STAGE 4

NEW YORK to BOYNTON BEACH

Another day of disasters!!

Got the early shuttle to Newark and as a result got an early flight to Chicago. With the snowstorm threatening we were glad to get out of New York. I thought things were going to improve this time with our travel arrangements... I wish!!

We spent 6 hours in the airport in Chicago! At what we thought was 'the last minute' we were told our flight would be leaving from another gate!! I was delighted! NOT! We had to quickly organised transportation for Mum because we wouldn't have made it on time otherwise. I was thoroughly ticked off by this time and what made matters worse... as I was loading our carry on luggage onto the airport 'train' this woman plonked her butt in my seat! I was astounded! The driver told her to go sit with her husband! She said she couldn't fit! Now, if that skinny bean-pole didn't think she could fit in that space, how the hell did she expect ME to. However the driver ousted her from my seat next to Jared.

As it turned out we still had a half hour wait at the gate because the plane wasn't ready but we finally got on and settled down. Thank heaven's... we were finally on our way. Boy, was I in dreamland!! The lights went out!! We got an announcement from the pilot that "They" had cut off our electricity but he expected it would be back on, momentarily. While we waited I thought... how could 'they' cut off the power? The plane wasn't plugged in to a socket! As these thoughts were puzzling me the lights came back on, then off, then on again. Aanother announcement from the pilot... "We've had a fuel spill so there will be a further delay while it's being fixed!" Right then I thought "We're going to die! I just know we came all these miles to die!"

The plane began to slowly reverse, then it stopped. Another announcement... "We have to move the plane from the area of the fuel spill before having it de-iced... sorry for the inconvenience." I'm thinking... "why was it easy enough to get a direct flight from Orlando to New York but not be able to get a direct flight back to Florida?" Now, I just know for sure we are all doomed!

We left the hotel at 9:30am and it was now 8pm and we were only just leaving Chicago finally. We arrived safely in West Palm Beach at 11pm. It had taken 13 1/2 hours for a 1 and a 1/2hour journey!! We were exhausted and hungry, but too tired to eat by the time we got to the hotel. It was 1am by the time we got to bed.

Ted, my friend in Florida who had waited hours for us to arrive the night before, took me to the airport the next day to collect the car I had hired. It was prepaid BUT there were incidentals to be paid. Everything operated on plastic in the US, so I handed over my credit card.... it wouldn't accept the charges!! Nothing was changing! So, I offered cash for the incidentals... they weren't interested so I told them to 'stick' their car!

I rang the bank hotline to find out what the problem was since I hadn't charged anything to my credit card.. I had paid cash for everything. I don't know if you people out there in U.S. cyberspace realize it or not but everytime you hand over your credit card to a hotel they put a hold charge (various amounts, depending on the hotel) on your card! Even if you pay cash at the end of your stay, thet HOLD charge is still sitting on your card, until they find the time to order its release. Of course every charge on my card was DOUBLED in Australian dollars because out money is only worth about 55 cent U.S.!!

So, I had to ring all the places that had put amounts on hold and request they release them immediately. By the time all this was settled we had about 3 days left so I didn't bother with a car.

Mum and Jared were still exhausted from the capers the day before and lack of sleep so, only I ended up going out myself for dinner with by friends, Ted, LaRita and Andrea.

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Ted took Jared and Mum to the Science Museum while LaRita, Andrea and I "HIT" the Sawgrass Mall near Miami. What bargains! All the clothing had been reduced for the January sales... some to less than a quarter their original price!

Yes, by the time we finished shopping during those few days in Florida we had to mail some of our clothes home!! We didn't even have to parcel them up! You have wonderful postal agencies in the U.S. who do all the boxing and labelling for you. All we had to do was take in the goods and pay for the postage. Australia could learn something from this kind of service!

Taken one day when we had lunch at the beach

New Years Eve, Ted, LaRita, Jared and I headed for Miami for the Orange Bowl Parade. We about froze our butts off! The parade was great but I was glad to see the end of it and get back into the nice warm car.

The Orange Bowl Parade

These friends I have known for 32 years, we were "in the Army" together in '69 and have stayed in touch ever since. I love them, we had a great time together, I just wish it had been longer. I got a chance to answer some of my emails thanks to Ted. He took a couple of days off work over and above the public holidays so he could spend time with Jared. They'd go for walks in the evenings and turn up the flags on all the letter boxes! I'm sure the mailman wouldn't be amused the next day *S* but we were. He and Jared made chocolate chip cookies together. Jared just loved him. The first thing he'd ask every morning is "What's Ted doing today?" He'd be disappointed if Ted had to work, but he got over it.

It was wonderful to visit with these dear friends once again, since over the last 4 years I thought I'd never have the opportunity for travel ever again. The 5th of January came all too soon. We had to leave for Columbia, South Carolina....

Jared up a tree.. at the Zoo, I think *S*

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