The Waiting Game

A terrorist am I

It always amazing me the way we can be treated, especially by our own government, who claims that they DO NOT racially profile people. It's a random selection. Yeah, tell that shit to someone who actually believes it.

Beirut airport was jamming at 2am. Never thought I'd see so many people. Had to go through security first. So many relatives were inside, blocking the lines that the security guards were totally irritated by them. So was I, lol. So we get thru security, check in, all systems a go. Except for the breaking hearts of my boys. Depression came early, like the second we headed for the airport. So the first flight as was fine, well expect for the crappy food. UGH. Didn't eat much, tried to work on some sleeping instead.

Get to Rome, think it's going to be smooth sailing. HA! Not likely. Newp. Let's see. Everyone that was on the flight from Beirut - Arabs that is - was approached by security. Asked where we were going, where we came from, and had to follow security to get our boarding passes. No big deal. Yeah, were moving forward. Hand over the passports, and they take them away. Telling us one person needs to stay with them, while the bags are located and put through the scanner - AGAIN - (this was done at least twice in Beirut that I am aware of). So hubby has to go down to the basement of the airport, locate the bags, lift them to a spot where they can be checked by security, and then ran through the scanner again. OK. What freakin ever. So the boys and I go back to sit down, losing our 4 seats. We find three together, sit, and wait, while our departure time is rapidly approaching. I keep thinking something else is going on since hubby had been gone for over 30 minutes. They open our gate, no hubby, no passports, or boarding passes. We wait. Hubby shows with security chick, and still hasn't looked at the bags. More Arabs are pulled to the side, while everyone else gets to start boarding.

Hubby and another man head off to the basement again. Security tells two people that not all their bags are accounted for, and if they don't have all the bags, they cannot board the plane. A woman with her baby begins to cry - just wanting to go home. She offers to file a claim. Says she doesn't want nor care about her luggage, they refuse. Hubby returns and is ticked. Can read it like a book. I ask what happened, he shook his head. We had our luggage. Still no boarding passes or passports. We wait. And wait. And wait a bit more before he gets even more annoyed. So he goes back to the counter, out of ear shot, damn it.

He comes back, arguing with security, says he wants to file a complaint, and wants a paper stating what they did to him. Of course, we get no such paper. We are told that they are doing their job, on behalf of the US Government. And that our government will applaud the job that Air Italia is doing. Uh huh. Well, I don’t applaud it. Nor do the people that were randomly pulled aside and made to feel as if we did something wrong. The majority of which held US passports. The woman with her child, the one missing the bags, never made that flight. God only knows the hell she went through and the tears she cried alone while the rest of us managed to make the flight.

Sad thing is this. Hubby and another man were left unattended for over 15 minutes in the basement of that airport, with luggage strewn all about in a haphazardly manner. I asked him if he thought it would have been possible for him to move something from his bag to another, or to plant something if he chose to do so, and he said. ‘OH, THERESA THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOO EASY.’ Hmm, yet, the security system in place was…hmm, what’s the word I’m looking for here…..nonexistent Makes tons of sense to me. Let’s hear it for the great job the airlines do at securing the airports, and especially the bags that they MUST run thru scanner to make sure we are all safe. Glad someone is on the job. Thought what job remains to be seen.

Flight from Chicago was delayed, made it home around 11:30ish. So yes, we traveled for over a 24-hour period. Wow. Go us. NOT!!!!

I swear I thought I’d sleep so well, but the sprinkler system went off at 3am, I managed to go back to sleep, but was up at 6am. A nap sounds so good to me, but I will fight it off for as long as I can.

X5 was completely dead this morning. So much for driving it to Zak’s ortho appt. We had to take the Monte, which doesn’t have a plate yet. Need to get that taken care of, but it will have to wait until Monday. Sigh.

Oh, and the fun stuff. We have a dog. Yes, a stray dog has decided to take up residence at the homestead since we’ve been away. And the neighbors are leaving food and drink for this mutt at my garage door. WTF!?!?! Are you kidding me? Seriously people. What gives you the right to help a stray live on my property? If I wanted a dog, I WOULD HAVE ONE. Which I don’t. I’m not particularly impressed that I now have to clean up after the animal. I pitched the dog food in the trash and called animal control, only to be told they’ve been trying to catch this dog for 6 weeks. Good luck to them.

My neighbor across the street, in another city, thought we were still on vacay. He empties a truckload of trash on my grass. UGH. Fine whatever. This only brought out the garbage collectors in droves. I couldn’t even get into my driveway after the ortho, since some idiot decided to park in it to rummage through the garbage.
I hit chat. And yes, I finally remember why today was such a pain in the arse. And why.

It’s Friday Bitches…

On a side note, IT SUX THAT DAVE AND CHUCK THE FREAK WERE FIRED FROM 89X. WHAT AM I GOING TO LISTEN TO NOW IN THE MORNING??? HOPE THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH TUESDAY’S RADIO CAST, WHICH I HAD UPLOADED THE PODCAST FOR THE IPOD. THAT WOULD JUST BLOW.