Day Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten and Home?

I'm writing from a lovely, very contemporary room in another of the Hilton brand hotels--this time the Newark Airport Hotel.  This stay was not a part of our plan.  We hoped to be home but our flight was cancelled due to weather conditions along the route and there was no other way to get out of here before Christmas evening.  So here we are and we are at peace with it--except for the fact that I neglected to bring along extra medications.  And we are running out of clothes.

Tuesday (Day Seven)  we walked in the rain to Penn Station and took the train to Princeton.  We checked into the Courtyard by Marriott again, ate supper at Ruby Tuesdays, and met Jeff and Susan at Princeton University Chapel for the PHS Holiday Concert.  All groups from the freshmen chorale and orchestra to the more senior groups were amazing.  The venue at the Gothic chapel is impressive especially when lights are dimmed and the choir processes carrying candles. 

Back to Ruby Tuesdays for the Ruby for me and white wine for Jim and an apple strudel flatbread.  We were the last customers of the night.

Day Eight

A slow start and a walk in a light rain along the Delaware Raritan Canal and then lunch with Jeff at Main Street Café.  In the last several weeks we have had time alone with each one of our adult children--and I had lunch with Susan alone--moments to treasure.

We returned the rental car and Susan took us to the train station.  There was a crazy fellow on the train--I wanted to tell him to take a "chill pill" --a phrase I had forgotten but seemed appropriate.  The conductors seemed aware of him.  He was not really threatening, just completely hyper and talkative. 

As we were checking our gate at the airport we got word that our flight was cancelled.  An agent gave us a number to call while standing in line and we were booked for two days ahead--Christmas evening.  There were no other flight alternatives.  We sat down and took stock.  We tried car rental agencies but no one had anything available for one way rentals--even at $280 surcharges.  So we got a room at the Hilton Airport hotel, took a shuttle, had a lovely supper and just relaxed. 

I did have to let David know that I could not play the organ for the Christmas Eve service and that makes me sad to cause problems for him.

Day Nine

We enjoyed a complimentary continental breakfast in the Newarker restaurant and extended our reservation for another day.  We plan to take the train to Princeton to do some laundry, have supper with Jeff and family, go to church with them, and head back here.  Both of our children and their spouses have made us feel so welcome in their homes.  Michael offered to pick us up even here in Newark.  
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A change of plans!   Maybe there will be no Day Ten of travel!  We are at Newark waiting for our 5 pm flight to O'Hare and then a 7:30 flight to South Bend.  We are optimistic!  The Hilton cancelled our reservation and put it down as a late check-out.  I hope to end this travel segment of the blog right here.  No more adventures wanted or needed!

Day Ten (sadly!)

The 5 pm flight was delayed two hours for some cargo readjusting reason.  We missed the 7:30 flight so they rebooked us for Christmas Day at 5 pm.  We chose to take Tri Coach United Limo home ad boarded at 9 pm CST arriving at the airport in South Bend around 1:15 EST AM.  So it was Day Ten after all.  We almost chose to stay at another airport Hilton but there was no guarantee that the next flight might be cancelled again.  So it was a 3 am bedtime but we are home and happy.

A bonus of seeing everyone is that contacts are re-established.  There have been many texts, photos, and emails going back and forth as we get involved in each others' lives again.  I am so thankful for our family!