Hey Hurricane, you can't stop a minivan on 95!

9/2/16 20:04 Home

Where to start?  On Tuesday morning we woke up and drove to Disney World.  Checked into one of the value resorts, Art of Animation.  A suite was available so we dropped off our things and headed over to Epcot. 

I know where to start.  We should have arrived last night on a flight, but to an impending hurricane and a state of emergency for the whole state of Florida, I felt it should be prudent. I scratched the idea of the flight and picked up another rental for a one way drive back to Long Island.  Amanda was not having any of it and tried to calm me down, but I’ve flown in similar conditions and it wrecked me, turbulence and I do not get along. I panic. But my oldest daughter being the one who has always set her own course in her life booked herself a flight back to Boston and had a pleasant flight back.  Given she was flying out hours before the predicted hurricane, and possible tornadoes which was expected to strike Florida later that night, and would affect 140 square miles, I was not having it.  

As I’m writing this it’s not even a hurricane.  It may not be a tropical storm after all.  Booked a hotel on points in Richmond and made my peace with the idea of driving for half a day and into the night.  

Dealing with Budget Rental was a mess.  I booked a minivan on line, but changed it to an SUV since Amanda said if she was driving up with us - she was not driving in a mini-van - she wanted something like her friend’s father.  An SUV.   It is big and comfortable.  Fine.  Made the upgrade and drove a half hour to make the pick up at a hotel in Orlando. My vehicle was not available, although I made the upgrade and asked for a pick up at 12:30.  The clerk at that Budget said the mini-van was not running properly, the check engine lights were on, and she had to have it returned to the airport. But come back at 2:00.  NO, it’s no longer a minivan…it’s an SUV and I need it now.  Can I pick it up at the airport?  Considering, I still have the minivan from Enterprise which for almost a week cost $36.00.  Thank you points.  They don't offer one way rentals.  Sure, she says.  Go to the airport.  Ever get that uneasy feeling that someone is telling you something which is wrong.  That someone doesn’t know what they are talking about and you’re going to deal with their ignorance?  That’s exactly what I dealt with at the airport.  Amanda booked her flight when there was no vehicle.  Dropped off Amanda at Jet Blue, hugged and said I loved her though she was pissed since I snapped at her and Ali. Want to fly?  Go ahead.  I’ll drop you off and drive up by myself…and Bella, she was the happy camper since we were driving.  This is the best vacation ever!  Dropped off the minivan at Enterprise and walked to Budget.

I waited 25 minutes to get to the counter in the garage, car alarm going off, waiting...I assumed I would pick up an SUV and drive away.  I pre-booked it.  Makes sense.  Get up to the counter.  No, I need to go into the terminal and pick up the key.  Trudge downstairs, my family behind me while Ali is checking for earlier flights since we called Delta and there was no answer nor call back.  She wanted to fly.  Emma – wanted to fly and I think Joe as well.  Mainly it was Bella and her six foot four father who was not having it.  I didn’t want our jet to twirl in the sky like one of the houses in the Wizard of Oz.  So my imagination was creating this mess which was being gorged on by constant weather reports.  

So, I wait in Budget line in the terminal for another twenty minutes, but I notice one guy on a radio controlled microphone.  After each booking he was talking to someone in the garage.  This guy could help. I ask Ali to speak to the man and explain the situation.  My beautiful wife speaks to the man and I’m called over.  Within ten minutes we were out of there and I received a hundred dollars off the bill for the inconvenience.  It was also a hundred dollars more due to airport taxes.  I drove off in a minivan.  It was cheaper and Amanda was flying.  

By 3:30 we were on the road.  By 7:30 we had dinner at a Cracker Barrel close to Savannah Georgia.  Topped off on gas and bought a six pack of Terrapin Beer which is only sold in Georgia.  

Through much of the night it rained and at times it was heavy.  We crossed through South Carolina, North Carolina and finally into Virginia.  The signs for Richmond on 95 were daunting, Richmond 175.  A little after 2:00 this morning we pulled into the parking lot to the hotel, got our key and headed to bed.  We were shot.  I was up before 7 and went out to get our bags so we can take showers and clean up before the drive back.  After breakfast, we loaded up and drove off.  By 11:30 we were in Maryland and picked up some food.  We stopped for gas in Jersey and made a bathroom break at another rest stop in Jersey.  Just after 5, we pulled into the in-laws.  

I drove all the way as a penance for my decision not to fly. I apologized a few times on the ride up that I behaved irrationally.  I know Ali was pissed off at me and we barely spoke on the drive.  

I was lost in the music, singing to songs from the ‘70’s and 80’s and whatever else I found on the satellite radio.  That was a game changer.  I haven’t heard some of those songs for decades, but can’t shake off Donny Osmond’s Look away little girl.  Give it a listen on YouTube and it lock itself into your soul. 

Thank you for reading this.

From a peaceful Organic Farm out East to the Magical Spectacle of Walt Disney World!

