Never Forget...

As a senior in high school when the events of 9/11 occurred I watched in English in a strange awe of seeing airplanes crash into the towers, my immediate thoughts went into my dreams and aspirations of wanting to work there one day, it wasn't until that evening and watching it all night and seeing people jumping for their lives that I started to realize people were/had dying/died... each

year since that day my sensitivities of the events have grown more and more...and I know that, just like my grandmother's memory of Pearl Harbor, and the fear my mom describes of the Soviets  when she was little, and the sound of my dad's voice when he described events of MLK'S assassination and later the sounds of guns and bombs in the distance when he was in Kuwait, Uncle's who remember Vietnam...when I go to tell my children about this day, it will be a time when they will see their mother kind of squirm looking for the words to explain such a horrific situation to occur in her lifetime. I think what I want them to take away from everything is the unification that America made quickly after the attacks, and even though currently we are at odds within this country now, I really want them to see how at that time we all held hands, as one race....under the Star Spangled Banner we were one.....I hope we can get back to that without another catastrophic event occurring.... 
Never Forget....

Lost Luggage

Bad luck Dani... I have had two episodes of "lost" luggage. 

The first instance of "lost" luggage occurred, but luckily I got it delivered to the hotel that night at about 10pm... so my weekend was saved... but then there was Alaska Air... smh and the trip that could have been the worst if it weren't for my awesomeness and my true optimism... first let's go back to 2014 and Lexington Toy and Comic Con.... 

One the East Coast in March its still pretty much winter like Blizzards happen... so it wasn't odd that flights were delayed or late... this caused me to get to North Carolina just in time for my flight to Kentucky, with literally no time to spare. So I arrive in Kentucky to NO luggage... I am just like OF COURSE!!! But I didn't freak out I just talked to the people who said the luggage was on its way. I went to my hotel and prayed to  Jesus.  I was making plans to wear the con's tee... after fries and a drink at the bar as the night moved on I went to the front desk one last time just to see if maybe my bag was there and it was...I was thanking the Lord for sure!!! 

SO the first tip on Lost Luggage is: Stay Optimistic

This is just for your emotional state... no one likes to see any one be sad, crying, angry, outrage... just relax... it doesn't help to have you worry about it... you being sad, mad, or worried won't bring the bag back.... Just breath and smile..... 

SO fast forward to August 2016 Power Morphicon... 

I decide let's take a straight flight to LAX and I won't have to worry about the luggage... WRONG!!!!

I get to the airport slightly late... BUT the chick at the counter told them ONE more is on the way... I get to LAX and NOTHING!!!!! 

I was kind of mad but whatever I stayed calm and put in my claim.... 

That is tip number 2 after remaining calm go over to baggage claim and tell them what's up they will let you know that they will get your luggage to you as soon as they can or they will reimburse you for whatever you have to pay for cause of this lost bag.... I head on over to Pasadena.... With practically nothing....

I check in to the Hotel, Check-in to the con... meet and greet friends... check out the con floor and afterwards I call the airport who tells me "dfghjk';lkjhgfdsfghjkl;';lkjhgfdsfghjkl" which translates to a bunch of crap... by like 5 pm that evening I had a feeling I would not have my luggage so tip number 3 is:

 HAVE EMERGENCY MONEY!!! 

I didn't exactly plan emergency money but I wasn't hurting either... tip number 4: 

Use GPS to find a store.

I didn't have a car... with Uber you can do like anything, PLUS everything I needed for the convention was walking distance, but I didn't know Pasadena from a can of paint... first I looked up Ross, it was too far, so I tried Forever 21 which(randomly) was nearby. Now tip number 5 is: 

Try to be frugal. 

If you didn't plan on an emergency, you have to watch your budget. Forever 21 isn't expensive, but $20 and $20 is $40 and $40 was the cost of my uber ride back.... (didn't realize Pasadena is HELLA far from LA) and I hadn't even really begun to get all the autographs/photos with Rangers, and I needed to eat (even tho during con life I barely eat, but that is a different blog) so I needed to find the clearance  section.... I was able to get a cute shirt for $5 and a cute skirt for $5... awesome deal right!!! I also bought a comb and a pair of undies. Which is tip number 6: 

If you don't do anything else buy some underwear... (bras have a longer life expectancy than panties so what you do about that... I will leave that to your discretion.) 

My mom tells me to keep this kind of stuff in my carry on but I never do... Tip number 7: 

Listen to your mom, more than likely she is right. 

SO I head back to my hotel... and of course call the baggage. New story... from them that sounded more like I wouldn't be getting  my luggage... now I was mad... now previously I said stay calm and smile.... sometimes there comes a point where you get a little mad. I grabbed some food, went back to my room called the airport I got more garbage from them. I actually don't want to talk about them anymore at the end the day... the luggage wasn't going to make it... which really disgusted me and while I was all alone I cried like a 6 year old little girl. I called my mom LOL!! Remember tip number 7: Listen to your mom... yeah repeat that step. She made me feel a lot better (she made me feel like I could conquer the world in the little outfit I bought from Forever 21) and said you know you can hand wash your underwear and use a blowdryer to dry them.... 

This is tip number 8: Hand wash your draws... I guess you can do this if you are a guy too, but girls most def.... and I did have to use the hotel blowdryer the next day to dry them LOL!!! (They hadn't completely dried) 

Tip Number 9 is: 

Go to the front desk a the Hotel and ask for toiletries... these are usually complimentary items.... the hotel gave me a toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant. And all the hotels I have ever stayed in have shampoo, conditioner, soaps, etc in the rooms.  

 

Tip Number 10 is: Buy t'shirts at the con. 

If you are at a convention 9 times out 10 there are t'shirts, they might be free or you may have to pay... go for it.... I bought one tee from Johnny Yong Bosch and one from the people who run Lexington Toy and Comic Con...(they had a booth with an awesome Pink ranger tee) 

BY the way these are tips for a weekend situation, if I had of been there a whole week I may have had some problems for sure...of course some of these tips may help...also had I been there a week I would have been able to get my luggage. 

So I bought a t-shirt and even tho I said I was going to wear the jeans I had on the day before I found an upscale consignment shop around the corner, and got another pair of jeans... I also bought a back pack because at this point I needed a way to carry all my stuff.... 

When ever thing was said and done...I get back to the airport...and Tip number 11 is to make sure the airline reimburses you for the things you had to buy.... 

SO review: 

1.) Stay Optimistic

2.)Remain Calm 

3.)Have Emergency Money

4.) Use GPS

5.) Try to be Frugal

6.) Buy underwear 

7.) Listen to your Mom 

8.) Hand wash underwear

9.) Ask the hotel for toiletries 

10.) Buy Convention t-shirts

11.) Get reimbursed by the airport

AND extra... never check your luggage again...  DO NOT check you luggage always carry on.... smh.... 

I made it through this situation...you can get through it too!!!