Home, At Last!!

Hi Sparkie fans....mom says I can tell you about more of her trip...she forgot to tell all about the class of machine quilting at the City Quilter.  What a great shop, and soooo  busy.  Too bad I wasn't there, because all the gals would have loved my cute little face, and I could have had fun chasing around the shop playing in all that fabric.  Mom says the colors and styles were right up her alley....funky and fun stuff.  She  had to be very careful about buying, because she said she could have spent a big bundle  on all that gorgeous fabric.
There was a full class of eager machine doodlers, and  they all had a great time and did some really beautiful work.  Mom even met Garen who went with Julie on the infamous Boston trip that mom missed.  The weather was great at noon for the lunch run, but after class the skies opened and it was like the 40 days and 40 nights of rain.  Garen, being more a of a NYC native that mom, helped her flag down a cab for Grand Central.  The Grand Central quilt exhibit was closed in the morning so mom never did see the quilts.  Lisa Jenni had a piece in the show, so it was disappointing to miss seeing them.  They looked great through the windows!  What a mad-house.   Mom said she was sure she was a country girl after 2 days in NYC.   It is pretty nice to see all the trees and mountains out our window, and only worry about deer and crows instead of racing cabs and millions of people running all over the place!
Soon it was time to leave to come home, and mom and nephew Earl and his wife, Sheri, left in their rental car for the infamous  Westchester airport on Wednesday morning.  They had different planes but leaving at almost the same time, at least that was the original plan!  While getting gas in the rental Sheri got a notice on her magic phone that their flight was cancelled...so with that bit of info we didn't totally turn in the car, but went into the airport  to check on the flights.  Sheri and Earl managed to  get a  direct flight from LaGuardia to Seattle arriving about the same time as the cancelled flight.  Mom's flight was still a go, so she checked in and Sheri and Earl headed to New York to La Guardia in the rental car.
Mom waited patiently in the gate area....there are only about 3 or 4 departure points at this little airport...and you can hardly call them gates as you walk out on the tarmac to board!.  Earl and Sheri are now on their way, and poor mom is sitting there reading her new book from the book-signing.  It was a good thing she had that as it turned out.  Plane is delayed on take off!!   Poor mom...still waiting and it is now a couple hours late from original take off time. 
Finally the plane arrives and she can board....2 bags are checked..some with quilts....oh boy, hope everything gets to Seattle on time and in one piece, cuz mom gets testy when she thinks quilts might  turn up missing.
Oh, good....time to board....sitting on the plane and waiting.....oh, no....what now???
Waiting some more.....pilot comes on and says there is a problem in Chicago....tower had a fire......everything is delayed or cancelled....back to the gate....off the plane to wait inside for further info.
Where is mom...I am missing her.....waiting in the airport, of course.   Still waiting....oh, good,  back on the plane....wait a minute....those guys are checking out the nose wheel pretty closely as she got on, and mom mentioned to the attendant about it...yeah, there may be a problem.   She told her seat mate she wasn't buckling up this time....maybe the plane won't be going anywhere....oh, no......
The  one flight attendant....a small plane remember!....announces that the guys driving the tug to push the plane out hit the nose wheel gizmo, and they gotta send in mechanics and engineers to make sure it is safe....ok...back into the airport to wait some more....
ANNOUNCEMENT!!!  News at 4....finally after 4pm  the big wigs decide that plane can fly  and  so everyone loads  up again....for the THIRD time.    This time is the charm, and off they  go.  Considering the fire in Chicago, it was a lucky break, because planes were fouled up all over the place.
Mom, where are you????
Land in Chicago about  6 or so......  poor mom  missed her  connection, which, it turned out, was cancelled anyway.....now to find another flight to get to Seattle...poor mom....she was running around to gates  trying  to find another flight....finally a clerk said to go over there....that is where you re-schedule....
Then, she took mercy on mom and said she would try to find a flight...oh, good news...the airline had scheduled mom for  the  NEXT DAY....mom said NO next day.....yippee....a flight leaving in a half hour would work...new reservations.....at a far away gate of course, and you can get to Seattle yet tonite.
I think mom  ran down one gate area around the corner to the next gate area, and finally found the gate just in time to board.   The clerk made it sound like I got the last seat.....but lots of empty seats on that flight, and as it turned out a special seat in the middle with a tray attached.....yeah...mom had lots of room and was on her way!
After landing in Seattle mom hurried to the baggage carousel......yippee....the bags were there and was she HAPPY!    Now to get the bags on a cart and head for the shuttle  area....that was the easy part, and after a couple hours' wait the shuttle arrived  and headed for Stanwood and other stops.
I was  so happy to see mom come in the door at about 1 am........she gave me a big hug and kiss, but I did have to play hard to get, just a little.  Mom said I looked  bigger, but that was just because she forgot how big and cute I  was.   I was so glad to see her, and now I  have someone to tease and chase around the house.   I think mom and dad are both going to go on another trip some day, but mom said she didn't care if she ever flew anyplace again...... EVER!
I don't know why flying is so hard...mom just puts me in a cute little red carry case, and sticks me in the car and off we go to the VET'S.....no plane rides for me!

OK......the BlogSpot goblins are playing games with me again...can't get any pix posted so will try again in the morning!    I will at least try to post Sparkie's travel tale....hope you all have a great night's sleep, and I will sign on again tomorrow.....with Sparkie, of course!