
In order to incorporate all the journaling--the entire story--I used a flip book on both page one and page two telling the entire story.
The background paper was busier than I expected, so I used a white gel pen for my title and extra journaling around the pictures. I also added the "Are we there yet?" phrase to each page of the fip book to provide that much more impact to the story and overall visual effect.
I am not a gambler. I tend to keep a very structured, organized life filled with well-planned events where I am in control of the outcomes. I like to prepare for potential problems so there are not surprises. However, I have taken my share of risks.
April 8, 2006, I took a major gamble, which nearly resulted in disastrous results. I very nearly ruined my family’s spring vacation. Grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and I will tell you the story.
November 2005, we booked a Western Caribbean cruise as our Spring Break 2006 Vacation. That year, so many hurricanes had wreaked extensive damage to the Caribbean that our original plans to stay on one of the islands canceled by the resort. They (the resort) granted us a full refund and offered an additional money savings towards any Royal Caribbean Cruise booked for 2006.
Fast forward to April 2006, one week prior to our departure date. Our original airline reservations changed by the airline—the new arrival time in Miami is potentially too late to make the ship’s departure. We have to make new reservations with a different airline(s). Because of the late notice, our flight arrangements ended up being with two different airlines for the four of us. My husband and youngest, Tom, would fly via Delta while John, our oldest, and I would fly US Airways. With flights arrival and departure times were within a half hour of each other on both ends, it’s not that big of a deal.
Friday, April 7, 2007
Severe storms ravage the entire East Coast. We go to bed to the music of a massive thunderstorm—but since storms of that caliber are somewhat common, we do not think anything of it. We are unaware of the tornadoes affecting Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama or how it will all impact air travel on the East Coast.
April 8, 2006, 4:30am
Our shuttle arrives to take us to BWI airport. We arrive just before 5am. I am hoping to have enough time to hit the Starbucks kiosk for coffee. Pointing to the crowded airport, my husband reminds me this is the first day of spring break travel for many and nixes my designer coffee break.
4:45 am
John and I have completed the computerized check-in and are proceeding through the security checkpoint to our gate. My husband and Tom are off to do the same for their airline. My husband decides that all of the family’s passports are safest with him.
6:02 am
My husband calls me and tells me that their flight was overbooked. Because their original seat assignments had them in an exit row, they were bumped. They are on standby. My husband thinks they can get seats for the next flight making their arrival two hours later than ours (about 1pm). Still plenty of time to get to the cruise ship by 3 pm. I assure my husband that John and I will wait for them at the airport since he has all the passports and there just is not enough time to meet him outside the security checkpoints and get ours.
6:20 am
Boarding begins our flight (John & I).
6:28 am
The flight attendants begin announcing that the flight has been overbooked and request volunteers to take another flight. The ante to be a volunteer goes up with each announcement. First, it is two round-trip tickets, then, two….The flight attendant explains the parties involved is a wedding party en route to Aruba. This flight is the only connecting flight….How sad that they must face their wedding day with such stress…my ears perk up when I hear the ante is now four round-trip tickets for each volunteer…
6:48 am
I press the call button for the flight attendant and ask if they can guarantee me arriving in Miami by 12 noon today. They call back to the airport my request. The flight attendant responds, “We can get you there at 12:05 pm.”
“Done”, I say.
--Meanwhile, John is saying, “Don’t do it, Mom!”
6:52 am
As we exit our seats, four more passengers ring their call buttons.
7:15 am
New tickets and vouchers in hand, we walk to our new gate. Our new flight leaves at 8:30 am. Kewl, I have time for coffee. We stop at the Starbucks kiosk along the way.
I am feeling pretty smug. Our wait in Miami will only be an hour. Between us, we now have 8 round-trip tickets for future use. I figure I will tell my husband about it in person, as he simply will not believe our good fortune.
7:57 am
My husband calls me to tell me that he and Tom still do not have confirmed tickets. He requests that I see if I can get him and Tom on our new flight. He does not know about the vouchers, yet.
