For a couple of days during the holidays, I felt like I was living in a different world than everyone else, like what I believed to be true was actually only in my imagination. I felt like I needed to shake my head real hard or have someone awaken me from my “coma.” It was the strangest thing.

It started first with my parents’ flight to Denver from Little Rock on Christmas Day. About 2:15 our time, I checked their flight’s status on line only to discover that, according to Travelocity and to the United web page, their 6:49 p.m. flight was pulling out of the gate at that very moment, 3:16 p.m. CST. I immediately called United Airlines, knowing that there must be a problem with the computer information. To make an incredibly, incredibly, incredibly LLLOOOOOONNNNGGGGG story short, the customer service rep told me that the flight had indeed left 3 1/2 hours EARLY due to a crew change. She also told me that the decision had been made only a few hours before and that my parents were notified. Of course, my parents weren’t home on Christmas Day but later discovered that they had never received an e-mail or a phone call regarding the change. We were all very upset, and the customer service rep re-booked my parents for the following night on an American Airlines flight.

The next evening, my mother called me very upset from the Little Rock airport saying that the United attendant told her that their previous flight had left on time and that they would not be honoring her American tickets because she just didn’t show up for the flight. Huh? I got on the computer only to discover that the flight was now posted as on time. Where was I? How could the flight have shown as having left 3 1/2 hours early in all computers and yet it was actually on time? I felt so confused! Finally, after a VERY rude Mrs. Carter in Little Rock would not even speak to my parents and after my being on the phone with a VERY helpful man in India for an hour, my parents were able to board their flight in Little Rock on American Airlines.

Fast forward….Rowland bought me a precious new Westie that we call Cricket (again!). I made an appointment for her to be spayed and boarded while we were out-of-town skiing. The receptionist had to okay the drop-off with the vet because we would not be present for her check-up, and they had never seen her before. I had it all worked out to leave her at 7:00 a.m. the morning we left town and for her to be spayed the next day and be picked up the following day. On Christmas Day, I listened to my messages and discovered a call from the vet’s office telling me that my “appointment was confusing. Please call.” Obviously, I couldn’t call, and the person calling told me that my appointment would be at 11:00 a.m., then I could leave Cricket to be spayed and boarded. Since my parents didn’t make it into town on Christmas, I was able to keep the 11:00 appointment the next day. At 10:15 that morning, as I was getting ready, the receptionist called to ask where Cricket was. “Are you not still bringing her in this morning? I thought you were going to drop her off at 7:00.” Huh? I explained the phone call that I had received and told her that I would be there at 11:00. Where was I? Confused…….

And my confusion didn’t end there. According to her papers, Cricket was born in May 2007. I took her to the vet at 11:00, and as the vet examined her teeth, he discovered that her 4 - 6 month molars were already all the way in, which was unusual for a dog of her age. He also discovered that those “new” molars as well as the rest of her puppy mouth had HORRIBLE buildup on her gums and teeth! He said that from an examination of her teeth alone, he would guess that she was 1 1/2 years old. It went exactly like this: “When was she born?” “In May 2007.” “May 2007? Maybe May 2006 but not May 2007!” “But I have papers and shots for Cricket showing that she was born in May 2007.” “You have records for SOME dog born in May 2007.” Huh?

I’d like to say that my confusion ended there. Fortunately, it was followed by the normal confusion of life. If you’ve read this blog very many times, you know that I seem to live in a constant state of confusion. Remember my forgetting my birthday girl at school? Point made! At least I’m back to “normal?” Huh?????