April 23 - Back to Manawa                                                                                            


What I day I had.  Left Bert's about 6:30 AM for an 8 o'clock flight.  Their home is only 10 minutes from the airport.  I got checked in and asked for a wheel chair as it is a LONG way from point A to point B in this airport.  It took them so long to get the wheel chair there that I had missed my flight.  The next flight to Chicago had been cancelled so they got me on the next flight.  I made that one Ok and got to Chicago.

We looked at the board and it said my flight to Appleton went out from gate C-30 and to leave at 3:05 PM.  A fellow with a golf cart thing took me to that gate.  The flight to Philly left as scheduled.  As I was next to a Starbucks I got myself a sandwich and something to drink.  Soon others started coming and I presumed they were also going to Appleton.  After a while a lady asked if I was going to Grand Rapids or had to go on from there.  I told I was going to Appleton, WI.  I was then informed that the gates had been changed and this was the one to Grand Rapids, MI.  I went and asked the lady at the podium and she said it had been changed and my gate was F-11.  I said well they had gotten me there in a golf cart so they had better get me to the right gate.  A wheel chair was sitting there so she got someone to push me.  He pushed me part of the way and then informed me I had to walk down some steps and get into a shuttle bus.  So I did this and walked out to the bus in the rain and was taken to the next stop.  Here I walked into the terminal, in the rain, climbed the stairs and had a good block to walk to F-11.  Glad I had a 4 hour layover.

As I was waiting the board kept saying that the plane was leaving at 3:05.  All of  sudden it changed to 3:25 because of service to the plane.  That is OK with me as I would rather have them fix it on the ground then something to go wrong in the air.  After awhile a lady came on the speaker and said that the plane had been fixed but it now had to be degassed.  This plane was to go to another town farther away but was being sent to Appleton so it had too much gas and some had to be taken out.

I tried to call the people who were to pick me up but their cell phone was busy so decided to call them when we landed.  Flight went fine.  We had a comedian for the flight attendant so he kept things interesting.  Upon landing I tried calling, again the phone was busy.  I thought I probably had put the number in my phone wrong.  I got my computer out and checked and all was right.  I knew they were to be at the Mac Donalds near the airport. I went to a car rental booth and asked for a phone book.  As we were looking for the number the man walked into the airport he knew the plane should be there.  (Something was wrong with her phone.)

As I was put on a different flight my luggage had been put on the right one and was already there.  Now it was "where is my luggage?"  It was up at the check in place.  All was loaded in the car.  We then went to Golden Corral for supper, to the grocery store and then home.  All is well that ends well.

All in all a very wonderfull trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay tunned as Lori and I will be going to Europe May24 for a Baltic Cruise for 9 days.