a hot mess: a tale of playing it by ear hour by hour

not sure where to begin, so i'll start at the beginning


i went back to michigan this weekend and had a most lovely trip there. kelli's aunt threw a lovely shower, and i got to see alot of family and friends. spent some quality time with loved ones. kelli's sister threw a bachelorette party which was really fun. we played the wedding planning game had some delicious apps, and headed downtown to Reserve where I bought a rediculosly expensive glass of riesling, but it was good & a michigan wine. sunday we went to church, had brunch at a place with a live piano player that played hits like "shine jesus shine", the afternoon we hung out with kelli and her family. popped over to a favorite photo op place, Meijer Gardens for the new butterfly exhibit, then took the "Brit & Kel Tour" to see all the wedding spots, rehearsal dinner, church, new townhouse. we hit up a sweet happy hour deal at a great italian place that used to be a monastery, right behind where their new place will be, and also where their rehearsal dinner will be. yum!

okay, so the weekend ends.....i hop on a 6:30am flight Monday Morning from Grand Rapids to Chicago. no big deal. get to Chicago, flight canceled due to this.
i literally stand there and think "huh, now what!?" United though a suitable option for me would be to camp out in O'Hare for 48 hours and take a flight Wednesday morning. no thanks. and because it was weather related they were not accommodating, i was sick, tired, hadn't had enough coffee. this really nice lady told me that i could come to Appleton, Wisconsin with them if i couldn't get to Burlington. as i waited in line at the United desk, i looked longing at the line for coffee at McDonalds that was moving faster and producing smiling people with coffee instead of the United desk which was producing frusterated people with "departure management cards" I was also working on two plans, well three: one, reroute me thru Clevland. two: reroute me through oh say Florida, and three: Hethrow would also be a suitable option. i knew i couldn't ask for the last two with a straight face, and they apparently didn't share the same desire for me to fly through Cleveland. So Plan B (get ready, there are alot of Plan B's in this plan) fly to Boston, and go from there. I phone the Daleys to see if i can stay with them. Done lodging all set. Hop on the plane to Boston, wait for my bag for 45 minutes. It was sent on a later flight, since I didn't have a real agenda, i waited for it. I saw a bunch of guys from Norwich University in Vermont (and almost asked how they were getting to BTV). I contact the Daleys, Mrs. Daley gives me directions involving a bus & a train. Don't have alot of experience doing that alone, but thanks to some prayers, google searches, and just goin', i figured it all out and got my tickets. As i grab my bag, i see that I've missed a call from the Daleys. Mrs. Daley had fallen and broken her arm and was in an ambulance on the way to the ER. Capt. Daley contacts me, gives me directions to their house from the T stop. it involves walking through the woods (no joke) and breaking into their home. No sweat. As I head to South Station I frantically try to make other plans as I think, I can't possibly be a burden to these people. Simultaneously, Capt. Daley is on the phone arranging a neighbor to pick me up. I am standing in chaotic South Station and get a text from Capt. D saying "call me, you're being picked up in a green suburban" how shady was that!?

okay, so i go connect up with the stranger, yes mom, i got in her car, break in, get a shower, and try to chill. but i can't cause I'm still trying to figure out how to oh you know....actually get home. i see that there are 4 greyhound busses that go from BOS to BTV, okay, cool. i'll take one. roads should be clear in the morning. i didn't have a real peace of mind as i was trying to find an up to date schedule. are they delayed, actually going? no one answered the phone. awesome. i finally get ahold of a guy in Burlington who informed me the busses would be going, and that they were going today in this giant storm....that concerned me, that they were driving in this weather. seems like my only option. i check in with work before bed update them in my plan/location, see that there is a woman in Boston too and got rerouted from Chicago as well. thus begins the new Plan B and the current plan: Capt. D dropped me off at my coworkers hotel this AM, (Tuesday), and I'm chilling in the lobby and we'll be headed to Burlington today in a rental car. oof! while i do really want to be at home, there isn't any snow here, and well...there's plenty in Vermont!

hopefully this is the end of this adventure.