7:59 am
I confirm John’s and my seats on the 8:30 flight. I am told they think they have as many as seven available seats on that same flight but cannot confirm or release any yet. They take my name, ‘reserve’ two for me, and promise to get back to me in less than five minutes.
8:00 am
I call my husband and tell him. There is a strong maybe—I will know for sure in about five minutes.
8:03 am
Overhead loudspeaker announcement in our gate area announces that the 8:30 am flight’s airplane was struck by lightning last night and requires a more thorough inspection before flight. In addition, due to the weather last night, the crew’s final flight was delayed. They cannot fly until they have their 12 hours FAA required rest between flights. The delay should be approximately 35 minutes. We are instructed to get back in line at the gate’s ticket counter if we have connecting flights.
8:04 am
I call my husband and tell him they are better off taking their chances with getting a flight from Delta. He says he will keep me posted.
8:07 am
Overhead announcement in our gate area alerts us that the 8:30 am flight has been cancelled due to the previous night’s weather mishap. The problem is widespread. In fact, Dulles passengers are being shuttled up to BWI as that airport is operating on an emergency generator. Additional planes are being brought into BWI to accommodate everyone.
We must all have our tickets re-issued. We are instructed to call the 800 # for quicker service as the gate counter will be accommodating the customers with connecting international flights first. The ticket counter agents vanish. Seriously! They all exit into one of those locked doors that allow authorized personnel to travel to other areas of the airport.
8:08 am
CHAOS now replaces the calm. Every adult has a cell phone glued to his or her ear, myself included.
8:09 am
I am lucky. I reach a person on the 800 # immediately. After explaining the situation, I am told I can be re-booked on a flight six hours later. Unacceptable.
She transfers me to her supervisor.
8:13 am
No luck with the supervisor. I am told they (on the 800 #) cannot access the flights within a six-hour window at BWI, Dulles, or National airports. This is not a normal. They suggest I try going to the main airport ticket counter if I want a flight before what has been offered.
8:20 am
I leave John with the carry-on bags at the gate area explaining that I am going out to the main ticket area. I instruct him NOT to leave for ANY reason. He must keep the bags in sight at all times. I will be back as soon as possible.
8:21 am
It is a long walk up to the main US Airways ticket counter. I call the 800 # for the cruise line to find out what time our cruise ship sails and how late can we board. I explain the situation. While the cruise line will not make any promises, they do tell me that if we get to the Miami airport by 3:30 pm we should be able to make the cruise ship before it departs promptly at 5pm. They cannot confirm the final shuttle run time, so we may want to anticipate taking a taxi. They advise me to allow some time to go through customs at the ship’s departure point prior to boarding.
8:32 am
I am at the US Airways ticket counter. Surprisingly, there is no waiting and the first class person offers to help me. One look at her, my calm façade breaks. I am crying and barely able to tell her what has happened. She takes total pity on me. Her fingers are flying over the computer. I keep saying we have to be in Miami by 3pm.
8:35 am
OMG!! An angel must be watching out for me. I have newly issued confirmed first-class tickets for John and me on a 9:23 am flight. Our new arrival time is 2:55pm. It is the soonest she can get me to Miami. I thank her and hurry to get back to John.
8:39 am
Security stops me. Where is John? Why do I have his ticket? Why is he at the gate? How did he get to the gate without a ticket?
They either do not want to hear my story or do not believe it. I am being patted down by a female officer, my purse is being hand searched and they threaten to take me into custody because I am attempting to go through security with someone else’s airline ticket—even though I also have my own. They have confiscated the tickets.
Somehow, I convince them to escort me to the gate where John is waiting.
8:42 am
We are traveling in one of those motorized carts to the gate. My cell phone rings. They confiscate it before I can answer it. What have I done?? I am simply too scared to cry.
8:48 am
We arrive at the gate area. I point out where John is sitting. One officer instructs me to stay in the cart while the other goes over to talk to John.
8:52 am
The officer returns. While he chastises me for leaving my son, he says he understands my predicament. They return the tickets and cell phone to me and advise me that our new gate is further down the airport.
