We woke up early again at 4 AM to get adjusted to France time. We both lasted for one hour. By 5 AM I felt asleep on the couch. When I woke up Ed was no where to be found. I went looking for him every where. Even going outside checking to see may be he’s watering the herbs and tomatoes one last time but he’s not there. I finally called him on his cell phone. He answered in a sleepy voice. “Where are you?” “I am in bed” He was so sleepy from all this trying to wake up early he climbed back to bed also. He set his alarm for 7:30 but he set it for 7:30 pm instead! One note of advise for anybody trying to do what we are doing: forget the trying to adjust to France time! Just go and things will take care of themselves. Your body will readjust.

We finish up the morning work in the office. We are due to leave for the airport at noon time. Miss Kimberly drove us to the airport. All on time until we check in at the American airline counter. This flight is serviced by U.S. Air. You need to go to the U.S. Air counter. Alright, we walked over to the U.S. Air counter. They look us up. “You don’t have a ticket on this flight”. The agent said. I showed him my printed itinairy. I did not realize that what ever you print out of your computer is of no value to anyone but yourselves. The airline agents go by what their computer says and if their computer says you don’t have a ticket, then well, tough luck for you, you don’t have a ticket.
Is there something you can do for us? No not really. This is bought from American Airlines so we need to trek over to the American Airlines counter. So we went back to American Airlines. They told us we have to call the advantage desk. That’s a perk for being a frequent flyer. Do you have a direct line where I won’t be put on hold for an hour? I ask. We are platinum member and we wait on hold for an hour, forget about the rest of the world. I don’t even want to know how long they have to wait. Unfortunately, they don’t have an emergency red telephone that they can use for situation such as the one we are in. The flight is closing in 12 minutes and I am facing having to wait on hold for a long time.

Anyway long story on and on, I got on the line with the advantage desk that told us we can’t get out tonight. It has to be tomorrow. Ed was fine until then. Suddenly he grab the phone from me and gave the advantage a piece of his mind. He made them admit it’s their fault, not once, not twice, but three time. But that still did not get us on the plane. Then he proceeded to threaten he will do something about this situation. The agent says he can’t be out. They can’t get him out. No more ought tonight. The two of them went at it for a while suddenly the agent says I can get you out through Miami. Even before the ticket is rebooked, Ed has started walking to the rental car counter to rent a car for the drive to Miami. 2 hours drive but it will get us to Paris tonight! Unbelievable! We can still get in Charles De Gaulles airport in the morning and catch our train down to Le Puy.

Next thing I know we are in a rental car driving down alligator alley across the state of Florida to Miami to catch our flight out!

Mid August in Florida in the afternoon means thunderstorms and torrential rain. Ed drove bravely through the storm and got us to Miami just in time to check in. The agent in Miami scratch his bald head when he heard our story and started looking into our ticket. He keeps his fingers busy typing while mumbling PP1, and swipe our credit card, then PP1 again and swipe the credit card again. Repeat about 10 times. Still no ticket printed out. Ok there’s a small problem but he said “we will get you on this flight. Don’t worry”. Then he call his supervisor. She came. They discuss looking at the computer screen. Our whole next 5 weeks depends on this computer screen. Our whole trip hanging on a thin thread from what’s shown on that computer screen. Then more typing. More mumbling. More swiping of the credit card. By then end of this whole ordeal I would not be surprised if American has charged us a boat load of charges. Then the supervisor shook her head. We need “Sergio”. Only Sergio can do this. So they page Sergio. The master came. More typing. More mumbling. PP1 then swipe the card. Then PP3. Then swipe the card. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. The three of them stare at the screen. Then voila! Something happened. Then we hear printing. Then the ticket was issued! They are right! Sergio made my day! I was assured I was not charged with all that swiping but then we barely had 5 minutes to go through security and head on to the gate.

I need a rest. All this was too much excitement, too much drama for just a simple flight to France.

8 hours direct flight. We will take a long nap. When we wake up it will be Bonjour Paris!!!!!

This is only the start of our adventure.