Visa worries, crazy travels, and one sister on her way.

I posted a few months back "ode to my sister" (I don't know how to do the fancy links, so you'll have scroll through several dozen posts to find it again). Well, the subject of that very post is currently enroute to--Rio!! After several stressful weeks waiting for her passport with visa stamp inside to be returned, she is actually boarding the first leg of her journey as I type this email.
See there were a couple of mix ups with the processing of the visa. The first, her error (and quite understandable for someone acquiring their first Visa to an international destination). The second, I feel the consulate website error (they increased a fee by $30 and didn't publish the increase until after the first of the year and after she had sent the paperwork through). The final stage really wasn't an error. Rather, it was a very clear example of how things get done (or not) in Brazil--SLOWLY! Her flight left VA this evening. For the past 3 days she has been greeting her friendly mail carrier awaiting the necessary passport. For the past 3 days, the passport has not been amongst the other items delivered.
Feeling rather frazzled, my beautiful sister hounded the post office and the Brazilian Consulate in Washington DC trying to determine what day the envelope in fact left DC. Come to discover, the envelope was sent in the mail on January 30th! Did I mention her flight is today FEBRUARY 1?
At 10 this morning, my sister sped across town, to the Post Office, to personally pick up her mail for the day. Sped back home to complete her packing that was put on psuedo-hold in the absence of the passport, trek to the airport only to find...
The flight to Newark to connect to the international flight has been CANCELLED!!
Have I ever claimed that traveling is easy business? If I have, I apologize now for misleading you. It is not easy. It is not stressfree. There are no guarantees.
Well, "No problem" says the friendly Continental airlines ticket counter employee, we'll re-route you through Houston.
"There's a flight leaving for Rio tonight at 9:05, let's get you checked in all the way through."
But wait. Hold on. "You'll need to check with the gate attendants when you arrive in Houston. It seems that flight is full."
"We'll just check your bags all the way through."
Dana calmly replies; "Ah, ok. I guess." and proceeded to the departure gate designated for her first leg.
It was about this time that I phoned Dana to find out her status and her ETA. She was rather calm considering. Then again, after the stress of the past few days waiting for the mail, connecting to an all ready full flight is small potatoes.
In thinking about our 10 or more flights back and forth since moving to Rio, I remembered that a "Full Flight" almost always means One Vacant Seat. At this rate, it's a good thing she is flying alone. I don't really think they would have put her through to Houston with unlikely chances. Do you?
By this time tomorrow, we should all be jumping in the streeets, enjoying the blocos of Carnival in Rio and looking forward to many sunny days on the beach. Keep your fingers crossed that when the plane arrives in Rio tomorrow at 1, she is in fact on it.