I'm not even going to get into where I've been....suffice to say...my life is not without its drama. However, we just got back from our big trip to NYC, where we took Andy up for his big interview with the college of his choice. Here's a quick rundown on the trip:
We flew out Friday afternoon--HA!---make that...we were SUPPOSED to fly out on Friday afternoon. Delays in our flight made it turn out to be Friday EVENING.
JetBLue, you understand. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 5:15pm. So we get to the airport and the wife informs me that our flight has been delayed by "about 30 minutes". So I'm walking around, make a phone call here and there, and then she comes up to me and informs me that "its been delayed another hour". Apparently something to do with the weather conditions in the New York area.
Except...we're checking the big board and can't help but notice that the only flights that are NOT leaving are...you guessed it, the JetBlue flights. Yep, your Continental and Delta flights to NYC appear to be leaving right on schedule. Funny how that works, huh? Well, at long last the plane arrives, the crew arrives...we get on the plane and are ready to go.
NOT!
We're on the plane, getting situated and the captain comes on the p.a. system and announces....I shit you not...that during the process of pushing the plane away from the gate, the front wheel had been broken---and we have to switch planes. Unbelieveable.
So we go back into the terminal and we're trying to get some answers about whether or not we're going to be eligible for our (get a load of this)...$25 coupon towards our next flight on JetBlue...and this guy pipes up that the first delay wasn't "the airlines fault".
He tells us that it was do to "weather problems". I quickly pointed out that it seemed as though the other airlines weren't having any difficulties getting away. He told me that obviously what had happened was that the planes had left the gate and then returned.
Seriously--that's what he said. So we finally are getting onto our flight...and I ask the gate attendant who the guy that had said that was---ya know, was he a "representative of the airlines"? And he says....no lie....
"Nope...he just flies with us a couple of times a week and knows everybody."
I was actually waiting for him to say that he had spent the night before at a Holiday Inn Express.
Our 5:15pm flight left promptly....at 8:05pm....right on time (for JetBlue).
We got into chilly, dark and forboding Newark, NJ....at a crisp 33 degrees and colder than a witches heart....and got to our hotel around midnight. I love to travel...really.
The next morning we got up for Andy's big interview with the good folks at Stevens Institute of Technology (Stevens Institute of Technology: Hoboken, New Jersey, USA)
Andy had prepped for the interview for the better part of 3 months, with everyone offering all sorts of tips and advice on how to conduct himself. So we get there, and there's another kid waiting to be interviewed. And his name was Andy. And his last name? Boden. I'm talking one stinking constant away from being the same person.
So Andy finally gets in for the interview....and it lasts maybe 20 minutes. And then we're invited in....for about 5 minutes. Mostly happy talk. All that work...all that prep....and its pretty much a "hey, what's happening?" kind of interview. After the interview we made our way via train into Manhattan and headed towards the Union Square GreenMarket that they have every day.....just awesome....all the farmers from upstate NY come and sell their veggies, fruits, nuts, honey, pies, cookies (oh yeah---they have cookies!) Its really fantastic. We then decided to head up to Times Square and then over to Rockfeller Center to check out the Christmas tree in front of NBC. It was the holiday season....a Saturday afternoon....and it was complete insanity. Right around 1 million people in a 6 block radius. I felt like a sardine. What a disappointment.
We headed back over to the Jersey side for dinner in downtown Hoboken...which will hopefully be home to Andy in about a year...and found a very nice restaurant with good food and complete idiots at the next table. Nothing like having your wife and kids with you and hearing lots of talk about "f'n this...and f'n that". Mind you....Lord knows I should watch my mouth in that regards....but it ruined a perfectly good evening.
The next morning we got up and ventured out to lovely Jersey City, NJ---and took the Jersey entrance to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Lady Liberty was fairly disappointing...long lines and 9/11 have made it much ado aboutnot much....but, Ellis Island was incredibly interesting....and a place that everyone in this country should make a point of visiting at least once in there life--if for no other reason than to understand and appreciate the sacrifices that the immigrants into this country at the turn of last century made to get to this country. Very powerful stuff.
We returned last night...in time to watch the late game on NBC. Which is like the best of both worlds. Ya know?
Later,
Jeff
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