surprise

"I'm changing my flight,"

I announce decidedly as I heave my massive duffel bag onto the backseat.

One speed-pack and a few frantic glances at the clock later my family's agreed to attempting to squeeze in one desperately sought after bapple-run before my 6 o'clock flight.

Bapple's 30 minutes across town.

Airport's another 15 back in this direction.

We have 45 minutes before I'm due to check-in.

This is the logic of yours truly.

anyway...

not really the time to be announcing any sort of itinerary change.

I explain my reasoning to the questioning crowd.

I have tomorrow off.

Southwest changes flights for free.

My current flight 

(post-lay-overs) 

isn't scheduled to touch ground in Salt Lake 'til 11:50.

And as much as I miss my dear husband, he confirmed earlier that he'd be spending his spring break at work.

"Can't you sleep in?  Go in a little late?"

Answer: sorry, but no.

I'd love to, but no.
Our little reunion would have to wait.

so to recap...

I'm spending my whole night in transit

a night I could be spending with family.

My one reason to go home

my husband

will be able to see me for a whopping 20 minutes

i.e. the duration of our drive home

before he becomes a big chubby pumpkin

it will be nearing 1 o'clock at this point.

Then said husband will be gone before I'm awake

leaving me to spend my whole day doing...well, nothing.

I don't expect to be entertained (per say).

I just like to make the most of every minute of life outside the bank.

And, as I see it, changing my flight is a win-win-win 
(with just one drawback).

skip out on a backwards 2-stop flight and upgrade to a non-stop for FREE
WIN

my night, once set to be spent in transit, will now be time spent with my family
WIN
(oh and it's monday, mind you, so Family Home Evening's on the itinerary.
let's see.
games with my beloved fam-damily
or stale air shared with strangers on a plane?
that's what I thought...)
I'll be home with my beloved husband just 10 hours later than I would have been otherwise 
(more like 2 as 8 of those hours would have been spent sleeping anyhow)
WIN

But, of course,
one more night w/o my Parker is, 
at the same time,
a lose.

So I weigh out my options and,
what do you know,
the WINS win out 3:2
(a night without Parker counts as 2 losses because,
yes,
I do miss him that much after just 3 days).


so with all this in mind,
I change my flight.
just 30 minutes before I'm scheduled to check-in.


And in the midst of all this,
my impulsiveness 
key word
overshadows my good sense
and wastes any thought remotely resembling a by-product of clear thinking.  


Should I maybe consult with my husband (and ride) before making any big itinerary changes?
as my parents suggest
yes.
Do I?
of course not.


And this is
in short
how the rest of the story goes.


Chelsey: "Great news!"
blah, blah, blah
"Southwest thinks I'm crazy to cut it so close..."


Parker: "You are."


Chelsey: "Why?"


Parker: "Can you still make the flight?"


Chelsey:  "Maybe but..."


Parker: "Then change it back."


Chelsey: "Why?"


Parker: "Just change it back."


Chelsey: "Why?"


Parker: "Just change it back."


Chelsey:
"baby.
i love you.
i do.
but I need a better reason to call in like a certified crazy 

and beg for the flight I just begged be changed."

Parker: "I have a surprise..."

Oh....

conversation shifts from

disbelief

to 

suspicion

to 

sheer curiosity

By the time I've reached my hundredth "What?" he breaks.

"I took tomorrow off,

spent my entire afternoon calling every Costco member in the family I could think of,

sped across town to borrow a card

(as ours was tucked safely away in my wallet with me in Sparks),

disguised myself to use said card,

paid in cash to avoid any name discrepancies

and keep from getting the boot,

and 

finally

purchased two passes to the Canyons.

one for me, and one for my wife who likes surprises.

*protest*

I'm kidding.

One's for you...

It's supposed to snow tonight.

I thought you'd like it."

He proceeded to tell me how excited he'd been to employ the element of surprise.

He couldn't wait to see my reaction at the airport that night.

"Oh woe is me,"

I'd thought.

"to be spending my whole day off all lonesome-like."

He'd had me fooled.
And I'd ignorantly spoiled a very sweet surprise and stolen his thunder in the process.
Lovely.


Time for a bit of damage control...

Needless to say,

after a frenzied phone call to rapid rewards,

during which conversation, 

I'm sure,

the RR rep flagged me as a vacillating terrorist 

for all my frenetic flight-swapping.

an unsettlingly long wait in bag check,

why do I always insist on packing full-size liquids?

a sprint through security,

followed by an announcement that my flight was, once again, an hour+ delayed.

a flight to Oakland,

where,

after sprinting to try and make my connection,

I discovered that the plane we'd planned to take wouldn't be arriving for another 2 hours.

lovely.

(thank goodness for Twizzler's cherry bites & Words With Friends)

and a few too many packets of honey-roasted peanuts later,

no such thing?

i thought so too.

I was home.

kissing Parker to pieces on the corner

(i just love the hellos after long goodbyes!

so, so sweet!)

and committing 5+ airport parking violations in the process

(lucky for us everyone was past caring by 2 A.M.).

And 6 hours,

1 gondola ride,

2 snowboards,

3 mountains,

15 runs,

and 12 inches of fresh powder later,

I'd spent the best day with my very best friend.

who, I hope, will always be full of surprises.

i love you Parker B.

thanks for the "surprise."

(And FYI: if you'll give me a next time, I'll never spoil it again).

promised.