Oh the joys of online shopping.... and for what???
Back in February Keith decided that he wanted to go to Denver, CO to see Elizabeth play volleyball in the Regional's. She is quite a talented player and Keith really, really enjoys seeing her play. I have only seen her play once - and since I am not 'up' on all the rules of volleyball... don't know for sure just exactly what I was watching... but Elizabeth did great .... but I digress.... again....
So anyway, we looked at airfare between Vegas and Denver... found what looked like a fairly good deal on
SPIRIT AIRlines... and while booking our trip - what looked like a decent price for a rental vehicle popped up there, so Keith said go ahead and do that - since we would still need to travel between the hotel and the volleyball venue and airport. THEN we had to choose if we were going to have a carryon (the computer bag) - for $$$ .. then (we are getting used to having to pay for checked luggage) our checked suitcases- more $$$$... and then for OUR SEATS!!! Now, I've not had to pay in advance for our seats before... BUT I didn't think we would actually be allowed to stand in the aisle for the trip.... so more $$$.. at the end of it... the beginning price was $444 for the flight and car (not bad!) BUT- the NET price was $787!!! and then another $450+ for the hotel ... all righty then... THEN, the weather changed to terribly nasty and I'm thinking there must've been something else happen - but Keith decided not to go... So, expecting a hefty cancellation fee - I cancelled the hotel (whoa - no fee since I cancelled over 30 days before) - and then I called Spirit... $ 125.OO EACH cancellation fee... so ok... I will lose $250 of the $787.. so sad to see it go... and then find out NO REFUNDS - NOT EVEN ON THE CAR RENTAL...
and I only had 60 days to use the credits of $537... What a circle jerk -
So we decide to use the $537 for hotel and go to San Diego for our Anniversary - and go see Dr. Ruth (our dentista)... NOT... We cannot use the credit unless we book a package that includes airfare... and if we have airfare, we have to have a vehicle, and the hotel charges us per day PER PERSON... So we are trying to decide what we want to do ... meanwhile Keith talks to Jackson and he says - oh great, will be so glad to see you guys, you are going to stay here with me again... Keith says that sounds really good... so we firm up our plans... We book our airfare and a car... and the website won't let me use the credit because I have to have the exact amount booked or more... a glitch (hahahahaha) they say... so I call them... To book via a person is a different price than booking online (and way more than the credits we have coming) but I can contact tech support to see why it won't take the credit... lol... by now I am ready to literally pull my hair out..........
So tech support gives me the workaround - and we should still have $40+ in credits left over to use on the NEW seat purchase... which I was to go back into the website and redo that part... BUT wa-la!!! no credits... So I call them back again and find out the credits are a ONE TIME DEAL AND CANNOT BE SPLIT BETWEEN BOOKINGS.... EVEN THO' IT IS 1 TRIP - IT IS 2 'BOOKINGS'...... So... I ask about seats... and they said since we are not purchasing seats in advance - we will be assigned random (not necessarily together) seats when we check in.... well it's only a 1 hour flight... I can deal.... Dad and Evie will watch the granddogs - and we are all set...
In my dreams...
Then Jackson's son called Keith - Jackson has fallen again (oh so sorry to hear that... he hasn't been doing all that great and we were really looking forward to seeing him again) and he is now in Reno - his house is all closed up - sorry if there is inconvenience - but - even tho' we've been there many times before and the fact that I used to housesit often for them when they went on their trips - due to liability - we cannot stay there. He can arrange for someone to meet us to get the things we've left there but that is all. So.... I hunt up a hotel... we hope it is decent - but it IS BOOKED... We have a place to stay from 4/3 to 4/14... the dates of our very expensive Spirit deal...
and then on April 1 Evie got a very scary phone call regarding her mom. Not good news... Ever feel like you are trying to plan a trip to hell???? So . . . Evie is trying to decide how fast she can get North and just how. We aren't leaving until Thursday and the only airline that has straight in flights to Eugene flies on Thursday (good) at 9 am (not so good) - our flight isn't until 1:30 and we don't have parking until 11 am... Keith suggests that maybe they should just drive... Dad hops on that (trying to help Evie who is almost a basket case trying to figure the best way for everyone) and gets things arranged with the office and Mike (the summer caretaker) and they pack the car - and they are taking the boyz... with them... until we head north ourselves (when depends on if we have people in our house or not) to stop by and pick them up. So I pack the boyz up too... Tuesday morning comes and Dad and Evie are both on tenderhooks... waiting for hospice to call back and not wanting to hear from them... then just giving up and taking off... SO I promise Evie that I will clean up, empty the fridge and freezer, and take care of all that stuff... before we leave Thurs. AND I GOT IT DONE! :)
Wednesday noon, Evie calls and they made it up there in time :) she was able to hold her Mom's hand and get a squeeze on hers. She said Dad and the boyz made the trip find - and she was going to take a nap. Now for her it is the sad waiting game... I pray that her Mom rallies and gets better... selfish of me to wish for this for Evie... I know the pain of losing Mom... don't wish that on anyone . . .
So today I get an email... Check in online (it is an additional fee to check in and get a boarding pass at the airport) - so I do that and get....
ERROR again and again... after about 3 hours I finally get online and print the boarding passes - seeing a note that the bag sizes and weights for the Vegas airport are listed under help on the homepage.... so I go back in and try to find out what this is talking about... haven't made it yet... more error messages... I hope I find out before we finish packing...
So that is my SAGA for today!!!! All will be better tomorrow as we head for our meeting spot...
We plan to
have a Coldstone Ice Cream on Coronado
go to a Padre game
see Dra. Ruth
stop by several times and see the gang at
CHANNEL 1
AND
have an awesome vaca!!!!
It was a beautiful day! We found our way across from the new and un-marked revised border crossing! Don't know why the streets are almost empty - could it be that someone that does not have a predetermined reason for visiting TJ cannot find their way across any more? I get teased because I absolutely refuse to drive over there - but jeez.... I have been going to the same address for over 15 years - and still don't recognize my way around in a cab or bus! OH and the BUS ! ! ! ! Hahahahahaha!!! 3 times in 7 days, after Keith spent the day at Dra. Ruth's, we walked down to the station to catch the Mexicoach (or whatever it is that they call it these days) and 3 times we were told... "No Service Today"... The coach was at the parking lot when we went in - but... on Friday the 4th - we had to take a cab from the station to the border and walk across because "last bus left at 3"... So when we went back on Monday I asked the attendant specifically - what time is last bus today... She said 5, every hour until 5... We got to the station at 1:30 - no bus this afternoon... said the pharmacist next door... no attendant... On the next Friday - again I asked the attendant on the US side... she said 'every 1 hour until 3... we got there at 2:30... no attendant, no service, no bus. So on both of those occasions we again took a cab for $6 ($5 +$1 tip) to the border, walked across, and since Keith couldn't do the bridge walk again, we took a pedicab back across the bridge to the parking lot - for another $8... the $7 for the parking... SO I'm thinking that maybe the Border Station parking lot is no longer the best place to park... It used to be - but here I am again... living in history! Oh, the pedicab ride was great!! I would have loved to have had the option to take a longer ride... those guys sure earn their money!! I asked the one fellow if he was sure he could get us across the bridge and he just laughed at me bwahahaha!! They were so very nice!
