Tuesday
It was a gorgeous day again, sunny and warm. I stripped my bed then made some sandwiches for tea tonight before eating my breakfast. Then it was time to vacuum my bedroom and clean the bathroom. Then I packed my last few items and put my cases by the back door. Cheryl and Dan had gone out very early and they arrived back just as I had finished. They had appointments to go to and as they were not sure if they would be back in time, organised a car for me.
Finally, I could settle down and finish the book I was reading. I sat out on the deck as it was so nice. I have read three other books in the series and the last two were the best. The author went back into the past to set the modern day mystery in context. The books are set in Virginia so I know many of the places she talks about.
I went over with Cheryl to see the cats and had a snuggle with Apollo. Then it was time for some lunch, a wee bit of last night's tea, yum!
My car, or should I say limousine, turned up at 2 pm and what a ride I was going to have to Dulles, lol, a real stretch limo! 
So after farewelling Cheryl and Dan, Brent, the owner of the company, drove me and we had a great chat along the way.
He lives within five miles of Cheryl and Dan and only bought the company two years ago. He has eight vehicles including five limos and is going to buy a bus limo next. He employs eight drivers but also likes to drive clients himself.
He married in May and they only found out a fortnight ago they are expecting their first child. He is an animal lover as well as a sports fan so we have much in common. We talked about why some people are so cruel to animals and briefly touched on the political scene, lol! He, like me, is not a fan of New York City and I talked about some of my travels and how I have so many American friends. I also told him how I met Cheryl, Dan and Shalon.
It sure made the trip pass quickly and he really is a great guy. Traffic was not too bad either.
I was a wee bit early to check in so I left my bags and walked to a Starbucks at a nearby shopping centre. When I got there I looked on Google maps and it was just over a mile so I had my exercise for the day! The coffee was great and then I walked back to the hotel.
The hotel is very spread out as the rooms are suites and there are only two storeys. My suite was in the furthest block from Reception and the place was full so I could not change. The guy on duty, Jimmy, kindly offered to take my bags down for me. This he did after I went to Happy Hour and had a free glass of wine. The food, free, was Mexican so I just had some lettuce and tomato.
I also booked in for the 9.30 am shuttle tomorrow and Jimmy said he would collect my bags from my room as he would probably be driving the shuttle.
Then it was time for tea, shower and bed, my last night in the US this time round.
I had a great time with Terri, Steve and their families as they all made me fell very much at home, thanks so much! I had a different feline roomie this time round and I enjoyed the time with Matty. Of course, I enjoyed all the kitties and made real friends with Odi. Gracie, who is now with Terri full time, and Autumn would vie to share the chair with me, lol! I will not forget the Pigeon Forge visit in a hurry, it was great, the day on the boat was also another highlight.
I moved on to West Virginia and then I had the news that Sylvie was not good. Losing her while I was away from home was terrible and it is the very worst thing to lose a loved pet like that, it certainly affected the last part of my trip. Cheryl, Dan and Shalon were very understanding and sympathetic but it was a tough time for me emotionally. The trip to Massanutten was interesting and I was so grateful to share the family holiday, thanks to everyone.
I am in two minds about going home. I cannot wait to spend time with Seb and I just hope he is coping on his own. It is going to be difficult to come to terms with the reality of Sylvie's demise, for both of us.
Wednesday
No time for a long lie in today, lol, but I did sleep well. I packed my last bits and pieces and left the two bags to be picked up. I made my way to Reception and the breakfast area was open. It is the very best free breakfast I have ever seen, almost everything you could want or need!
Jimmy came in and saw me and confirmed my shuttle time and that he kid collect my bags, really nice guy. On the way to the airport I asked him if the hotel was always busy an, apart from November and December, they are pretty much full all year. As we approached the airport we could see where the route for the train is going, they are breaking the ground for that.
Check in was a breeze with a really pleasant United guy who did all the work for me and gave me all the info I needed. I went through TSA Pre Check and walked down to the shuttle to take me to Terminal D. This just has to be the weirdest airport I have been in and reminds me of my first visit here. It was late at night, we came off the plane and queued for the shuttle. We were jammed in like sardines, lol! This is the only airport I have been to that has on field terminals!
On arrival at D, Lo and behold as I came up the escalator there was Starbucks on my left. I grabbed a coffee and then wandered down to the United lounge to wait for boarding.
