We arrived in Omaha and Hubby went and got the papers for the rental car while I waited for our luggage. We checked two booster seats and five pieces of luggage, including one 29" bag that contained every bit of clothing that Hubby and I had for vacation.
Guess which one was lost?
Hubby immediately went to the lost/delayed baggage office where he was given a claim number and a phone number. No claim papers because, you see, the suitcase would probably be arriving later that night and delivered to our destination in South Dakota the following day.HA!
I was calm, though, since I knew not that the HA! applied here. I had full confidence that my clothes (and Hubby's) would arrive the next day. We went to Wal Mart and bought underwear, socks, pajamas, and two shirts for each of us, just in case the clothes didn't get there before we needed a second shirt. It was not so bad. I offered up the inconvenience. I even smiled, saying that it was nice that we were being offered a chance to do so!
HA! (again)
I was less calm the next morning when the airline still couldn't seem to locate our bag. Hubby spoke to someone personally, made sure that our information was there, was told that they ought to be able to find our stuff by the end of the day and deliver it before morning. It was now Thursday. Again, I offered it up. We used the pajamas again, and in the morning we put on our second shirts that were purchased from Wal Mart (markdowns for nearly everything).
I'm starting to wonder if my clothes have decided to go to Hawaii or something without me. Meanwhile, we are scheduled to leave South Dakota for Kansas the following morning.
The next day (Friday), I called again. "We are sorry, but your bags have still not been located. We are still looking for them." I speak to another rep, who tells me that my bag seems to have been found! It's in Atlanta, and it's a 93% match (which Hubby says seems an arbitrary number). I describe the bag in detail, describe the contents in more detail than I thought I'd be able to, although I shouldn't be surprised because I've spent each day thinking about what is inside my bag that I wish I had. A windbreaker. Clean underwear (we did laundry at my mother-in-law's so we didn't need to buy more than one pack each). The skirts that I sewed. My clothes for church. My makeup, which I would prefer to show up to Hubby's reunion wearing. His dress clothes for church, which include some VERY nice pants from Men's Warehouse. This looks like my bag. She forwards a request for it to be put on the next available plane to Omaha. I rejoice! I also promptly forget that I am supposed to be offering it up, because my attitude starts to crumble a bit.
The second rep I speak to on Friday evening puts me on hold for a LONG time while he personally calls Atlanta and (I presume) asks them what the heck is taking so long to find this bag!? You see, the system is still showing that Atlanta hasn't located my baggage. I tell him that at this point, Hubby and I have had to go shopping (again) to buy clothes for a reunion we are attending for which we are leaving in the morning. I ask for a claim form and am told that they will forward a request (I did get said form yesterday in the mail), but that he couldn't guarantee that it would be paid if they did find the bag. Yeah, whatever. Am I supposed to be naked all of vacation? They'll pay, even if they don't know it yet. Resistance is futile.
I decide that I will just call on Saturday morning if I haven't gotten the bag. But I still stew that my bag is "found" but not really. So much for becoming holy by offering up my sufferings. Now I'm just plain annoyed. Phooey.
Saturday morning comes, and there is no bag magically waiting on the MIL's doorstep. Hubby and I go have breakfast with the whole family. We get back to the house and put everything in the car. We kiss everyone goodbye and go to get gas before heading out of town. While Hubby pumps gas, I call the airline again, only to learn that the bag is still not in Omaha. It is, however, in the system. Finally! I speak to yet another rep (all of whom have been very friendly, including the poor guy who told me he wasn't sure they would pay my claim) who tells me that the bag will be delivered to my MIL's house between 11:30 p.m. that night (Saturday) and 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Um, I won't be there, I tell her. I'm going out of state for a reunion. She tells me it's okay to leave a note with permission for my MIL to take the bag.
We drive back to the house and give her the note, which was written on the back of my copy of the "HOLD MAIL" printoff. Then we (finally) head off to Kansas.
Our bag was waiting outside the door when my mother in law went to get the mail Sunday morning. However, we were in Kansas, so I didn't see it until Monday afternoon, when we arrived back in South Dakota. And we left for home Wednesday morning.
And my bag didn't even go anywhere exotic, either.
Oh, here's the kicker. When I got home Wednesday night, somewhere around ten p.m. I checked our phone messages.
The airline called to ask if we were missing a bag. Someone in Atlanta. On WEDNESDAY EVENING, about the same time we called to ask if they'd found our bag.
I think we might just drive next time.
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