not so lucky

This week I was in New Orleans for work and I honestly had a really good time (Sallie- don't worry, Law & Order was not watched at any point). The event itself went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves- which means I did my job well. The only two problems I came across were personal ones... and I must say they came close to getting the best of me.

The first incident involved my Pandora bracelet. I was rushing to make an 8am meeting with the AVP of Marketing, so of course I couldn't be late, when I grabbed my Pandora bracelet and fought to get it hooked on. For those of you who own a Pandora, you know they can be tricky to get on. So, without having the time to waste I clenched it in my hand and decided to put it on once I got there. As I was walking I saw a charm fly across me and onto the sidewalk- I knew it belonged to me and immediately felt frazzled. I started searching the ground and found not one, but two charms on the ground (nowhere near each other). This of course made me check to see how many had fallen- my assessment led me to realize I had dropped 4 of my charms... out of 5 total! At about $30 a piece this had me upset. I looked quickly around me and had to decide whether to be late and continue my search or move on and hope that they'd still be there afterward. I moved on. When I finally left the meeting, my friends and I took to the streets in search of the remaining two. The sandcastle (my only charm from Jake) was found closer to my hotel and had been completely run over by a car. I held onto it anyway, despite the opening was closed from compact, call me sentimental. The other dolphin charm was never recovered. We came to the conclusion that with its round shape it was most likely stuck in the tread of someone's tire. How depressing.

As if that whole scenario wasn't bad enough, the next one proves my luck could in fact get worse. The following incident took place on Friday at the airport. Let me set the stage...

I had to get my Friday travel approved since our show officially ended on Saturday, but our friends, Tzu & Diana, were getting married so it was important that I catch a flight that gave me time to travel from Raleigh to Wilson. Well low and behold, when I got to the airport my flight was canceled!!! I had no clue until I was in the United line to check my bag. It was u n b e l i e v a b l e. I waited in line for 3 hours- THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION- before I finally spoke to an agent. They of course had NO flights going out that evening because it was a small enough airport that flights weren't scheduled after 7ish... and wouldn't you know I didn't make it to the counter until 7pm!!! They put me on the first flight out the next morning and stuffed me at a nearby hotel with a $15 meal voucher. The story gets better, but I honestly don't want to think more about it- it was that awesome of an experience.

To end on a positive note, I met Nancy from Sacramento and we had dinner together and shared a cab at 4am the next morning. She was this cute older woman and we exchanged contact information. Who knows, if I'm ever in Sacramento I might give her a call.