The LONGEST 90 minute flight

Flying is awesome- I wouldn't drive on any long trips if I didn't have to. However, there are times when I seriously wonder if driving would have been faster and less frustrating. For example... Paul was originally supposed to fly home this evening- leave at 5 p.m. from Salt Lake, connect in L.A. and get into SLO around 8 p.m. Easy enough. Well, his conference got done (or he was done with it) ahead of schedule, so he thought he would try to get on an earlier flight. His new flight was supposed to leave Salt Lake at 11 and get in at noon. Avery was so excited- I told her that we would go get daddy at the airport as soon as I picked her up from school. She was sorely disappointed when we got a call that the flight had been delayed due to fog in San Luis- which if funny to me, because we were here looking at bright blue, beautifully clear skies?! Then I got a call that they were finally boarding. Then another call- 45 minutes later- to tell me they were sitting on the tarmack waiting while they made a repair on the plane. Yet another call to tell me they were being de-boarded and switched to another plane that had not yet arrived. Finally, (or so we thought) Paul called to let me know they were boarding the new plane and that we should head to the airport in an hour and a half or so. The time came for us to go pick him up. We got to the airport (which is VERY fortunately 2 minutes down the road from our house), got everyone out, only to find out that Paul's flight is not even listed on the arrivals board?! I was just about to go ask someone about it when Paul called- all I have to say at this point is... THANK HEAVENS for cell phones! Turns out that his plane had to make an EMERGENCY landing in Fresno due to faulty landing gear! I am just so glad I didn't know anything about it before he was safe on the ground (I am a little bit of a worry wort when it comes to things like that). He didn't know anything at that point other than they were going to try to fix the problem. I had to load the girls back in the car- with Avery screaming "NO CAR- I WANT DADDY! I WANT TO GET DADDY!" Trying to explain all of this to a 3 year old who wants her daddy is futile at best. Candy and a "show" in the car on the 2 minute drive home was the only thing that diffused the situation. Next call- the police and fire departments have to do and investigation, since it was an emergency landing- no idea how long it will take. Later... I have lost track of time at this point... Paul calls to let me know that they were now going to be put on a BUS for the 3 hour trip home. For any of you that know Paul, you can only imagine how furious he is at all of this! A trip from Utah that should have taken 90 minutes has now become a 10 hour ordeal! I know it takes 12 hours to drive (we just made that drive a few weeks ago)- that means he shaved a whole 2 hours off the trip! Or he could have just stuck with his original flight and gotten home at the same time! ARGGGGGGGGGGG! Oh well! It has been a test of patience if nothing else! Paul just called to let me know that they are almost here, so I have to get the girls in the car and FINALLY go pick up my husband- a task I have been trying to mark off my list ALL DAY!