OT--anyone have any ideas? - ThinnerTimes

sdgrrl · 02-28-2007, 11:43 AM

Hi,
I've decided to put this out to the group hoping someone has a better idea than the options I have thought of.

Many of you have met Michelle's wonderful son Josh. He is a child of light, a real gift from the universe. His dad moved out to Tulsa OK last year, and our visits with him have been sorely missed, and much anticipated.

He is supposed to come out here for spring break, March 17-25. His a$$hole father cut our holiday visit short because Sarah asked him to be in her wedding, and David (father) assumed it was a gay wedding and refused to let him be in it. (Did I mention that David is also a homophobic idiot??) Then He was supposed to fly Josh out here for a 3 day weekend, which didn't happen because school cancelled the President's day holiday due to too many snow days used. Now he is refusing to send Joshie out for the 3 day weekend of Mar 9 because his step brother's bar mitzvah is that weekend. We pointed out that Just as in the bar mitzvah he had a part in Sarah's wedding, at which point he started getting very verbally assaultive. We are planning to take him back to family court, but in the meantime we are supposed to pay for his spring break transportation.

The plane ride will cost like $800, which might as well as be $80000 for us--we are totally broke. My question is this: Does anyone have a miracle worker travel agent, someone who can dig a decently priced plane ticket out of thin air? OR does anyone know how we can raise money (quickly!) to buy him a ticket? It gets complicated because he is an unaccompanied minor, which requires extra money, different rules, etc.

He needs us so badly, and frankly we need him. You all know the trials and tribulations we have gone through over the past year, and our hearts are aching to spend a week with this child of light. I have burnt my brain trying to figure something out, but I cannot come up with anything workable. So I am turning this over to my chosen family. Any and all suggestions are gratefully accepted. Please do what you can to help us. He hates living with his dad and desperately wants to come out here. If we can't get him out here now we will have to wait till summer to see him again. That means only seeing him twice a year. His father and stepmother are really bad people and Josh knows it. He calls us in tears wanting to "come home." He calls our place Home, and where he lives now is "Daddy's house."

If you have any ideas, please share them with us. Our hearts are bleeding and our spirits are broken. Anything you suggest is hugely appreciated.

Jeanie · 02-28-2007, 11:57 AM

The best thing I can suggest is when my BF flew out to MT to get his kids we found that it was about $300 cheaper from LAX, so I drove him to LAX one day and then back to LAX to pick the three of them up. His kids are not old enough to fly alone yet. I know it will still cost more than you have but some savings is better than nothing. I hope that you can find a way to have him. I know how much you guys miss him. I wish there was something more I could do to help.

sdgrrl · 02-28-2007, 12:04 PM

Jeanie darling,
I love you for suggesting LAX. I will see what they have to offer us. I have even thought about driving to Tulsa to pick him up! I keep thinking there HAS to be a way to get together with him. Even Moe, who by the way owns Josh, is very depressed and keeps asking for Mi-rah, his name for Josh. It's breaking our hearts.

We're thinking of having a garage sale, but I doubt we could raise enough money. A jello shooters party where they can be bought for $1 apiece? A bake sale? I'd sell my body, but it's currently on the clearance rack and wouldn't bring much money in....

Jeanie · 02-28-2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdgrrl

Jeanie darling,
I love you for suggesting LAX. I will see what they have to offer us. I have even thought about driving to Tulsa to pick him up! I keep thinking there HAS to be a way to get together with him. Even Moe, who by the way owns Josh, is very depressed and keeps asking for Mi-rah, his name for Josh. It's breaking our hearts.

We're thinking of having a garage sale, but I doubt we could raise enough money. A jello shooters party where they can be bought for $1 apiece? A bake sale? I'd sell my body, but it's currently on the clearance rack and wouldn't bring much money in....

Hey I would buy jello shots for 2.00 bucks if it would help ya. SF jello of course.

Baron Patrick · 02-28-2007, 12:22 PM

Donna;

I wish I had a fast and easy answer for you - sending prayers your way!

Have you tried contacting any gay organizations that could possibly help - perhaps even with a low interest loan?

Do you subscribe to the magazine The Advocate? Think they might have anything in the classifieds or advertisements that could help?

You know why your ex is a homophobic a$$hole?

Because he found out that the better man IS a WOMAN, and his macho male ego can't handle it!

Don't give up! You WILL find a way!

bloomer001 · 02-28-2007, 12:32 PM

Donna, I don't know how much I can help, but I have several friends who are travel agents, and we almost make it a challange to come up with cheap flights!

I just need a little information:
your address
his address
(or closest airport)

dates he is to come out and dates he is to go back, and are those dates flexible at all?

How old is he?

Are there any airlines you would refuse to let him fly on?

You can PM the answers if you want. As soon as I get them we will get to work and I will let you know what we come up with.

sdgrrl · 02-28-2007, 12:46 PM

Joshua is 10 years old, and has flown as an unaccomanied minor several times this past year. He is smart and knows how to do it. I would fly him on any airline I could afford.

He would be travelling from TUL to SAN. His vacation runs from 3-17 to 3-25. If it would make a huge difference financially, we could go a day or so either way. We would prefer that he not do any red eye flights or flights that have a nighttime layover.

Is this enough information to work your magic? Your offer brings tears to my eyes. Thank you thank you.

bloomer001 · 02-28-2007, 01:03 PM

Don't love me yet, just like me alot!!

Give us a little time, were gonna work on it.

monkeygrly · 02-28-2007, 01:12 PM

Have you tried Hotwire.com or bidding on Priceline.com? I got a RT ticket from San Diego to Missula, MT on Hotwire for $300 with only a weeks advance purchase and my ticket to New York for $198 a week in advance.

sdgrrl · 02-28-2007, 01:25 PM

I have looked at those two places, and one common theme with both of them is that they don't do unaccompanied minor flights and at least one of the flights is late at night. If you have a better experience or more information, I would be pleased to give them my money.

Thanks for your thoughts, Lisa.