OK, I'm feeling a bit stupid, but grateful! My ring reappeared! Yea!!! Happened to be in my other carry on item (my c-pap machine bag)---which, by the way, we both had checked--multiple times! Not like there are a bunch of compartments in it (like my camera bag has!)---it only has 2!!! Still don't know how we both missed it; especially since there was nothing else in the bag! But when I went to pack up the machine, there it was. So I'll take stupid and happy any day under these circumstances!!! But boy we could have avoided a lot of stress and aggravation if it had appeared sooner! Although I did come out of it with another ring!!! Wonder if I could get by with this strategy if I plan it?!
Anyway---even though I'm always sad to be leaving Hawaii, I was feeling pretty happy after packing up the c-pap machine! So happy, that when my phone started acting up, it didn't even phase me---much. I could make a call, and the phone would ring if someone called, but I couldn't hear anything through the inside speaker of the phone. Searched the internet for suggestions of what I might have accidentally done to cause that, but didn't have any luck. Even texted my daughter-in-law who owned the phone previously. She couldn't diagnose it over texts, either.
But, alas, it was time to hit the road and make our way to Costco for our last tank of gas, then off to the airport. Our flight was a 2:02 flight on American Airlines. Used miles from our credit card to fly free again. Originally we were suppose to fly out later in the evening, but they eliminated that flight and put us on the 2:02 flight to LAX, then to Charlotte, then something like an 8 hour layover!, then to ATL on a puddle jumper. A few weeks before our flight, LAX-ATL red eye came available for the OGG-ATL super savers award points which made it the same amount of points that I had originally used (20,000), so I switched us to that flight. Now we would get into ATL about 7am on the 23rd instead of evening. Gotta love flying and all the flight schedule changes!!!
On our way to the airport, Ken asked if my Bluetooth headphones were on. Good question!!! So I shut the Bluetooth off on my phone and presto, the phone worked right again. I had charged my bluetooth headphones the night before and must have inadvertently turned them on. With them close to the phone, sound was being sent to my headphones. I've sure made this trip interesting!!!
Got to the airport about 11:15. I dropped Ken off at the airport with the luggage and I went and returned the car for the past month--a Nissan Pathfinder SUV. By the time I got back to the airport, Ken was already checked in. Even paid to check our 3rd bag (2 of the 3 were actually carry on suitcases). We got 2 free checked bags for being AA Citi card holders. They wouldn't do a courtesy check at the ticket counter this time for the 3rd bag (like Alaska had done on the way out), so he paid the $35. Of course, when we got to the gate, they were courtesy checking them.
(Once we were home, AA sent an email link to a survey on how our travel went. As I was filling it out, it said if we had any "problems", feel free to email customer service. I figured, why not? So I emailed and mentioned the fee for checking the one carry on bag then finding out it was free at the gate. In a couple days, they sent a voucher for the $35 to be used within a year. They didn't have to do that, but I'm glad they did. Used it for my flight to Jackson Hole in Sept. 2018.)
We were TSA PRE approved. Got through security very quickly and to the gate with a couple hours to spare. That's when I worked on the blog post for 2-21 and got it uploaded right as it was time to board.
It was a rainy day---It's so much nicer leaving on a dreary rainy day. Or maybe it's just because I was still elated from finding my ring. Also was nice that we had a row of 3 seats for the 2 of us.
we were on the right side of the plane so these are looking SE and taken with my phone.
About 7am CST we were landing in ATL---right as the sun was coming up. Took us a little over an hour to deplane, get our luggage, and make our way to the train to take us to the car rental center. It's like Vegas---the car rental center is a distance away from the airport. I was able to get a 1 way rental for $33 to pick a car up here and drop it off in Buford near where we live so our daughter didn't have to fight rush hour through the city to pick us up. I was surprised that there was hardly anyone in the car rental building. We were able to walk right up to the Enterprise counter and get our rental papers. Then to the garage where we had our choice of full size cars. We pretty much flew through Atlanta! Since there were 2 of us, we rode in the HOV lane and hardly had to slow down at all. Got to our apartment in a record time of about 50 minutes.
All in all, a pretty great ending to a pretty great vacation! With a very unexpected twist!
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