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| Jinx: So it all began in Toronto when Hawk, Gumbie and myself were hanging around waiting for the others to get in. Hawk mentioned that he had vacation time that he had to use before March. **chuckle** Well this calls for another gathering opportunity in February�In New Jersey�For my birthday!! **woohoo!** So I tell my co-conspirators Chrebet and Laura and we're off making plans! After the success of goodie bags during the August gathering we decide to continue with what probably now has become a necessity for Jinx and Chrebet preparing the goodie bags our gatherings. We collected fake tattoos, silly string, pens and pencils, juggling balls, mini-pool tables, shot glasses, scented candles, playing cards and, of course, chocolate! Putting them together was just as fun as buying them! You would have thought we were planning for a kiddie�s birthday party. WELL, I do think of myself as a kid at heart! **g** Hubby still thought we were crazy but that didn�t stop him from joining us at the mystery dinner theater. Thursday afternoon, I met with Sorin and we had a lovely lunch together. I just love to listen to her talk! Gotta love that accent! We plan our meeting again at the Port Authority to take the bus to Parsippany and then dinner with Chrebet, Laura and Miss Tif. Chrebet: I left work somewhat early only to be met with bumper to bumper traffic! A jack-knifed trailer! That�s it! Next gathering will be in Long Island! I get to the hotel around 6pm and a few minutes later Jinx and Sorin are driving up. What timing! Sorin gets checked in and I finish unloading my car. We hang out in my room and wait for Laura and Miss Tif to join us. Once everyone was together off to Applebee�s for dinner! Jinx: Dinner we got our lesson on ales, lagers and beers. (Good luck in Europe Chrebet! LOL!) Dinner was great and afterwards Your hosts: Chrebet, Laura, Jinx we went back to the hotel. Earlier, before we even left for dinner, I had to reassure Jack that his being in NJ for the weekend was a necessity! He hemmed and hawwed for a bit so I finally pulled out all the stops. �You will be in the presence of five beautiful woman with YOU being the only male here!� �What?! What about the other guys??� �They won�t be here till tomorrow!� �Well hell! I can�t let that opportunity slide! On my way!� So that settled that! By 11pm I figure it was time for me to go home. Knowing what the past two gatherings that I attended were like, this would be my last time for a full night�s sleep. Chrebet: So everyone leaves and Sorin and I stay up till 1am and talk some more. By 1:30am still no sign of Jack. I call him on his cell phone and find out he�s lost! I ask him to give me landmarks and I have no clue where he is except that he�s on Route 46. So in my pajamas I walk out to Route 46 and give him the landmarks around me. Needless to say he finally got to the hotel. Gumbie: The gathering started for me far too early in the morning! I was at the airport by six... and joining the long long check-in line. Apparently, some part of the computers were down and they had to do everything manually. So it was slow. *sigh* Just as I am nearing the middle of the line, Hawkie saunters in (it's around 6:30, the plane was due to leave at 7). He joins the ticket line to get his stuff, then joins me in the baggage line just as I am checking in. The girls i had been Jack being a troublemaker as usual chatting with in the line then laughed at me, cause I had been complaining about a family that had cut into the line earlier, and here I was doing the same thing... I *almost* made Hawkie go to the end, lucky for him I was feeling nice. ;) Hawk: The gathering started for me with the incessant buzzing of my alarm clock reminding me that the majority of sane people were still fast asleep � and would be for several hours still. So bleary eyed I headed out into the darkness of predawn just hoping that I�d somehow find my way onto the right plane. Gumbie: Through customs and baggage check, past the drug-sniffing Golden and to the gate... where we find there is a delay. And frankly Hawkie I think we CAN complain about the delay. I mean, Sheesh! Peoples! How do you lose a PLANE?! Hawk: Anyway, after a slight delay at park and fly I finally made it to the airport. This is where I learned just how long a two-person line up can be in the ticket line. Of course, this was offset by not having to wait at all in the baggage line. Thanks (((Gumbie))) So finally, after an hour delay � which, considering the circumstances I won�t complain about at all � we were finally on our way, and it was still too early� Canadian contingent: Jenner, Hawk, Gumbie Chrebet: 6 hours later��Oh s!@! Wake up we�re late!� Jack and I jump out of bed and made our way to Newark airport. What?!? Go to Route 1/9 north then go to route 1/9 south then back to route 19 north?!?! They�ll think we forgot them! At the airport "Why is the plane not listed?" We find out the plane was delayed, then go to the airline to get a status "What do you mean it arrived" So where are Hawk and Gumbie???? Finally we all meet up at the original meeting spot. Driving back to the hotel. Barbed wire fence. A cop car on top of barbed wire fence (this actually seen on the way to the airport). Pedestrian walk sign that looks like the guy is bent over and dodging bullets. Drug free school zone. Only in Newark would you get such visions! next |
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