Monday, June 5th

 I slept so good last night, better than I had in years. When we awoke, Bob made coffee and we had coffee and NY bagels on Antoinettes new deck.

Because of the wildfires in Canada, the air quality was very poor. We wanted to relax a bit, so we hung out and caught up. Then, we got in the car and drove past many of my childhood and teenage haunts, like the Grove St home I grew up in, my high school, SUNY Albany, and then the cemetery where our family members were buried. Discovered my father was an army sergeant. Meanwhile, Ana and Matt were attending Albany library sleuthing. I have a half sister whom I have been searching for since 1983. Both my son and his daughter (16 years old) are very good researchers. Unfortunately, although they dug up new info, they are at a dead-end in finding my sister.

At the cemetery, we got to see Lisa, Antoinette's sister. It was wonderful to see her. Serendipity!

Gina and Janine came by to see us. We love these two characters so much

 They cracked us up all afternoon.

For dinner--fantastic chicken fajitas. Some wine on the porch then bed. A full, satisfying day.

Albany has changed while remaining the same. I miss my hometown and the Damianos so very much.

Sunday, June 4, Denver>Orlando>Stewart airport (Newburgh)>Poughkeepsie Amtrak>Albany

 I hate Frontier Airlines. First plane Den>Orlando delayed departure by an hour because cleaning crew did not show up. We had only an hour before our next (connecting) flight was leaving (45 min before door closed). Couldn't pull into our assigned gate because another plane was still there. Now, our next flight to Stewart Airport in Newburgh is delayed by more than 2.5 hours because there is no crew (pilot). So I worried the whole flight from Denver that we'd miss this flight, now there's a possibility we'll miss our Amtrak train to Albany. I've edited our Lyft pickup time twice. We need to Lyft or Uber to the Poughkeepsie Amtrak from Stewart Airport in Newburgh and take Amtrak to Albany. Meanwhile.... what a revolting development this is. LOL! Did I already say I hate Frontier?--Worst-run airline of all.

When we arrived at the Albany Amtrak, Heath (Antoinette's husband) picked us up.

Antoinette had made meatballs (delicious) so we made yummy meatball subs. Up fairly late talking, then to bed in our great guest bedroom.

 June 3, Saturday

We leave tomorrow for another adventure. Since we'll be gone longer on this trip, we are each paying for a carry-on bag. Uber picks us up at 2:40 AM. We arrive in Albany at 7:45 PM (after a flight from Den>Orlando, then Orlando.Hudson Valley Airport, then an UBER to Poughkeepsie Amtrak, then an Amtrak from Poughkeepsie> Albany. Won't this be fun?

Still trying to pick a way home--maybe train from Merrick (LIRR) to PENN (Amtrak) to Philadelphia. Then Philadelphia nonstop to Denver IF we can get a ticket (remember, we can only reserve flight the day before. UGH!

We're both packed and it's only 1:30 PM, Bob is on his way to drop off Sasha with her stuff, then bed early.

Friday, May 27--Pondering our next trip

 Our next trip, scheduled for June 4, will be a long one. However, that doesn't bother me as much as the fact that it's two days late to be able to attend the services for the death of a close relative in Albany.  My cousin Donald Medick has passed away. This man was a good and very funny man. He and his family (wife Jean and children Donna Jean, Michael, Nancy, Paul, and Marybeth) lived on the next street from us and I was at their place often. Don made me laugh--always. He was a very happy man and a great husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Jean, and three of his 5 children: Marybeth, Donna Jean, and Nancy. I really wish I could get there to celebrate his life with his wonderful family, but I'm unable to get a flight before next weekend. 

Our next trip is to Albany--via Orlando, Hudson Valley (SWF airport), UBER to Poughkeepsie from the Hudson Valley airport near Newburgh, to the Amtrak train station. Then, the train to Albany will take us into Albany around 7:15. I don't mind all of the waiting and plane transferring--it's the fact that I'm carrying a backpack and my CPAP the whole way. UGH. 

We'll be staying with my cousin Antoinette from June 4-10th then taking the train to Long Island, where we'll be stating at a hotel in Merrick, from the 10th to the 17th--then probably home, if we can get tickets home from MacArthur (Islip, LI) to Den--because remember we can't book more than a day in advance. Oh boy.

Until then, I have to decide what few things I need to bring with me so I can have enough, not too much, and just have a carry-on. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it. Also, it's not like I won't have access to Antoinette's washer/dryer, and a laundromat on Long Island somewhere.

So I'm sure I'll be posting again as we get closer to our departure. With more stories. Stay tuned.

Sunday, May 14, Goodbye SC,

 Not only were Robert and Maryann the very best of hosts, but they drove us to the airport in Charlotte at 3:30 AM. 

We left some stuff for them to mail to us and so we wouldn't have to sweat it when they measured our bags at the gate. My bag seemed bigger than when we came, even though I left a bagful of items to be sent to us. Thank goodness the man ahead of me was carrying a large backpack as a personal item and the gate clerk ignored mine and concentrated on his.

The flight home was fine ($135 for both of us), though both Bob and I had backaches and were extremely uncomfortable. But we were lucky that for the flight from Denver and the flight back, the niddle seat between us (I'm the window seater and Bob is the aisle). Frontier's new planes certainly pack them in AND the seats don't recline. Uncomfortable I would assume even if we paid for the seats with extra leg room.

Saturday, May 13th, the museum

Today, we packed. Then we picked up Kelsey and drove to a small, but amazing, local natural history museum, the Museum of York County. It showcased the flora and fauna of the area, but more importantly provided an archive of artifacts of the local animals and dinosaurs/fossils, history which proved to be extremely informative and interesting. There were beautiful vignettes of taxidermy with each animal, bird in its habitat. There was a hands-on room with all sorts of items--different birds wings, birds eggs, skulls of animals, fossils--all identified and labeled. Bob F, my zoologist husband, said it was a good old-fashioned and well-done natural history museum. I could've stayed longer, but we were leaving tomorrow, so we wanted to go home and relax a bit.

Friday, May 12, UGH

 Was up all night and almost moved my pillow and blanket to the bathroom floor. In bed all day. Enough said.