October 22, 2005 Archives

I am so glad my parents will be leaving Saturday for Las Vegas, instead of Tuesday. Sure they'll have a few more days of fun, but they'll also miss Hurricane Wilma as it moves across Florida.

I have no fear their place will be able to take whatever the diminished Wilma will dish out, but who wants to sit in the dark and wait it out. There hasn't been a storm yet that didn't douse their lights, sometimes for days.

The speed at which Hurricane Wilma was moving this evening was nearly criminal - just 2-3 mph. At that rate any given area could spend the better part of a day with hurricane force winds. Can you imagine?

The radar image shows Wilma is not the vigorous system it was when it was totally over water. There seems to be light rain that's infiltrated the eye. The last reading from the Hurricane Center said 140 mph, but I doubt that right now.

It's still a monster. It was a MONSTER!

No one who weathered this storm in Cancun or Cozumel will ever forget the terror they've experienced. I can say that without fear of contradiction, even though I've spoken to no one there. My raw data makes it perfectly clear.

My parents leave for Las Vegas any moment now. What they don't know is, we've also changed our reservations and will be there tonight too.

More on that from Fabulous Las Vegas in my next post.

I am writing to you while on my butt at Gate 5 (thanks Northwest) Bradley International Airport. The wireless connection is free, but the only seats near a power outlet are taken.

I wasn't going to write, but it's been an eventful ride so far... and the flight is an hour off.

Last night, after I moved my reservations, I printed my boarding pases. Southwest allows you to do that 24 hours in advance. I sat the passes on my desk at work and forgot about them - even when I threw them out with the rest of my trash!

Luckily I remembered before the trash was taken.

Helaine packed the bulk of what we were taking. I packed a computer, camera, cellphone and enough chargers to choke a TSA agent. I event bought a strip plug for all the electronics.

As always I scouted the hallway, taking bags down to the car. I closed the door, Helaine got in and we were off.

A half hour down the road I turned to Helaine to ask if we'd taken everything? Good question when beyond the point of no return. She looked but could see one of the carry ons. Oh sh**.

I got off I-91, pulled into a convenience store parking lot and opened the doors. Helaine got out like the baggage assurance inspector she had become. Yes, everything was here.

On to the airport and the parking lot we use. We unloaded the car into a van and headed off to the terminal. It wasn't until we'd checked in that I realized
I had left my computer bag, with all the electronics and chargers, in the car.

I called the parking place. Within five minutes their van had arrived with my bag! OK - they deserve a mention for service above and beyond - Thanks Roncari.

And now you're up-to-date... except for the fact we had to walk by a non-stop for Las Vegas (full) to get to our gate for the first stop in our journey, Baltimore.

More coming from Las Vegas, if I remember everything.