Home Part 1

Getting into NYC was as it always is..returning to a third world country.  While I started out seated in mid plane, I ended up immediately in front of the toilet.  I can tell you the swish noise made by airbus toilets travelling 500+ at high altitudes is very loud and with everyone drinking during the 13hr flight..wosh wosh went the sound of the plane.  I watched the movies and ate the Indian Vegetarian and slept a couple of hours but when the plane landed at 10:30PM...to start the deboarding and reentry, I was not in great shape. 

The Chinese plane was primarily Asian but the majority was either green cards or US citizens.  So the massive group slowly snaked along until we were shown which row to get in to go through customs.  Of course there are three inspectors, 2 line em uppers, and several that are walking about just in case.

Since I was the one of the first to board the first plane, my duffle was one of the last to snake down the ramp.  Happily Jeannine’s safety pin held up the far end of the zipper and down it came in tack.  My backpack was fairly close to the 47 pound duffle.  So off I went for the overnight stay.  Unlike any other country with major cities, there are no planes from NYC to Rochester; the third largest city in the empire state, after 10:30 PM, so overnight was not an option.

I put on my coat, picked up the backbreaker and got the duffle rolling out of the airport, across the parking area, and up the elevator to the sky train.  I took the train to Federal Circle and then down the elevator to the walk out to the airport to motel shuttles.

I had retrieved the paper with the prepaid numbers for the Sleep Inn which after a 15 min wait decided to retrieve the paper and call the motel.  It was now 11:45.  I am starting to be weary of travel and want to try to get some shut eye before I have to return to the airport for the morning flight.

The friendly woman on the other end of the phone says, “There are no pickup after 11, you’ll have to get a cab”.  Since I am in my new Zen mode, I didn't levitate and say...nothing on this paper says that or I would not have taken all this time to get to Federal Circle to wait for the bus..  “Thank you...see you soon” my better self said.

Get the backbreaker back on the back, turn the duffle around and start back to the elevator.  The transit person was at the stop and suggested I get off at terminal 4 since that would have the best shot at a cab.  On the trail....Off at #4....walk a long way....escalator down... and as I am walking toward the cab area a driver says I’ll take for $45 dollars.  I kept walking and got in the cue and boarded a yellow cab with a meter.  I gave him my paper and said Sleep Inn and here is the address.  He looked at the paper and off we were...   I am tired....but there it was Sleep Inn and I am ready to sleep.  He left me off at the fence since turning in would have been a chore and I gave him the $12 for the cab and $5 because I needed to work off some Karma for thinking about levitating...

I entered the lobby which was not much and there were 4 men in the lobby, two trying to get a credit card to work so they could stay and two that worked at the Sleep Inn.....   I remembered that it was a woman that answered the phone when I called, but I still said... I made it and gave him the paper.  He said... you are at the wrong Sleep Inn.. They are a different owner and I can’t just switch the room......  (to be continued)