TSA employees have travel days from hell, too.

Hey everyone,

I made it back to Vegas on Saturday afternoon. It was another eventful trip. As I mentioned before, we were waiting in DC while the NSF HQ and our travel agent made arrangements to return us to wherever we came from. So we had free time to catch up on training, travel around DC, relax in the hotel, etc. By Thursday, it seemed like about half of the NSF had their travel orders. The other half got them on Friday...except me. No itinerary, no deployment orders, no nothing. I mentioned this to a couple of my team leads late Friday morning, but they just shrugged it off and said to check later that night. I helped with a training class on our payroll system until 5:00 pm then I went into DC to do a little more site seeing. When I got back to my hotel, I checked my email...STILL NOTHING!

By this time I'm getting a little nervous because everyone I've talked to has their orders. It was late so instead of calling, I sent out an email to all our team leads asking for help. I wasn't sleeping well and decided to get up and do something. Checked my email obsessively, 6:00 am still nothing. Went down stairs to the fitness center expecting one of the leads to call me as soon as they got my email. 7:30 I am exhausted from workout, still no word. Back up to my room, nothing in my email. 8:00 Went down to the lobby hoping to find someone who knows something. One NSF leaving for the airport to catch his flight gavw me the number for our travel agent. I called it and got transferred to an emergency number because they are closed on the weekends. They can't search by name and they repeatedly asked me for my flight information (departure time, flight number, etc.), which of course I didn't know. 8:30 a team lead called me and gave me the travel agent number. Too late, already tried that. He said he'd call me back. 8:45 called back wanted to know when the others going to Vegas were leaving. I made several calls to find out then called the Area Coordinator. He wanted to get me on one of their flights. He said he'd call back.

Meanwhile I started packing, still didn't know when I'd be leaving. Decided to wait on showering because I couldn't afford to miss a call. 10:05 am team lead called to see if I'm ready to go. Tells me my flight departs at 12:40. I tell him I need some time. I hop in the shower. 10:15 team lead calls again to see if I want I ride. I tell him I'm not ready and I'll try to catch the hotel shuttle at 10:30. Run around like a mad woman. Get downstairs by 10:30 shuttles still there but I need to check out of my room. There are two people in front of me and one lady behind the desk in no particular hurry. @!#$&%! 10:35 shuttle leaves, next shuttle isn't until 11:00.

Shuttle leaves hotel late then drops others off first. 11:40 finally arrive at airport. Fortunately, there is no line. I have 1 hour layover in Chicago where I have to change airlines. Kiss my bags goodbye, get in line for security. Additional screening for me because my ticket was purchased last minute. 12:00 through security, 10 minutes until boarding. Buy lunch, board.

1:50 pm arrive in Chicago, my bags were checked through but still have to figure out where my gate is and see if I can get my boarding pass at the gate. It's a hike to a shuttle that brings me to the correct concourse. Find the gate, ask if I can check in. Gate agent says I have go out of security to the ticket counter. It's now about 2:00 pm. My flight boards in 20 minutes. She sees the panicked expression on my face and says she was just joking. Tee hee...not very funny.

Surprisingly enough my bags and I reunited in Las Vegas without incident. (Sigh of relief) Can't believe I made it back. Start to think I should kept my mouth shut and spent another day in DC.