Big girls don't cry...

Seems like something is conspiring against us so far.

About an hour out of Savannah, the bus taking us to the Atlanta airport inexplicably stopped working. The bus company, also out of Atlanta, sent a bus, but with frantic phone calling we were able to find a closer bus in Savannah. After 2 1/2 hours in the heat, sitting in the weeds along I-16 feeding the gnats, we have never been happier to see an (air conditioned) bus. In the worst situation, our kids were troopers.

12 members of our party were already in Atlanta, and were phoning us frantically to see where we were, communicating our status with the British Air representatives.

We arrived at the British Airways gate with a few minutes to spare, but the gate agent really didn't seem to want to work to get us on the plane.

We said goodbye via cell phone to the 5 of our choir members and accompanying parents as they flew off without us.

We made some other discoveries. The only people that can unbook and rebook a flight made as a group is the people at the 'group desk', and while there might be some great early morning flights to get us closer to our destination, it doesn't matter, because the 'group desk' doesn't open until 9 am. Also, that many of the other flights we might have gone on are booked.

We're so fortunate to have Jennifer Dickinson, our board chair, along with us. Mrs. Sullivan went into hysterics at the gate when she realized they wouldn't let us on the plane, but Ms. Dickinson's cool legal mind helped us find some options.

The broke-back bus company sent a representative to the airport, who actually did a good job finding us dinner and a hotel near the airport. If they only had sent a bus that worked in the first place.....

So, now 1/3 of our group is sleeping peacefully on a plane over the Atlantic ocean, and another 2/3 is sleeping peacefully in an airport hotel. The only bright spot is that we'll get to take showers in the morning, while our airborne friends have still have another 12 hours before they see running water.