Plane tickets

I am a planner.  I like to get out a calendar, look at dates, and schedule as far in advance as possible.  So, in March when I had to visit the Lufthansa office concerning my lost baggage, I stopped by the travel office to schedule our plane flights for this summer.  Earlier is always better - there are lots of seats available and the good flights aren't booked up yet.  

When the kind man behind the desk asked about travel authorizations, I assured him that my husband would get right on it.  And he did - about two months later in June after getting locked out of the e-travel (known colloquially as e-hell in the State ranks) services and having to reset his password.  

After sending in the initial TA in and having it approved by three people and then sent back by the the fourth to have it approved by three people and then sent back by the fourth again, and then having those three same people approve it again followed by the fourth, I thought we were finally going to have some tickets.  

That was 11 days ago, and I have watched the email traffic between this and that office about various flight options, ticket prices, cost constructions and other bureaucratic things until finally it went up to the final office (I hope) - Accounting.

Not a word have I heard (or read), and we are two weeks away from supposedly flying back to the States.  Theoretically our tickets are still on hold, but I'm not sure if our seats are assigned yet and seats are getting pretty few between (I know, I've checked) on our flights.  I'm looking forward to handing Kathleen or Sophia or Edwin or perhaps all three to some stranger and telling them good luck for the next 9 1/2 hours.  Unfortunately, I don't think anyone will let me get away with that, but here's hoping, right?