I'm in Tampa, Wherethetuckismybag?

Some how, some way I survived three and a half straight days of work!  It's always inspiring to visit our hospitals to see and hear first hand of the great work they are doing.  This was extra special because it gave me the opportunity to spend some time with some very special friends at Gordon Hospital in Calhoun, Georgia.  Pete and Amy know me all too well and had a big cup of boiled peanuts waiting for me at lunch!  Who needs dessert when there are fresh, hot boiled peanuts to be eaten?
I also managed to slip in a visit to my favorite restaurant in Atlanta, The Varsity!  It's not the healthiest of meals but I think it would be downright un-American to go through there without stopping for a couple of chili dogs, onion rings and an orange frost.  Besides, I had oatmeal for breakfast yesterday morning so I'm pretty sure that it offset any potential damage from the chili dogs other than the barking they did a few hours later.
Beth and I generally have one rule of thumb when we fly, never, ever check a bag unless it's absolutely necessary.  Our philosophy is travel light and that there are two kinds of luggage, carry on and lost.  Yesterday afternoon I changed my Southwest flight home from Atlanta to an earlier flight.  In doing so I gave up my primo A-34 boarding position for a "you're sitting in the middle" C-30 position.  When I went to board I was told that all the overhead space had been taken and it would be necessary to check my bag at the gate.  Quite honestly I wasn't too worried for a couple of reasons.  First, by checking it at the gate it would be put on last and one of the first bags off.  Second, I love Southwest Airlines and surely they wouldn't mess up such a simple task as reconnecting me with my bag in Tampa.  Well..................
I got off  the lovely, short flight from Atlanta to Tampa excited about getting home a few hours early.  I head to baggage claim to pick up my bag with visions of being merrily on my way to the island in no time.  I wait and wait and wait and wait.  No bag!  The belt stops and still no bag!  I'm not really feeling the Southwest LUV now as I head over to speak to the two poor women who work in lost luggage.  They confirm that I have no bag and they have no idea where it could be.  They send me home bagless but with a nice letter telling me that they are sorry for the lost bag.  Nice letter but I'd rather have my bag!
No news through the evening so I go to bed bagless and without a clue of where it could possibly be vacationing.  This morning I received notification that my bag stayed on the plane in Tampa and ended up flying to Pittsburgh where it spent the night.  It flew back to Tampa and as I am writing this almost 24 hours later it is supposed to be on it's way to me. 
Normally it wouldn't be such a big deal but in this particular case I'm needing it quickly.  We've got a 7:05 flight tomorrow morning to kick off our next adventure and there is a little laundry to be done!
I'm still a big Southwest Airlines fan although not quite as much today!
Good news for tomorrows flights;  we're low B's for the Tampa to Chicago flight and middle A's for the Chicago to Louisville flight!  No lost luggage tomorrow..........hopefully!

Sometimes you just gotta do it!  Glad I don't live too close to Atlanta or pass through there too often.

Star Fish Company, Cortez, Fl on a Saturday afternoon.