Ahhhhhhhhhhh...Thunk, Thunk, thunk

What you have just read is the sound of me cyber screaming and then hitting my head against the wall (that's right, three times). It's been THAT kind of day. My day started out at 5am when Analise decided it was time to get up - of course, I thought it was 6am-because no matter how many clocks you change you still end up forgetting the only clock that you actually use. Very quickly I found out that my destiny for the day was not to deliver Ana to her parents downstairs and then return to my peaceful slumber upstairs as I found that downstairs a Poison concert of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was taking place in the kitchen. In "Manda" world...that means that my phone was ringing off the hook.
You see, Dereje was supposed to be in the United States today, but I have the unfortunate news to report that he was held up by an Airline that is now on my LIST (I don't have a list, but if I did...this airline would be numero uno)!
This airline's name makes my skin boil just thinking about it...so, I have chosen to rename it.
From now on I will call this airline:

Stick to Another Airline or,
Stay Away Always or, when I'm in a more endearing mood,
South African A!%&*#@#

When Dereje went to get on his flight Sunday evening he was told by this stellar airline that his flight was cancelled. No problem, just spend the night in a hotel room that said airline can pay for. The next morning - planning on boarding the flight, Dereje was told that he can't get on because he needs a transit visa to go through London. NO HE DOESN'T (I wasn't so sure of this fact at five in the morning, but when I called my Dad - 4am his time - he was darned sure). My Dad was so sure that he didn't need a visa that he actually did something very useful while Dereje and I proceeded to run around in circles like hamsters trying to figure out who or what would help us - my Dad called the Demon Spawn airlines directly in South Africa and engaged them in an educational session called READING the freaking guidelines.
Turns out that once the (horned-adorned) agent read it for the third time he uttered something to the effect of, "wait, you're right...he doesn't need a visa" - genius, idiot, genius.
So, Dereje is currently still in South Africa, living it up again in a hotel room and counting the hours until he actually gets to leave the Johannesburg airport...for those of you counting, he leaves in about 20 hours. My advice?

STICK to ANOTHER AIRLINE.