FL Trip

After company left Pete and I had a relaxing weekend. The following Monday I left for FL. I was going to visit my grandparents. Trying to be frugal, I found that I could take the train from here to Tampa for only $42. A bargain, how could I resist. It turned out to be the trip from hell. Pete drove me to the station. It ended up being very ghetto. Upon arriving, we learned that the train was a hour late. No problem. A quick call for Dana to let the dog out and Pete sat with me til the train got there. When I booked the ticket, I had this vision that the train would be empty and relaxing. Think again. When I got on, it was packed and we had assigned seats. I was sitting next to a man whos teeth decided not to make the trip with him. At this point it is 10:15 pm and I was getting tired. The man next to me had the window and went right off to sleep. I on the other hand could not get comfortable. After a while I figured out how to make my seat go back and fell asleep. I woke up at 6 to find out that overnight we had stopped on the tracks due to a power failure and now we were running 5 and a half hours late. Ugg. I tried to keep positive and napped and read the morning away. To make up for the delay Amtrak gave us a wonderful boxed lunch, a sandwich that hadn't seen the light of day in awhile, chips and a soda. Non diet soda. Not thinking I threw the soda in my bag. (remember this fact it does come back to haunt me later) Around 1, we hear parts of an announcment. It included the words Tampa, luggage, and Winterhaven. I immediately was interested because I was heading to Tampa. I had to go find an Amtrak worker that knew what was going on. Harder than you would think. I learned that to save time they were letting all the people going to Tampa off in Winterhaven and bussing them to Tampa. Fine whatever. At this point I just want to get to my grandmother's. About an hour later, they changed thier mind. Tampa people are getting off in Orlando. In Orlando, the weather was killer. The bus was there, but the driver would not let anyone on. Finally I got fed up and told some Amtrak worker to let us on. There were about 25 people on the entire bus. Everyone could have had thier own row. Damn my mom for raising me polite. An elderly woman asks if she can sit next to me. I spend the next hour squished against a window listening to her about how the train delay was a terrorist plot and the Iranians were behind it. Some people. In the middle of it all, I feel something wet by my feet. I thought that maybe my water bottle cap came off. Nope, no such luck. Remember that coke can. Big hole poked in it by the battery charger. Coke everywhere and I have no where to go. The old woman just goes on about the terrorist. We finally get to the train station and things start to look up. There are a couple car companies that pick up there. No such luck though. Not mine. I took a hot taxi with a woman who didnt speak English through Tampa rush hour toward the car rental place. It was near the airport but not at the airport. She didnt listen to me when I told her to turn and she ended up taking into the airport and got us yelled at by 2 cops. I finally find the shuttle to the car place and rent my car. I had to upgrade cuz the car they were going to give me was the size of a match box. 6 pm and finally on my way to my grandmothers. Had my directions and they led me on a toll road. I had to run the toll cuz I had to change, there was noone there and a line of cars was behind me. Should be a nice ticket when it comes. Finally got to my grandmother's. She had a great dinner waiting and it was nice to finally be there.

The rest of the week was nice. I got to talk to my grandmother and learn alot about the family I didn't know. We, meaning I and she watched, packed up her china. We visited my grandfather in the nursing home. Such a depressing place. The first day we got there he was laid curled up in the fetal position in his bed. It killed me. He can't walk very well anymore and he didnt know who I was. He rediscovered that I was related to him every 10-15 minutes. The place he is at seems nice. They have activites and they people are nice.

There was this one nurse's aide that my grandmother talked to the first day. Young guy, not really attractive, but was nice to my grandmother. She was complimenting him on his new look. The next day when we got there, he found us again and told my grandmother that he would get my grandfather up for us. Apparently in the 8 months that my grandfather has been in the home that was the first time that anyone has ever helped her. She couldnt figure out why, but I think I had. Once my grandfather was up, the nurse's aide was just hanging around and followed us around. It was kinda creepy.

Saying goodbye to my grandfather was the hardest thing because I had this feeling that it would be the last time that I said goodbye to him. It was horrible to have to leave him there.


My trip home was uneventful. I left early in the morning. Ed had given me great directions so the drive was easy. I made it in one day. I only hit traffic in Raleigh. Poor Pete, had to deal with me swearing at all the NC drivers and NC DOT.

It is good to be home though even if only for a little while.