NY Pt. 1: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Before I could even get out of the house Friday to the airport, my mom and dad had called several times to pass on information should they not be reachable later. One of those calls from my dad went something like this: "Hey, I'm standing here at the parade, and there are snipers everywhere. It's so cool!" Uh, what? Snipers? Non-news watcher that I am was not aware of those dudes who got arrested not far from there for attempted terrorist activities. Thanks, dad, for cluing me in to all this hours before I come up there! Oh well. So our plane...excuse me, our TINY plane, left Tupelo at noon. Our friend David was with me. The rest of the travel itinerary for Friday looked like this:

• Flight 1 from TUP to MEM smooth.
  
• Perfect length layover in MEM.
  
• Flight 2 from MEM to LaGuardia also smooth.
  
• Luggage made it.
  
• Taxi from LaGuardia to Grand Central Station.
• Enough time at GCS to get a sandwich and get on the train to Garrison (1 hour ride).
  
• Taxi waiting for us at Garrison station to take us to the retreat center.

Unfortunately, our day of smoothness ended there. My instructions at that point were, "Your room is on the 3rd floor. Just look for the room with no one in it." Um, how about a room number, all of you who would not be presented when I arrive. All rooms on the 3rd floor appeared to be taken (clothes, bags, messed up beds) except the room THROUGH WHICH ALL MEN HAD TO WALK TO USE THE RESTROOM. Was I sleeping in that room? NO WAY. So David and I hung out in the lobby. The hot, non air conditioned lobby, where we were continuously questioned about why we appeared to be stranded in the lobby.

Now seems like a good time to explain where we were staying. For the sake of cheapness (hello, it is my family), we were staying at a Franciscan retreat center. Dorm style. Made for men on one floor, women on another -- though we did not have to observe the segregated floors. Each room, with two exeptions per floor, had 8 single beds in it. The women's bathrooms had 8 showers and toilets. And these were the tiniest showers I've ever seen in my life. They made me long for the gym showers.

So, finally it was decided that for Friday night we would stay on the 2nd floor in the room with my parents...and my grandparents and my 2nd cousin and her husband. Eight beds, eight peeps. And, as I believe I've mentioned once or twice, I am a very light sleeper. Read that as crazy in my head, can hear a person move his/her foot across the sheet and want to lose my mind. First night, BAD.