Flight Fails

Thank goodness for WordPress for iPhone, I am able to document in real time what’s going on in this plane. If anyone knows the Dockerys, they know that nothing can be simple, easy or without some form of “excitement”. This trip is already turning out to be no different.
After boarding the plane and getting comfy (or as comfy as you can be in a sardine can) in our seats, the pilot announces that during the walk thru they discovered a hydraulic leak in the braking system. No bueno. He says that they have to get the part and replace it so the delay looked to be at least an hour. He says that all the remaining flights to LA are fil so we just have to “sit tight”. Them thar sound like fightin words….
I have to admit I’m impatient and I can have a short fuse when you are messing with my vacation…my very expensive vacation. So I had already planned out in my mind the scene I would cause in the event that we didn’t make our connection in LAX to HNL. Needless to say I had to put those thoughts aside when after about 30 minutes the pilot announced that the work was complete. They must have some Houdini’s working in AA maintenance. In fact, I know they do, my dad did that job for nearly 40 years.
Now to the “best” part….as I write this we are about an hour or so into the flight… My daughter taps my shoulder and points at her lap. I look down and see something liquid-like and chunky on her lap. I’m like wtf is that? (minus the f, insert “heck”) She points behind us and I look at her armrest, seatbelt and seat which is covered in…yup you got it…vomit.
The lady behind us apparently had a projectile moment and completely missed her barf bag target. I don’t know how I kept so calm but I went directly into mommy mode and whipped out the antibacterial Lysol wipes I had brought in my purse. Here I was cleaning up a strangers puke. All those hotel management classes about pathogens and bodily fluids suddenly came to memory.
The flight attendant, bless his heart was SO upset. He gave us towels soaked in soapy water, plastic bags to stuff in between the seats and fought with the first class flight attendant to give us a few of the highly coveted, secret blankets made of gold. Well, not quite made of gold but you’d think they were by the way he had to beg for them for his lowly coach passengers! He also gave us free snacks (not that I had much of an appetite after this escapade) and kept apologizing profusely as if he were the one that puked! I told him there was nothing I can do about it, it happens. I haven’t even had any alcohol yet. I’d say I’m doing pretty good.
LAX in about an hour or so now! Hopefully the next flight is I uneventful and vomit-free.

Amber wrapped in plastic bags and blankets!