Home, finally!

Man, what an ordeal we have had over the last 48 hours!

We left South Texas on Wednesday morning and arrived safely at Dallas/Ft. Worth airport with no problems.  However, when we arrived at Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, the plane was not there--never a good sign.  So, our flight was delayed, and we waited several hours for them to fix an AC problem.  Since the problem could not be corrected, they decided to change planes.  We (Jude and I and 300 other folks) gathered all our crap and headed over to another terminal.  Once we arrived at the new terminal, we waited several more hours to board.  Then, we finally boarded.  We were exhausted but happy to be on our way home.

I knew something was wrong when our plane taxied on the runway for over an hour.  Then, the captain came on the loud speaker and spoke those dreaded words, "I'm sorry  but we have a problem and have to return to the airport...and since the flight crew has been with you since noon, the FAA will not allow us to continue today; therefore, you will have to fly out to Tokyo tomorrow."

Once the plane made it to the terminal, an angry passenger was escorted off the plane.  It turns out the guy assaulted the flight crew.  He apparently grabbed a flight attendant by the arm and was about to punch her when someone else stopped him.  He was later questioned by police and escorted away in handcuffs (I was told).

Thankfully, American Airlines took very nice care of us.  They gave us food vouchers for 2 dinners, breakfast and a hotel voucher to stay at a hotel close to the airport.  Unfortunately, they did not return our bags to us, so I had to buy a tooth bush, contact solution, and few other necessities.

And our flight the next day at 7 AM was great.  The flight crew was sweet, caring and did a great job.  Most of the passengers were friendly and kind, as well.

We met some great new friends throughout our journey, and that's what made it bearable.  We had dinner together, stayed at the same hotel, and enjoyed their company.

So, our journey home was full of lemons, but we made lemonade!