8:53 am
John, my normally calm, easy-going son informs me that if we ever fly separate again, he wants to fly with Dad because flying with me is too stressful. I laugh and tell him that his brother is not having a picnic of a time either.
8:54 am
John and I board the plane.
8:56 am
I listen to the voicemail from my husband’s call. They are just boarded their first flight. They are flying through Atlanta and should arrive in Miami at about 2:30 pm.
11:16 am
After arriving in Charlotte, NC, we proceed to our connecting gate. I call my husband. They are waiting in Atlanta for their connection. He agrees that he should look for the bags in Miami.
2:48 pm
Our flight is 7 minutes early arriving in Miami. Immediately, I turn on my cell phone. I have a text message waiting. “We have all luggage bags. On shuttle to ship. Call ASAP”
2:49 pm
I call my husband. He tells me how to get to the cruise concierge who will direct us to the shuttle. He tells me not to get a taxi but to take the shuttle. There is another couple on our plane for our cruise. The shuttle will wait for us.
2:55 pm
John and I hurry to the cruise concierge. She greets us and confirms they are looking for two more passengers from our flight for the shuttle. She takes us to an area to wait for the shuttle.
2:58 pm
The other couple arrives. We are still waiting for the shuttle to arrive.
3:04 pm
The shuttle arrives. There are four other people already in the shuttle making the total passenger count now eight. John and I take the two seats in the rear. I tell him to keep our carry-on bags with us.
3:05 pm
I call my husband and tell him we are in the shuttle and en route. He says it is about a 20-minute drive.
3:15 pm
We are stopping at some rinky-dink motel not too far from the airport but not somewhere, I would choose to ever stay. The driver gets out and proceeds to unload the elderly couple in the front of the van.
3:35 pm
We are back on the road. There is a lot of traffic on the road around us. I cannot see the water in the horizon. We are not on the freeway. I am on the edge of panic.
I look around at the other passengers in the van and ask if they are all going on cruises.
“Yes”
OK—we might still make it.
3:42 pm
My cell phone rings, “Where are you?”
“In the shuttle”
“Is it moving?”
“Yes!”
“You’d better hurry; they are closing things down here!”
I don’t dare tell him about the rinky-dink stop. He sounds stressed enough.
3:56 pm
We are on the freeway now. I am searching for signs, mile-markers, anything to tell me where we are. I see something that says “Miami International Seaport 6 miles”. I figure that it is 6 miles to the exit. I can sense John’s fear. I am biting my nails and checking my watch with every breath.
4:09 pm
We exit the freeway. I am praying we do not have far to go.
4:10 pm
Ring!!
“Where are you?”
“Close—John just spotted a Royal Caribbean Ship in the distance.”
4:14 pm
We stop at a different Royal Caribbean Cruise ship. One couple gets out. I pray they are fast at getting their luggage.
4:16 pm
Back underway. I ask the driver how much further. He points to the ship just down the pier.
4:22 pm
Finally, our van stops at the pier for Legend of The Seas. I grab the two carry-on bags and my purse. I literally push John out of the shuttle door without waiting for the driver’s help. As soon as my feet hit the pavement, I start running for the entrance.
“John. Run. Now! Fast!”
“But, Mom…”
“No! Run. Faster!”
4:23 pm
Ring!! I do not stop to answer it. We are running up two sets of escalators.
“John, we’ve got to keep running!”
“But aren’t we there?”
“No! Not yet!”
4:24 pm
We reach the top of the second escalator. My husband is there. He hurries us over to the one awaiting agent behind the counter.
4:36 pm
We are walking the gangplank to the cruise ship.
4:44 pm
Passports checked. Pictures taken, we are now on the ship.
While walking to our stateroom, we feel the ship pull away from the dock... That was way too close!!
Products Used:Bazzil Cardstock, CM cardstock, American Traditions Designs "Guy's Life" Earthtones patterned paper; poker chip brads, die brads; white gel pen from SU
Love the journaling! What at exciting venture! I felt like I was the one living it as I was reading this colorful adventure! I can imagine all the emotions you were going through!
