Not so merry Xmas from Continental Airlines

The worker lady just told me that she has been ruining people's holidays all week, so she is numb to doing the same thing for me.

Well ain't that a kick in the head.

Our flight was to leave at 9:52 am and arrive at just after noon in Houston. Because of this and questionable weather, we came to St Louis last nite, and booked a room at the very fancy Renaissance Grand Suites downtown. What the heck, I thought, lets enjoy it. At least until 6:30 am or so when we would have to head to the airport.

We were going to rush over and stay in the room and relax, and watch the annual Illini-Mizzou bragging rights game on TV. Yes I know we have a far better batch of TVs at home, but with all of the other stuff going on, this made sense. Then at virtually the last minute, Ron called and had some access to game tix, so we bought those and met them at the game. We missed the first ten minutes of course, but it was swell to be there anyway, especially in seats 14 rows from the floor. But ca-ching--those babies were not cheap. And beers are $10 a pop.

And I am sick as a dog. Which is neither here nor there, but it is hard to get as riled up as I should have been about the game. The Illini tore up Mizzou, which was totally unexpected but swell. Then we went to dinner at Maggie O Brien's. We checked into the hotel around 11:30.


Man do I love a fancy hotel. There is not much I like better that I can think of than those fluffy down comforters and the jillion pillows. Unless it is actually getting to stay in it for a while and sleep sleep sleep with no dog farting it up or taking my pillows or asking to go out. It is heaven.

Alas, it was not to be though since we had to be here at the airport at 8 a.m.

Now I am really longing for that bed, as we are not going anywhere soon. It is raining, but that is not a problem. It is 38 degrees, so it is just water. It is going to drop to freezing later, but so far, that is not the issue. However, the plane we are supposed to be on has to arrive here from Houston first. And it has not left there yet. First we were told it would be an hour. Then I got an email saying it would be 11:30 and our gate had changed. So we trundled down here with all our crap. And that is when I met Miss Congeniality.

Continental is evidently too cheap to have those boards that scroll info about what is happening at the gate, so we had to give her our boarding pass and ask if it was true and were we in the right place. She said yes, but don't be getting my hopes up that it would leave at 11:30 either. The plane still had not left Houston. She said I might make it in time for Xmas dinner, tonight. Well that would be great if that was what I was shooting for, was not sick as a dog and was not missing my high dollar bed at the Renaissance

This is not a weather problem. There are not any weather issues here or there.

This infuriates me. Airlines have gotten so shitty. I understand there are things they cannot control, but damnation, it is Xmas Eve--have a backup plan, people! And we are supposed to be happy about it, drinking $7 Diet Cokes and trying not to pass out from cold meds.


Normally I like an airport, as I like to see the people and wonder about their lives and where they are going, and what they do for a living, and whether the little old lady is smuggling heroin. It is just not much fun when you are this sick.

Well bah humbug, Continental. You kinda blow