Strictly complicated

As of 11ish, the only way Northwest Airlines could get me into Madison before 11:38pm involved waiting to fly home until Tuesday afternoon from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana/Irvine. Woo hoo, a part of me said. An adventure! A journey! A chance to connect more with friends. What could be better, right?

The other part of me (the one with a conscience) said, "This is so not good." I've got a tired husband with two mommy-missing kids, a budget that is strained prior to any possible awaiting adventures, an important meeting at the school on Monday (that I just cancelled) and Vision therapy on Tuesday that may need to be shifted.

I called home. C, understandably so, was frustrated. He's such a gem that he wasn't mad with me - he was just clearly exasperated by the situation at hand. He even supported my decision to not take one of the midnight runs. Yet, his understanding and exhaustion coupled with a good dose of Lutheran Mommy guilt (two zingers combined together for logarithmic results) only made me feel like more of a heel. There appeared to be no easy way to navigate the shifting waters that had gone from mysterious, quaint, meandering streams to mighty rapids full of problems...

I hmmmd and hawwed and ate an avocado fresh from Travelin Man's dad's orchard. I made some calls. I hmmmdd some more. Called the airline and ended up talking to one of the most Midwest Nice (in all the best ways) Minnesotans you'd ever encounter. She even gave me some shopping tips in case I ever make it to the Mall of America. Besides all those surpises, she was able to book me on tomorrow's 8:40am Santa Barbara flight and get me to Madision Monday night at 8:40 pm. How and why this option arose (it was never available at the counter at the airport and in my two other calls to NWA), one can only venture a guess. Anyway, I've now got a bonus day and a way home.