5/30/14 06:57

Last Monday we flew back from Orlando.  Ever get nervous with the slightest turbulence?  I was like that on the way back to Long Island, and there was no reason for the nerves - the flight was fairly smooth.  We spent a total of four days at the Disney Parks.  Left last Thursday on a 6:15 flight from Islip.  It was the first time flying for the whole family in about ten years.  Joe was nervous as well as Bella who sat next to me on both legs since I have more experience flying.  The time together at Disney was a graduation gift for Emma Tess who is graduating from high school, as well as Ali and I celebrating our twentieth anniversary.  I took the week off from work since it was…time to take a week off.  The first day of vacation was volunteering almost a full day out at Quill Hill Farm in Amagansett where the stoic poet and noble farmer, Scott Chaskey warmly welcomed us.  The organic farm is on the Southern fork on Long Island.  It was a beautiful day, a good gust of wind as I worked side to side with female graduate students from Stony Brook.  After a few hours my left knee begged for mercy, but I still huffed it out, listened and partook in the folk song the young organic farmers were singing - as we pushed our fingers through the soil and planted the seedlings.  The following day I was back at the Sharing Garden with Iman and a student from Stony Brook.  We planted seedlings, added mulch, and I learned some basic yoga poses which I have been curious about.  In a little while I will head back down to the garden and work for an hour or so before starting my real work…

Before I wrap this up I have to share some of the experiences at Disney.  We stayed in a suite at the Art of Animation Resort.  There was a large pool in the center which had a good crowd, you can hear music playing under the water and I was struck by the various sizes and shapes of the parents and children who could care less.  We were half asleep as we swam.  And what an easy transition from the airport to the resort, don’t worry about the bags – they get from the airport to your room.  Walt Disney World is a good place to get a perspective on what sort of tattoos strangers will imprint into their flesh for eternity.  Super heroes, Superman crests, dragons and Mickey’s ears which were oval shaped and not centered.  Why?  The crazed eyes especially on the mothers who use their strollers like tanks as they zip through the pockets of people who may be strolling and taking it too slow since there is some place these mothers have to be at…character signing?  Speed pass?  The bathroom?  Who knows and who cares just get out of the way or you will be roadside casualty.  I fell into the role of the quiet father who follows the orders his wife commands at Disney, you know, the yes dear whatever you’d like to do dear.  And I am perfectly fine with this role.  I don’t need to think.  My wife loves Disney…and so do I…but she knows what she wants like the mothers with the strollers.  Got to see the Belle show, it starts in five minutes and we are here and there it is.  We need to get past the Muppets area, the big hat and past the Star Wars and then we can make it.  With the new apps Disney has, you can know in advance what the lines are like for the rides.   The apps are great but were a little slow.  We did not make it to Animal Kingdom, darn we did not do the rapids or the Everest roller coaster, but Emma and I did take the rocknroll roller coaster and again it scared the shit out of me.  There is the countdown, three to one and I was slammed into the back of my seat roaring down the tracks at 60 miles an hour and directly into a loop…and more loops and dives.  It was a blast.  Amanda and Emma and I rode the Tower of Terror. Amanda screamed in my air, clutched my arm, digging her nails into my flesh as we dropped stories in pitch dark.  It was a scary and more intense than I recalled.  We rode the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Roller Coaster which was less severe and yet fun.  Also last Friday Magic Kingdom was open 24 hours which is a rare event.  Ali and Amanda and Emma and Joe stayed out late…got back at 03:30…and we started out late on Saturday.  Since we stayed in a resort, well this was an economy one, we were able to take the shuttle buses which make life easier, we could go to the park, bask in the heat, get exhausted and go back to the suite and take a nap.  The suite slept all of us and had two full bathrooms.  It was a good size.  We had the meal plan and again this made life easier, we had good meals and snacks and refillable cups for the resort.  After four days at Disney, we woke up, finished packing and slowly waited in the lobby for the bus back to Orlando International.  We did it and we survived and what was most impressive we did not have to use our credit card.  We actually saved money each week for this trip which is a responsible act for us – the credit card was our choice in the past…with the goal: eventually we’d pay it off…slowly and painful…but not this time.  The primary reason, we didn’t have little ones who wanted everything.  Still, while riding the shuttle bus after visiting Magic Kingdom, I looked at the young families and felt the longing.  Not missing folding the strollers which are huge.  And these days, the seats are side to side instead of front and back.  Not missing the cries or the exhausted and dazed eyes who may look up at you and ask…when are we leaving and you’d think we just spent $350 to walk in here and you want to leave?  What?!  So, you try distractions.  Look at the castle and the fireworks and listen to the music…and you wrestle with this banter within your mind; is this really for the kids or are am I trying to escape from the real world and discover the magic I abandoned decades ago…the distraction…wishes do come true; well only at Walt Disney World.

