The terminal...

Today is my Grandmother's 63rd (I know) birthday. The higher ups aka my father and his siblings thought it would be a grand idea if we could have a family get together for this occasion. Now my father's side of the family is from South Carolina and since the late 90s everyone besides my father and my immediate family has relocated back down there. So fine I agree to fly down to South Carolina with the family. My father makes the arrangements for my brother Lakeim and I. I work to get the time off from the J.O.B. 

Fast forward to this morning 5am and I'm waking up for a 8:05 flight out of Newark (was the cheapest direct flight). We leave the homestead at 6am and make some bad decisions along the way. Get off at the wrong exit... check. Travel in the wrong direction to make a U turn and get back on the right track... check. Get semi lost trying to find the proper parking lot... check. Get stuck with the slowest airline receptionist who completely bumbles our check in (that's a double check).

We are now within 20 minutes of flight departure STILL having to go through security. *smh* I go through security first. Get right and make a move to the gate to get the process going for us to make the flight. The gate attendant gives me a level 10 snark reception "You can't be here for MY flight!?!?!?". However he agrees to get me on the plane. I look back... no father and brother. I go to tell dude "my father and brother are right behind me." and that gives me the "I'm sorry my brother, you gotta get your own" reply. I got SHUT DOWN like my brown skinned co-pilot at every airport we hit right after 9/11.  

Defeated, I turn around to see my father walking to the wrong gate *smh* and still no brother. I tell him the situation and we go to get placed on the next flight. The attendant asks for my fathers checked bag receipt. He doesn't have one (see slow airline receptionist above). The attendant then informs us that the next flight leaves at 4pm this afternoon. I immediately walk away and sit down. At this point I'm ready to just go home and take my L for the day. A full 8 hours in an airport is just wrong. 

So as we pass this wait for our fateful flight to South Carolina Lakeim found some free internet (1st victory of the day). I found a diner in the airport to get lunch (2nd victory) and realized that there is NOTHING TO DO IN SOUTH CAROLINA. Therefore, I'm not really missing much by waiting this extra time in the airport. I just will have to have dinner with my Grandmother instead of both lunch and dinner. Eh here's to hoping the rest of the weekend picks up.