I am back in my room at Blessed Sacrament after a long day of travel. Pat and I had breakfast around 6:30am and then went to a lounge from which we were to disembark. At 7:25, Pat thought he heard “group 4 to leave” but I didn’t. The girl who was in charge was very tired and spoke softly. But we got off and found our luggage and went through customs and suddenly at 7:50am we were outside of the port and not another member of our group was in sight.
Slowly others came out and brrrrrrrrr it was 60 degrees and many – not me – found the weather a big adjustment. Once we all got there, a bus picked us up and took us to the Ft. Lauderdale airport. We went through the kiosk (a kind of computer check in) easily and then security and we went to sit for our 11:55am flight to DC.
Well, our plane was coming from Hartford and they had a lot of snow there and so it was late leaving for DC. There was more snow in DC (the schools were closed) and so it was late leaving for Florida. It arrived at 1:15pm and it was the quickest cleanup and turn around on record. We were in the air at 2:05.
The flight was easy but packed! We got to Washington around 4:15. Our bus was waiting for us and we headed to St. Mary’s county. We got there and picked up Maggie’s car and headed up to Dunkirk. We were hoping to me some of her family at the BINGO at the fire house – we hadn’t had enough of that on the cruise!!!! But when we got there it had been cancelled, so we went to Mama Lucia’s to drown our sorrows in food!
I left Marie and Maggie at Maggie’s; picked up my car – and just learned by phone that I also took Maggie’s car keys!!! and I headed home. I called Joan to catch up on things and learned that today, January 28th is Eileen and Phil Ballenger’s 50th wedding anniversary. Since I was the altar boy at their wedding, I felt a congratulatory phone call was needed. It was 10pm and Phil was already in bed but Eileen – true to her O’Connell family tradition as a late nighter – was up late and we had a great phone conversation. Then I called Maggie and Marie to tell them and I think they called even later that night.
I was suppose to hear first confessions tomorrow at Our Lady of the Visitation but the storm knocked out the power at the church and so Fr. Ray Fecteau, my friend and classmate, called to tell me they had to reschedule. That worked our fine as I also have an 11am at St. Mary’s in Barnesville as my friend, Fr. Kevin, is away. Fortunately, the deacon, who knows this lady well will preach but I will be able to get out to Barnsville early.
Although I still think of St. Thomas Aquinas on March 7th, I am trying to accept the move of his feast to today. So to all the Thomases who have enriched my life with their humor, their intelligence, and their kindness, I wish a very happy feast day.
A special “shout out” to Fr. Thomas Aquinas Novak, SDS who was our Dean of Men at Mt. St. Paul Seminary and who helped to shape us into loving priests.
I have the 5:30pm Mass tomorrow night and then I think it is to bed early.
Happy to hear you made it home safely….if a bit later than expected. Not bad for a January trip!