Blessing in Disguise

About a month ago I started getting serious about finalizing our plans for this trip. I had found the rental car that we wanted: minivan, unlimited miles, the right price ... I tried to reserve it and it would not go through. Closed for scheduled maintenance. I called the company, same thing, computers down for maintenance. They said to call in a few hours. Well it was already really late, (or really early) so I decided to wait until the next day.

I got online the next morning- and everything had changed. The prices, the mileage, AND there were now driving restrictions on what state you could go to. 

So we kept checking around- no mini vans to be found- but we did find 7 passenger SUV's - We jumped on the reservation- I spoke to the attendant, explained that I really wanted a mini van, and that we needed 6 seats- He apologized and said that there were only SUV's -So we made the reservation.

The vehicle was supposed to be a Toyota Highlander- no storage space- but what we were going to do? I kept praying that if there was any way for a better car to fit our family to be available when we went to pick it up...or to be able to be content with what we got.

I called several times to check on minivans- nothing. 

So its 5- we walk in to the building to pick up our rental. And the woman behind the counter says- "we have a chevy trailblazer for you." 

Jay and I look at each other and then back at her. 

Jay asks how many seats there are.

She answers "5."

Hmmm problem- we are a 6 seat family-

She says "sorry."

Sorry? 

"Well there are no other rentals"  

I told her that we had asked for 6 seats.

"well, we don't guarantee our reservations, and we reserve for 5 to 7 seats. "

She asked how many kids we had-

We answered 4-

Then the guy next to her asks "well how many are in carseats?"

We said 2-

And then he just kind of looked at us- Like he was thinking of how to fit 6 people into a 5 passenger car. 

Jay quickly explained how bad of an idea it would be for us to try and do that.

The poor gal- started calling around- and could not find anything- 

We told her to keep checking. 

We asked her to call Tulsa and have someone drive it down for us-she looked at us like we had to be joking , (we were not) and then said "I don't think we can do that."

She went into the back to talk on the phone- then came back out, and said if we hurried over to the airport we could trade the Chevy Trailblazer for a really big SUV- 

We hurried to the airport.

Shaking our heads all the way- ready to not back down if they could not help us.

Shaking our heads that they thought we could squeeze a family of 6 into a 5 passenger car.

Shaking our heads at the lack of customer service.

We got to the airport walked into the rental area, and were told, 

"Yea, we got a call, but we don't have any cars for you."

The woman quickly called a supervisor over, after we very calmly explained that we were told to come exchange this car for something that seats at least 6-

The supervisor looks at us and says 

"well, all I can give you is a minivan."

"Great." we say, "we'll take it."

Again ... 

we left shaking our heads and wondering how you can reserve something for 6 and then be given something for 5-

shaking our heads at the "mysterious" turn up of a minivan after being told there was nothing to rent.

shaking our heads with smiles on our faces- that we got what we really truly wanted-

What a blessing.