My wife has cancer

My previous post was a review of Bob Mould’s book. It’s been a few weeks since I posted a real entry. My wife was diagnosed with cancer back in June, and I’ve kept a journal that may be too personal at this time to share. Ali is in a great position as per her oncologist, DR. Michael Pearl. We went into surgery with hope that it was just cancer of the uterus. Just cancer is an oxymoron, but for a woman if she is diagnosed with any cancer this is the one to have, it is highly treatable, once removed, there is no need for further treatment. But after a full hysterectomy, Dr. Peal took my mother-in-law and me into a small room, and shared what he saw.
“I don’t have good news.”
Ali had a tumor in her ovaries; the cancer broke through the wall of the uterus and grew in the ovaries; as well as another small tumor about the size of the tip of a thumb in her left pelvic area. This would categorize her cancer as a stage four. She started chemo a few weeks ago and is due for another session on Thursday. She will lose all of her hair, but she cut off most of it before our trip. Ali is also participating in a clinical trial, and we’re confident she is getting the best care and the cancer is contained and yet I’m worried. We’re receiving so much support and love from family, friends and work, but no one can really touch on the wave of emotions we are coping with.
A vacation is what was needed, a break from reality. These past two weeks have been spent in Orlando at Ali’s aunt and uncle’s house in Orlando. The house feels as if it has been dropped in the thick woods, through the trees I was able to see the lake as I sat at the pool side. I’m writing this at her Uncle Phil’s condo in Hilton Head, across the street from the Atlantic, where we spent yesterday morning. We had four days at Disney, in all of the parks and travelled to Savannah from here, to see the beautiful city. Our minivan is holding up very well on this trip. There’s been some napping and laughs, but most of all we’re together. I have seen how our kids make Ali laugh and how they have grown and developed into individuals. Bella is the youngest, but she’s the toughest. Joe is very close to Ali and has rarely left her side or site.
In a few hours we will drive up to Richmond to spend the night and to see the confederate capitol. We’ll be home tomorrow night and on Wednesday morning I will be back at work. We are doing fine and with faith we know all things are possible through God.

Auto Train to Orlando

Last night we arrived at the Springfield, VA Courtyard a little after 9 PM. The pool was closing so we changed quickly and enjoyed the hot tub and pool. A father and his two daughters joined in and soon the kids were eying each other suspiciously and doing their own thing. The father took over the hot tub, and we dried off and headed off to the courtyard. It was warm last night. I bought a beer, and we headed back to the room. Lights were off a quarter to 11. By 6 AM I was awake and ready to go. I finished up some work, and wrote my weekly while the rest of the bums got dressed, took showers and watched the Disney Channel.
We ate breakfast, really brunch at Bob Evans, I had eggs and pancakes and sausage and OJ and coffee. The food wasn’t too bad, but the waitress had an extremely dry sense of humor. Not sure how he day was going, but she told us she was there since 5:15.
Afterwards, knowing we had time to kill, we drove to DC and went to FDR’s memorial. It’s a beautiful display, using boulders and water, and is the only presidential memorial which includes the first lady. Took some pictures with Amanda standing next to the statue.
We’ve been at the Larton terminal since 1 PM. This is our first time and we didn’t know what to expect. Not sure if our seats would be next to one another. The process was very easy. We drove the car, checked in and watched as our car was inspected and videotaped, since they wanted to make sure there were no erroneous claims of damage. I took Bell and Joe outside for a walk. We had an hour and half to kill. The depot building is very roomy and bright. The building is air conditioned and modern. A TV is playing in the corner, and there is a small café, a shop really in one corner. From the look of it, the place appears to be in Florida.
It appears as if people are boarding though there was no announcement made. Just waiting for Ali to get back since she bought TUMS. This place is emptying fast. Time to go?
We’re on the train. There is a lot of room. It’s very comfortable. Whoever is sitting behind me is playing with the foot rests. The seat is knocking. There is a family next and behind us. This is not going to be a quiet train, but let’s see how it works out. I can use an ADVIL.
Instead of Advil I had a couple of beers. Dinner was served at 5 PM and 7 PM – we chose the early dinner since there was a movie playing for the kids at 7…I had cod and veggies and rice. The food was very good. With dinner came white wine and water and choices like iced tea and apple juice for the kids. They were given the choice of chicken fingers, and mac and cheese. There was a lot of food. The other options were a beef or veggie lasagna. The settings were pleasant, a flower on each table as well as silverware, but the cups were plastic, as well as the plates. For dessert we had cheese cake with a couple of options, either covered in strawberry or chocolate.
Overall it was quiet, but one neighbor watched a movie on his laptop and the language was not appropriate for children. A couple had two little ones on-board and it took them a long time to fall asleep. Music came over the loud speaker but was shut off close of 8 PM and soon after lights were shut down and we got comfortable.
Sleeping was a little bit of a challenge. Trying to get my 6 foot 4 body comfortable – even in reclining chairs was interesting. I bent my legs and curled in the seat, and propped the small pillow on a corner as well as my sweat pants.
I’m typing this, knowing we’re expected to arrive an hour earlier. Amanda and I had breakfast and met an older couple from Florida. Cereal as well as warm bagels and muffins were served, coffee and OJ as well. A good start to the vacation…rise and shine we are in Florida.