Thank you Ralph and Bruce

I spent last week in Denver putting on a Human Resource Conference with my team at work. Friday, everyone flew out, and the plan was for me to catch a "puddlejumper" from Denver to Vernal. I spent the day at leisure, spending some time at the Denver Art Museum and LoDo. I made it to the airport a couple of hours before take-off, checked in at the counter, and made it to the gate.
When I got to the gate of Great Lakes Airline, I encountered chaos. There were 10 flights to assorted small towns throughout Colorado, Wyoming and the Great Plains States. A Great Lakes employee growled at me that I had to check-in again (I looked at her with confusion) and found my counter where I was told my flight had been canceled, but they would put me up in a hotel and give me a dinner coupon and a seat on the Saturday 5:30 pm flight. My options were flying to Rock Springs(which is 2 hours one way from Vernal) and hoping I could get a hold of my parents to pick me up. Then two guys in their 50s came up. One was clearly a Texan (although I found out later Ralph was originally from Kansas) and the other guy(Bruce) had an Iphone. They were on the canceled Vernal flight too. They decided to get a flight to Grand Junction via United, and I, throwing up a hail-mary, asked them for a ride. They said sure, and we got ticketed for the flight. We tried to get our luggage from Great Lakes
Ralph, Bruce and I headed for the other terminal of the airport. We got to the right gate and were able to get seats on the plane. I watched their stuff while they tried to get their luggage back since Great Lakes had already sent our luggage back to baggage claim.
About 10 minutes before our flight to Grand Junction, a United Airlines employee informed us the GJ flight was delayed because they couldn't find a pilot. 2 hours later, and after nearly being put on a Frontier flight to Grand Junction, we made it on the United Flight and had no problems making it over the Rockies to GJ. At GJ, Bruce's son was waiting for us in his Suburban. We drove over Douglas pass at close to midnight and I learned where all of Bruce's oil rigs were near Rangely. We made it to Vernal, and my Dad was half-way awake waiting for me. Thanks again Bruce and Ralph, wherever you are for the ride home.