Sunday, August 22
Jen made it to England finally on the morning of Saturday, Aug 6th. After much waiting and hassle and just plain frustration she made it... even though the flight she came in on was over 2 hours late. In Atlanta they were going down the runway as if to take off when the engines powered down and the pilot came over the loud speaker and said they had to turn around and go back to the gate because 2 peoples' bags made it on the plane but they didn't. By the time they got back to the gate so much time had passed that they didn't end up picking up the stragglers, they just found their luggage and took it out for them and then got in line to take off again. All of this took two hours. The stewardess on the plane that Jen talked to said in all her flights she had never seen anything like that happen before and just the day before the nice folks at Delta had told her that International flights are very rarely delayed even if it is for weather. Anyway... she made it to Gatwick and we went straight from Gatwick to the subway station that would take us into London.
I took her to Lis Miserables in that afternoon and we walked up and down the river front in London that evening. Sunday morning we got up early to catch a train to Paris on the Eurostar. It is a very nice and very fast (186 mph) train that goes under the English channel. It was very hot in Paris and our hotel room had no
AC. We opened the windows but all that did was allow the stink of Paris streets into our room. Despite the heat and the stink we went to the Eiffel Tower Sunday evening. It was hot out but it turned into a beautiful evening outside. We had dinner at an Italian restuarant near the tower then we got in line to go to the top. By the time dinner was over the lights on the tower had come on and it was lit up the Paris skyline. By the time we got to the top it was completely dark and the night time view of the city was just gorgeous. It was very crowded at the top of the tower so we didn't stick around long before we came back down. We got some ice cream and went and sat down on the lawn at the foot of the tower. Once every hour twinkling lights come on all over the tower that make it look like it is sparkling. At midnight these lights came on and I got down on my knee and asked Jen to marry me. I am not sure if she said yes but I know she let me put the ring on her finger. It was a wonderful evening with a wonderful end. The next morning we got back on the train that took us back to London and from there we traveled on to my house near Oxford.
Over the next ten days I worked some and we ate dinner at several friends houses and we grilled out at my house and we did a lot of relaxing. We went to London last Saturday for a going away party for one of my fellow LTs and we went to a couple near by malls but most of all we just spent quality time together. She left on Thursday so she could go back and get ready for school.
Just keep checking here for more info on the upcoming wedding which will take place Memorial Day weekend this coming May. - footprints of Chad, 10:59 AM
So here's a quick rundown... She was supposed to arrive at 11:05 a.m. Wednesday but got in a horrible accident on her way to the airport. Luckily (the only bit she's had) she was not injured to bad, just really sore. Was finally able to change her ticket to Thursday, after 2 days of dealing with insurance companies, banks, hospitals and lawyers, and she was going to arrive here exactly 48 hours after her original arrival time. But noooo.... she'll be staying in a hotel tonight at her own expense because the FAA said the weather was to bad for domestic flights to leave or land... but not international ones. Yes, that's right, everyone else on the plane that had connecting flights to go somewhere in this country made their connection because their planes were delayed but all international flights departed on time. So now she'll be getting on a plane at 4:45 Friday afternoon and arriving here at 6:05 a.m. Saturday. I mean, that is if they don't tell her the flight is full or some other catostrophic event doesn't take place between now and then, which I really wouldn't be all that surprised if something else delayed her after all that has happened now. Anyway... i am rambling... so i am going to stop. - footprints of Chad, 12:30 AM
Check back again next week for another update. Thanks again for praying for her and her family.
- footprints of Chad, 3:17 PM
- footprints of Chad, 1:45 AM
I took her to Lis Miserables in that afternoon and we walked up and down the river front in London that evening. Sunday morning we got up early to catch a train to Paris on the Eurostar. It is a very nice and very fast (186 mph) train that goes under the English channel. It was very hot in Paris and our hotel room had no
AC. We opened the windows but all that did was allow the stink of Paris streets into our room. Despite the heat and the stink we went to the Eiffel Tower Sunday evening. It was hot out but it turned into a beautiful evening outside. We had dinner at an Italian restuarant near the tower then we got in line to go to the top. By the time dinner was over the lights on the tower had come on and it was lit up the Paris skyline. By the time we got to the top it was completely dark and the night time view of the city was just gorgeous. It was very crowded at the top of the tower so we didn't stick around long before we came back down. We got some ice cream and went and sat down on the lawn at the foot of the tower. Once every hour twinkling lights come on all over the tower that make it look like it is sparkling. At midnight these lights came on and I got down on my knee and asked Jen to marry me. I am not sure if she said yes but I know she let me put the ring on her finger. It was a wonderful evening with a wonderful end. The next morning we got back on the train that took us back to London and from there we traveled on to my house near Oxford.
