First, let me say that I don't travel much.
Then, let me say that I
hate to travel alone! And, also, let me say that I
appall flying!! And, finally, that
5 or 6 six cars is a Traffic Jam where I come from.
Why did I think that I would travel to New Jersey,
alone,
on a plane, in the
middle of winter, just to see Clay and meet a few Claymaniacs??!!
Now I am going to relay the whole sordid tale of my big venture just so y'all can have a good laugh at my expense.
The plan:
I was to leave Maine Friday afternoon and take an hour and 20 minute flight to NJ and spend the evening with Susan.
I would take a train on Saturday evening to Philadelphia and meet Pamela at the train station to go to Gwenn's house.
Simple right???
Au Contraire!!There was a big snow storm on the East Coast on Friday. (But, we didn't get that much snow in Maine.
)
I went online Friday morning to print my Boarding Pass and it says,
"Flight Cancelled"!!! 
I call the airport and the
nice lady there says, "Ma'am, you are not getting a flight out today"!!
I call my airline and get put on hold for over 1/2 hour.
Then this man answers and says, "Ma'am, you need to speak to International Reservations, not Domestic Reservations."
Okay, who moved Maine when I wasn't looking??!! 
He says he can transfer me.
After being put on hold
AGAIN, I finally change my reservations until the next day.
All I had to do was make a bazillion phone calls, write 1001 PMs, and repack my whole suitcase.
The next day dawned bright and clear. I ate only 1/2 sandwich (and no breakfast) before we left home because my stomach was in knots with all the stress from the day before (and I was afraid it would rebel on the plane
). My hubby took me to the airport and sort of "dumped" me there because he had to get back home for our son's basketball game. When he left, I was going through security to board the plane. Why didn't anyone tell me that you have to take your shoes off to go through security now??!!
I wouldn't have worn my lace-up boots and double-knotted them.
Then I woudldn't have burst out in the "you've got to be kiddin' me" laughter when I was told to remove my shoes. And the big, burly security guard won't have said, in his most snippy voice, "Ma'am (why does everyone call me that??
), you can either take your shoes off or stay home" :spank I say (in my meekest voice), "Yes, sir, but this is gonna take a minute."
I finally get on the plane, sit there waiting to leave, trying very hard not to
, when the pilot comes on and says, "We have a 15 minute delay. Hopefully, we will be leaving shortly." In about 15 minutes we taxi out to the runway.
And then we STOP!! The pilot says, "We are on another 15 minute delay due to air traffice in Newark.". We wait another 20, or more, minutes and the pilot says. "We are now on an hour delay. We are going to taxi back to the terminal."
We get back to the terminal and they herd us all off the plane. They set up ONE reservation counter so
all the people on the plane can change their next connecting flights. I had made a reservation on Amtrak for 6:27 that evening. I knew I wasn't going to make it.
I called my son who was online and asked him to check to see what was the latest train leaving Newark to go to Philly that evening. He couldn't find out. I called Gwenn. She would check on this. I called Christie and got her voice mail. I called Susan 3 or 4 times and never got her because she was already in the Newark airport waiting for me.
The good news--the reservation people were willing to help me change my Amtrak reservation, although we were all clueless about what time to change it to.
The bad news--because we had gone through Security we could not leave the "secure area" just inside the terminal where they herded us. No food!! No drink!! No potty!!
They told us they would update us at 5:30 PM.
When that time came, they suddenly threw open the doors to the outside and said, "Hurry, hurry we are leaving NOW!" We all had to run down a huge flight of icy steps, run across the tarmac, and into the plane. Wheeeee!!! We got seated, got our safety instructions, and away we wennnntttt!! It is now around 6:00 PM.
I am getting hungry because I haven't eaten all day, so I scarf down some stale pretzels.
Unfortunately, the plane ride is very, very turbulent.
My mantra was, "At least we are under way now--at least we are under way now." Then we hit a big bump and I changed to, "I am going to see Clay--I am going to see Clay." Then we had to circle Newark Airport and I said, "I am going to see Pamela, and Susy, and Gwenn, and Christie--over and over and over.
By time we get done circling the airport, we landed at 7:30ish PM. My Amtrak train was leaving at 8:19 PM.
I ended up waiting over 20 minutes for my luggage even though I had "gate-checked" it during the delay in Bangor.
So, now, I am trying desperately to find my way through Newark Airport to the Amtrak Station.
I finally ask someone wearing a stewardess uniform the way to the train station and she heads me in the right direction.
Just as I pass Security, I spot Ms. Susy standing there!!
We hug. We say "hi" and she points me in the direction of the Airtrain so I can get to the Amtrak station and she can dash back to her bus stop before she misses her ride back home. We say "good-bye".
I get to the Airtrain station and I ask the
Redcoat which airtrain I need. He points me in the right direction and says I just have to wait a few minutes for the next train.
I finally board the Airtrain heading for the Amtak station.
We go about 15 feet and suddenly STOP!! A very high-pitched musical voice comes on and says, "I'm sorry, there has been a delay. I'm sorry, there has been a delay. I'm sorry there has been a delay"
I finally get to the Amtrak station and there are NO ticket booths open that late at night. So much for picking up the ticket I had reserved in Bangor!!!
It is after 8:19 PM, so I asked one of the workers if there is possibly a later train going to Philly, He says, "Don't worry, ma'am, your train in an hour and 45 minutes late."
So, I went to an automated ticket machine and bought ANOTHER ticket to Philly.
I brought the ticket back to the same nice,
understanding fellow who told me "where to go". I went to the appropriate Track and waited for my train.
I finally got to Philly, made my way through 30th Street Station (very nice, by the way) and found the lobby. And who should be standing in the lobby, but the fabulous Ms. Pamela whose train was late, also.
We had planned on being at Gwenn's at 8:00 PM and finally got there around 11:00 PM.
to Gwenn for the food, potty, and wine.
Was this loooooong adventure worth the it???
The answer:
Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!! I had a marvelous time once I got there!!!!
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