Tough Job Part 2

A couple weeks ago I told you about "having" to travel to Jordan again--this time for work. We stayed at this magnificent hotel on the Dead Sea. Enjoyed a lovely evening of facial and massage hot stone rubs (on my own dime, the school DIDN'T pay for that!). Had a great time laughing with colleagues.
What I probably shouldn't tell you, but I will, is that we almost didn't make it to the place. My travelling companions were our principal, BL and the Athletic Director, LR. We get along very well and it was the support of these two people which helped make my first year as Activities Director go as well as it did.

So, here we are...three very organized, intelligent, in-charge type people getting ready to take a flight, which is something we can do very well. LR and I plan trips for our teams and regularily send out students and teachers. BL being the principal of a school of over 500 HS students so you know he knows what he's doing.

We look at our tickets and head off to Gate 26C. It's a long way down the corridor but we've got plenty of time. LR and I stop off and leave BL to head into the waiting area. When we return a couple minutes later, he's already inside and waving us into the area. We try to enter and the guard stops us. "NO you cannot go in here Madam", he said with authority. "Yes," I say, "our friend is already there (pointing to BL) and we're heading to Amman". I am thinking to myself, Silly man we do this for a living, don't try and stop me. He then sternly tells me that the flight is going to CAIRO. "No, " I say again, this time with MORE authority, "it says right here GATE 26C." He looks at my ticket, looks at me with a smirk on his face and says, "Madam, 26C is your seat assignment. This plane is going to Cairo. You are departing from Gate 1." LR and I look at the tickets, look at BL who is getting ready to join the line to board the plane and yell, "B-get out of there, the plane is going to Cairo and we've got to be at Gate 1". Meanwhile, the guard is enjoying himself immensely and proceeds to tell his working partner that these stupid Americans have tried to board a plane based on the seat assignment (I can't understand Arabic but I can understand gestures and laughter!) BL hurriedly exits the area (never did figure out why they let him in!) and we hustle down the corridor, laughing so hard we can barely stand up. Fortunately Gate 1 isn't very far and we arrive at there with tears in our eyes, shrieking at our stupidity. "We do this for a living!" I keep repeating and then fall into hysterics again. Needless to say, it started off a weekend of "going to Cairo" jokes.

As I write this, I realize that this is probably one of those "you had to be there" stories and it won't be as funny to you as it was to us. But it definately is GREAT to work with people who you can laugh with and laugh at and still get along.

PS BL says that if I ever tell anyone this story that I "am dead". So if you don't hear from me again, you know that he kept his promise. JK