Same Song Just Another Verse

Yesterday my flight was scheduled to leave at 7:00 a.m. That meant up at 4:30 which ended up being 4:39 since I didn't hear my alarm clock, and out the door at 5:30. I was at the airport in plenty of time. We boarded the plane pretty early, about 6:30 and then waited and waited. Finally the pilot came on that a mechanic was on his way. Twenty minutes or so later he said the mechanic had signed off and everything was good to go. Another five minutes later we pushed back from the gate and there was an awful grinding noise that kept going and going. We sat like that for about another five minutes and the taxied out and took off. We left closer to 8:00 than 7:00.

My connection in Detroit was to leave at 8:35 and I walked off the plane at 8:30. The agent at the gate said I'd missed the connection, but I hurried off to B1 from the end of terminal A. I ran up about 8:45 and while the door was closed the board didn't say the flight had left. The agent at that gate asked, "Huntsville?" When I affirmed that she said she was hoping I'd still make the flight. There was no pilot for the flight so they were waiting. She said he was delayed from another flight. I boarded and sat and sat. About 15 minutes later the co-pilot got on and said that they had called to make sure there was someone for the flight, and that pilot was in the airport on his way. All the paperwork was done so as soon as the pilot got there we could leave. About 15 minutes later the pilot came on board, stowed some gear at the back of the plane and went into the cockpit. About 5 minutes later he came on and said his original flight was cancelled so he was available for this one so as soon as they checked the weather and did the pre-flight work, we'd be ready to go. This certainly seemed contradictory to the other pilot's message. Twenty minutes later we pushed back from the gate. Sat for 5-10 minutes and then finally left.

Original arrival time was 9:24 a.m. and we landed at 10:20.

Yes, I was an hour late but I had luggage since I carried everything on and I am here for a big 80th birthday party tonight.

I wonder it's like to fly without any issues.