RT 2009, Day One: A Loooooooong F'ing Day

Damn, is that title an understatement.

I got up a bit before seven this morning and helped the hubby get the ten year old off to school. Grabbed a quick shower, wrote a blog post, finished packing, got the five year old up and dressed (okay, Dusty mostly got the five year old ready), and was out the door by ten thirty for my flight.

Which was, of course, delayed.

So I arrived in Orlando about two hours later than I planned. Got my bags, hitched them to my scooter, and headed for the rental car place, planning on hitting the kiosk, my car, and the highway, in that order.

The kiosks were down. No idea when they'd be back up.

Gah.

So I waited in line and tried not to run over the very cute, very energetic three year old in front of me. Half an hour later, the man behind the desk says, You know, that scooter might not fit into a mid-size SUV. Let's say we upgrade.

Okay, says I. Let's.

I cross the street and hit the elevator, because scooters just do not do well on escalators. Go figure. I ask where the regular size SUVs are and I'm given a location.

Only one problem. The parking spots are empty.

EMPTY.

So I head back, and the nice man insists he told me I could take a mid-size instead. Like I'm going to pay an extra one hundred dollars for having the privilege of renting the car I wanted in the first place. Downsize me back, please?

Seven o'clock. Can't get the GPS to work because I'm still in the parking lot. Thank god I know where International Drive is even if I don't know exactly where the hotel is. See? Disney every other year really DOES pay off, dear!

Find hotel, check in, ask where I need to go to sign in as an author. Around the bend, look for the signs, no problem.

Except they stopped signing people in at six.

Grrr.

Head to room, which, by the way, is supposed to be handicap friendly. If this is handicap friendly, I'd hate to see hostile.

Argh.

Eight thirty. Starving. Ready to chew off own arm. A fiber apple muffin and a soft pretzel just aren't enough food for me. Head to Friendlies for some chocolate ice cream therapy.

Ahhh. Much better.

Head back to room and discover that high speed internet is a luxury, not a privilege. If I want it I need to go back to the main part of the hotel, prop my feet up on a coffee table, open my laptop and pray.

I am using my cell phone as a modem to post this.

And now, at roughly ten thirty at night, I've updated the buy links on my website and I'm ready to collapse. I'll post a bit more tomorrow after I get back from dinner.

I'm here. I'm alive. And I'm already jonesing for my Verizon FiOS.