and then there is..

...the really bad news. Which is not so much news, as just bad. But once the events occur, and the ball has started to roll downhill, it is history. Meaning no matter the circumstance, all you can do at this point is accept fate, while grumbling and muttering under your breath.

We were fortunate to find a rental car. Other customers came in after we did to claim the one we had reserved on the phone. The newly arrived were told there were no cars to be had, but they might want to think about a great big pickup truck. My guess is it might get twelve miles to the gallon. Not precisely so huge you would need a step stool to get in the cab, but seriously big compared to the little compact Ford we loaded up and drove off the lot. I am thankful that we did find a vehicle that would safely get us back south. Even though it was a dreadfully long drive: a good twelve hours from NYC to eastern TN.

The worstest part of all: the cost. The car rental was pretty reasonable. I'm not sure how much, even though I will eventually pay for it when the credit card bill arrives (along with all the fun we had in the City.) And I knew when we started into the agreement that there is a considerable cost when you do not return the rental vehicle back to the place of origin.

Sadly, I also knew we did not have much choice in the matter - it was stay there and stew about being stuck in New York, or take matters into your own hands. Which we did, in agreement that the decision to rent a car and drive across six states was the best solution. I am sure I will grieve again, like I did when I was gnashing my teeth in the Enterprise office. It will start afresh, when the bill comes and it is time to  pay the piper. I have already laid plans to access funds for covering the extra three hundred dollars they charge for failure to return it to the store where you signed the contract. Arrggghhhh.

So in summary: the trip was good fun, I enjoyed NYC. But the going and coming: not so much. As I was sitting in the ATL, having been delayed several times, I began to think of how we put so much faith and blind trust in the crew of the airplane. Expecting the pilots are well trained and fully qualified to take off, cruise and get us to the place we wanted to be when we purchased a ticket. Lots of faith that we will eventually get to the place printed on the boarding pass. Possibly over confident that the people who service, man, drive the conveyance have the skills to ensure we will arrive at the desired location - maybe hours later than expected, but at least in the right place.