I had paid extra to have extra space in Economy Plus and it was well worth it. The only issue was the guy next to me. He assumed the armrest was his and I was constantly putting my arm down inside the rest to protect my ribs, lol! I was pretty much squashed against the window! He is returning to Vancouver BC with his wife but is in panic mode as he only has 37 minutes to catch his onward flight! Even two hours was not enough for me coming over, lol! At least it is a United flight so they will not have far to go. Good luck to them!
It was a lovely flight, almost no bumps and some patches of lumpy cloud. I took some photos of the beautiful yet inadvertent patterns that are made in the fields. I also saw some of the fresh snow over the Rockies. We landed fairly close to time and were smartly round to the gate and disembarking.
I bought a coffee from Peets and wandered round to the International Terminal. It is quite a walk but I had plenty of time. I passed Gate 74 and, there were the two Canadians, lol, their flight was late. I had a good laugh with them and carried on my merry way.
The Silver Kris lounge does not open until 6.15 pm so I went into the EVA lounge which closes at 5.30 pm. I then went to the United lounge until it was time to wander to the gate. I knew it was closer than usual as, from the lounge, I had seen our plane being serviced.
On board and we were at departure time but they were still boarding people. We were told that they were taking on extra fuel as there was time. However, the captain then informed us that we had been over fuelled and the plane could not be moved until it had burnt off about 300 pounds, he did not say how this would happen! I suggested maybe we should all get off the plane, lol, I do have some different experiences.
APU units were running throughout the plane and then the captain asked authorities to allow them to start the engines to help burn the fuel. We finally left the gate at 9.45 Instead of 8.45 pm, just an hour late, lol, that makes nearly two and a half hours sitting in a plane on the tarmac at San Fran on this trip!
As we were taxiing away from the terminal, we were told that some people were having issues with the in flight entertainment system so it would have to be rebooted. This would take about ten minutes, I just had time to take a note of how far I was into the film I was watching!
Friday
Thursday disappeared over the Pacific somewhere, lol!!
We had a good flight, just a few bumps and an excellent landing one hour late of course. There had been a beautiful sunrise at about 30,000 feet. The lateness of our arrival meant some people missed connecting flights and others had to hustle.
We had been warned of extreme bad weather in Auckland, high winds and heavy rain! It had passed through in the night thank goodness. There were lots of black clouds but the sun was poking through as I walked to the domestic terminal. All I cold think about was getting home to see my boy Seb!
I had a coffee in the Regional Lounge while waiting for my flight to Napier. During this time the clouds had closed in and it was raining again. We were warned that there would be quite a bit of turbulence on the flight, and there was! As we took off, there was low black cloud to the left and the sun was breaking through on the right, a very strange sight!
I am not sure why some guys think they should have a bit of the seat beside them but I had another one of those. He also ignored instructions to have his cell phone on flight mode, typical of some people and total arrogance!
I caught a shuttle home and Seb was so pleased to see me. I could hear him yowling as I came in the front door and he met me with lots of purrs!! I had much to do before I could unpack, I stripped the bed, douvet cover as well as sheets and pillow cases and they all went in the wash. I sat down for a five minute break and Seb took advantage of that, lol!!Then I had to do some tidying before hanging the washing out and heading off to the supermarket for some essential supplies. As I was leaving, a shower passed over but I did get my washing dry, lol!!
Back home and it was time to unpack and set the room to rights. I did not feel like much to eat for tea, a cup of tea and a banana was fine! I crashed fairly early so off to bed it was, with Seb cuddled in beside me.
Post Friday
I am missing Sylvie and I am sure Seb is also missing her, he yowls much more than he sued to and he is very clingy. He has also wanted to snuggle into bed with me every night! I have also managed to catch with all my washing and now have a huge stack of ironing, lol!! The weather has been changeable with some rain over the weekend but a couple of nice days in the week.
I am also experimenting with my new benchtop oven that I ordered online from a a local chain of stores that sell all types of household appliances as well as other items. They have good sales on and one took place over the weekend before I arrived home. It is a Breville and does everything from toasting to grilling to baking to slow cooking to reheating etc. The original price was $549, in the sale it was $299 and postage was the huge amount of $5, lol!! I am enjoying using it and have already found a lovely oven baked omelet recipe that works really well!
It is now over and out until December when I am off to spend Christmas with Lisa via a short layover in Houston
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