Over the next ten days I worked some and we ate dinner at several friends houses and we grilled out at my house and we did a lot of relaxing. We went to London last Saturday for a going away party for one of my fellow LTs and we went to a couple near by malls but most of all we just spent quality time together. She left on Thursday so she could go back and get ready for school.
Just keep checking here for more info on the upcoming wedding which will take place Memorial Day weekend this coming May. - footprints of Chad, 10:59 AM
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Friday, August 6
In case you are wondering...
She is on the plane. Barring disaster, she is going to make it to England. Some real nice people ended up finding her last night and offered to let her stay with them because they got vouchers for a hotel and she didn't. So she didn't have to pay for hotel which is good. Apparently these folks were delayed out of Chicago because it was busy so they got vouchers... anyway... i'll be picking her up at Gatwick in about 8 hours. Then it's on to London and Paris! - footprints of Chad, 5:04 PM.:
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what can you do...
Talk about bad luck... Just when we started to think everything was going to be OK. Jennifer's plane out of Kansas City got delayed by over an hour. It was supposed to land at 8:49 in Atlanta but it didn't land until 10:10. Well her flight to London left without her at 10:02. Most airlines won't put people up for the night when delays are caused by weather and Delta is no different... and they don't really care how much trauma you've been through get to where you are.So here's a quick rundown... She was supposed to arrive at 11:05 a.m. Wednesday but got in a horrible accident on her way to the airport. Luckily (the only bit she's had) she was not injured to bad, just really sore. Was finally able to change her ticket to Thursday, after 2 days of dealing with insurance companies, banks, hospitals and lawyers, and she was going to arrive here exactly 48 hours after her original arrival time. But noooo.... she'll be staying in a hotel tonight at her own expense because the FAA said the weather was to bad for domestic flights to leave or land... but not international ones. Yes, that's right, everyone else on the plane that had connecting flights to go somewhere in this country made their connection because their planes were delayed but all international flights departed on time. So now she'll be getting on a plane at 4:45 Friday afternoon and arriving here at 6:05 a.m. Saturday. I mean, that is if they don't tell her the flight is full or some other catostrophic event doesn't take place between now and then, which I really wouldn't be all that surprised if something else delayed her after all that has happened now. Anyway... i am rambling... so i am going to stop. - footprints of Chad, 12:30 AM
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Thursday, August 5
Update
Jennifer was able to get a flight leaving Thursday afternoon and arriving here Friday morning! Thank you for all your prayers! Her neck is really sore but she is doing better and her spirits are up along with her mom and two sisters. There is still a lot to work out with the insurance and getting another car but things are coming together.Check back again next week for another update. Thanks again for praying for her and her family.
- footprints of Chad, 3:17 PM
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Wednesday, August 4
Please Pray...
I should be on my way to Gatwick Aiport right now to pick up my girlfriend, Jennifer. However, she got in an accident on the way to the Kansas City Airport. Everyone is OK. Her mom was in the passenger seat and her two little sisters were in the back seat when she got rear-ended by a Tahoo on I-35. Her car was totaled. Her 15 year old sister went to the hospital. Turns out she had lots of cuts from all the glass that went flying and a concussion. Everyone else just had minor cuts and bruises and whiplash. So everyone came home from the hospital with pain killers and neck aches. We are very thankful no one was hurt more than they were but she obviously didn't make her flight. Hopefully she can get on another flight in the next day or so... problem is Delta isn't being very helpful. They are not going to charge a change fee but we have to pay the 600 to 700 hundred dollar difference in the price of the ticket. If she wants to come see me she has to come now because school starts in a couple weeks and this trip was scheduled so she would get back just before school starts. Anyway... please pray for her and her mom and sisters that they would heal quickly. Also pray that when she calls Delta back today she talks to someone a little more sympathetic. [UPDATE: Jennifer just got off the phone with Delta and they are not going to charge her to change her ticket. Guess I just talked to the wrong person.] And also pray that she can make it over here by the very latest Saturday morning. I had a surprise trip to Paris planned this weekend and I have a good chunck of change wrapped up in that and if she doesn't make it all that money is out the window. (I don't want to go alone) But most of all say a prayer of thanks, that they are all ok. Thank you for your thoughts a prayers.- footprints of Chad, 1:45 AM
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 My name is Chad and I live in in Woodbridge, VA near Washington DC. I am old. My wife's name is Jen and we have two dogs named Ripley and Rascal. |
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