Monday, April 2, 2012

B is for Let's BACK Up

I'm definitely still coming up for air after spending two weeks on sensory overload hopping around Asia. It's possible I have a few hundred photos too and I promise not to post them all. I think.

Since I need today to collect the dog from the kennel, catch up on laundry, plan meals, sort mail, prepare bedrooms and bathrooms for daughters coming home for Easter weekend starting tomorrow, and in general get my feet and head on Eastern Standard time I'm going to make today's post short and sweet.

How about we start at the BEGINNING since we're all about the letter B in the A-Z challenge today? The beginning would be our flight from NJ to Shanghai. Hubs had a business class ticket because he was traveling for work but we had to buy my ticket. We decided to pay for the economy seat using air miles and then use one of hubs upgrades to try to get me into business class too. Because he is considerate and also because he knows me very well he'd already said if we couldn't get the upgrade I could have his seat up front. I'm pretty sure he thought he'd enjoy the trip a whole lot more if I started off somewhat rested and happy. Ahem.

My hubs is what might kindly be referred to as 'the squeaky wheel' when it comes to stuff like this and he'd been phoning the airline on a regular basis since January. They kept telling him wait wait wait and while he's good at many things waiting is not one of them. At some point they told him he could call 24 hours before departure time and see if the seat upgrade went through. The second the clock hit the 24 hour mark he was all over it. The first person he spoke to said she couldn't do anything about it and he'd have to wait until we got to the airport, but that's what amateurs do. He promptly hung up, called back, spoke to a different agent and voila I'm in. Yay hubs!

We were not seated on the same side of the plane so our plan was to put our stuff on my side and then I would ask whoever sat beside me if they'd mind moving over to hubs seat. I mean they were both business class seats on the aisle so no biggie right? Pretty soon a guy comes in and starts dropping all his stuff in the seat beside me and I'm so concerned with swapping seats I don't really look at him but I do grab his arm because I'm very focused on getting those seats swapped. I start blabbering on and on about how my hubs is on the other side of the plane and then I continue to spew out way more backstory than is necessary but we'll just chalk that up to nervous energy, okay?

I know.
You're wishing you could travel with me too, aren't you?

I happen to glance over at hubs on the other side of the plane and he's laughing and mouths some words at me but I ignore him because I need to get this random stranger to move. That's when I notice the random stranger has a person with him holding his coat and helping him settle in. And then I actually look hard at his face and I realize that hubs was trying to tell me random stranger is none other than Steve Forbes.

Billionaire.
There's a b word for you.

Of course I launch promptly into apology mode and I think I might have released his arm or maybe I squeezed it tighter so he'd know I was truly sorry. He was gracious and moved across the plane to where hubs was standing. Hubs said something to him which he told me was thank you very much but I suspect was more along the lines of 'my wife is nuts'. Whatever. I think it could have been fun to sit next to Steve Forbes. We could have talked politics and such on our 14+ hour flight. Course I would have climbed over his chair four times to get out and stretch and go to the restroom. And he'd probably have a headache when we landed.

So much excitement and we haven't even left the airport.

28 comments:

  1. Oh, my word, Joyce. Only you! I am surprised Steve Forbes doesn't have a private jet?!? I wouldn't recognize him, but so glad you did!! That is one story you'll "b" telling for years to come. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow if that's the beginning, I can't wait to read about the middle and the end. Looks like you were off to a good start....:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow that is pretty darn cool! I'm glad it all worked out.....business class is the only way to fly overseas!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Joyce, you totally crack me up! Back in my flying days, I had a few moments like that, but that is when I met people like Davy Jones, Peter Frampton and Red Auerbach. Steve Forbes, I'd know.
    I'd travel with you any day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a great story! Did you at least get a photo with him?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I knew you were going to Asia ... but I didn't realize you had gone already ... I thought it was in the next month or two. I can't wait to hear more about your trip!

    And yay on having the daughters home for Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  7. While I would have enjoyed talking to Steve Forbes too I love your story. I'm glad you got to be with your husband for the flight.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Awesome! Loved the story! I would have acted the same way. This one will go down as one of my favorite Joyce posts. I hope you get a chance to recup and get everything done.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love this... Readit out loud to my husband and we both had a good laugh! It is so something I would have done... Makes me feel better that I am not the only person in the world who does these kinds of things.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I laughed out loud at this one! You were very smart to get business class seats. That flight back in the "cattle pen" is no fun. I've done both. Hubby once gave up his business class seat for me as well. Pretty sure the squeaky wheel has something to do with it. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow, now that's a story to share. I'm glad you and your husband got to sit together on that 14+ hours flight.
    : )

    Susanne
    PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh how funny! I can just see you hubs over on the other side, enjoying every minute of this. lol Looking forward to reading your adventure!
    until next time... nel

    ReplyDelete
  13. Really? You'd think he'd have his own plane. I bet I can guess what your "C" word will be. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well that is just too cool! So glad your seats worked out. I seldom sleep on a plane so I do not envy that 14 hour flight.

    ReplyDelete
  15. i wouldn't have known who he was ... i googled a picture ... now i'll know! glad you had a good trip.
    Happy Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Crazy! I can't wait to hear about the rest of your adventures! :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hilarious! Glad you got to finally sit together, even if you did have to beg the billionaire! Funny, he's probably telling this story as I type...wonder what he's saying?! hehe!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I thoroughly enjoyed this picture and laughed out loud for quite a while for sure. WOW! That is an exciting start to your trip to Asia. :) Thanks for sharing your story with us :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love it, and that is just the beginning. Tell me, does it get any better than this? How funny!

    ReplyDelete
  20. LOL... if it had been me, my husband would most certainly have said "my wife is nuts!"

    ReplyDelete
  21. Too funny!! I'm sure Mr Forbes is used to people falling all over him and this may have been good to keep his ego in check:)

    I must say you do lead a very exciting life!

    ReplyDelete
  22. LOVE it... my hubby is leaving for China & I wish I was going with... maybe when the kids get older.. sigh... I agree.. you do lead an exciting life. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm so glad you're back! It sounds like your adventure got off to an exciting start, and I can't wait to hear more :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. You are so funny Joyce! Sounds like you had a great seat though.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yeah "B" is for Billionaire. Oh gosh. What's more interesting? Your husband sitting in the seat assigned to Steve Forbes or the knowledge that Steve Forbes, billionaire, flies commercial? You were certainly off to a rip-roaring start. :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I think, had I recognized Steve Forbes, I might have debated just a moment or two about whether or not I wanted him to swap seats after all. : ) and yes, I do think it would be very fun to travel with you!

    ReplyDelete