To Hell and Back...How I learned to love Montreal

It was planned perfectly. I had worked it out with the concierge to have a nice room, champagne, and even a limo. She was flying in on Thursday and then spending the next 4 days exploring Montreal. American Airlines had other ideas.

Around noon I get a frantic call..."Bogart, I don't know what to do. They are saying that my flight is delayed 4 hours and may be cancelled."

I call the airlines. I am a Gold Onepass person (all it means is that I fly too much!), they have to be willing to help me right?

Nope.

Around 12:30 I get another, this time tear stained call..."They cancelled all my flights. They can't get me into Montreal until Saturday night. This is a disaster. I don't know what to do. I just want to get to Montreal and spend the weekend with you."

I will be the hero. The night in shinning armor. I will fix it. I am a man...no, I am THE MAN. I can fix this. I am going to show you how good I am.

I call other airlines. Somebody has to be able to get her to Montreal tonight? Wrong again Bogart! 6 airlines, way too much time on my cell from a foreign country and deniles all over. There is just no way that anyone can get her to Montreal in time.

I then did what every other self-respecting, successful and confident man does...I called my mommy.

"Mommy, *sniffle, sniffle*, I don't know what to do. The airlines just cancelled her flight and, and, and *sniffle, gargle, sniffle* they say they can't get her here until Saturday," *sniffle, sniffle, snort*, "and we have these tickets for Friday and this nice hotel room and dinner reservations and a limo..."

Yes, I am a man. 31 years old. Talking to my mommy and asking her to fix my broken trip.

The calls frantically go back and forth. Me to Claire...Claire to me...Me to the airline...Me to my mommy...Mommy to the airline...Mommy to Claire...

There was some praying in there too...I mean, c'mon, you don't leave the Big Guy out of these types of things...I had tickets man...TICKETS!!!

4 hours later we had a solution.

"Southwest will be able to get you into Albany, New York at noon on Friday. I will rent a car, drive 3 1/2 hours to Albany, pick you up, drive 3 1/2 hours back to Montreal, just in time to shower and make it to our 5pm dinner and the Jazz Fest at 7! Not ideal, but perfect!"

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Part two involves a California License, a Canadian Car, a felony speeding ticket, and a possible trip to jail.