Mishaps, meltdowns and other previously unreported stuff...

Every good movie has it's blooper reel, and for me, every great trip has one too. Here are all the great little ditties that I didn't share in my daily recaps ...

I cried intermitently throughout the flight from Atlanta to San Francisco ... no idea why, totally random, but once I was in my rental car I was like Wonder Woman on a mission.

If you sleep through food service on Delta, there are no make-ups.

When flying to the West Coast on Delta, you will be asked to pay $6.95 for your movie. However, if you hold out you can see the same movie for free on the way back East. Explain that to me.

I successfully alluded a stalker at the Cooking for Solutions Gala. Definitely not my type since, I don't really like stalkers.

I overflowed my bath tub at the Intercontinental in Monterey not once, but twice. On the second try it took one oversized bath mat, two bath sheets, 1 robe and 4 hand towels to sop up all of the water.

A deep breath, some well timed tears (I had just dropped my 60 lb. suitcase on my foot -- when the handle broke), and a slightly askew t-shirt will save you $90 in "over-weight luggage fees" at SFO. You just have to know how to work it.

I am an over-packer. On my next trip, and before I ever make it out of my bedroom, I hope to realize that I will never wear 80% of what is in my suitcase. And hopefully, I will go back into the closet and pack a smaller bag. Bruised feet and egos (see crying at Delta check-in)do not make for a happy Courtney.

Finally, Moms really do know best. When I told my Mom that the handle broke on my suitcase (again! the second of the set of three) that she bought me, she said ... "do you think maybe the handles break because you have so much stuff in your suitcase and it weighs 10 lbs. more than the airlines will even allow..." Honestly, that fact never occurred to me. And, I wonder where I get my sarcasm.