Ok. .. so I am back.. even if I’ve been hiding out a bit. Coming back from vacation is always a rough transition for me.
My Christmas was a long week filled with family activities beginning with a party on the day I arrived. My uncle steve had a bunch of people over to his house in Appleton. That night my brother and his kids and I stayed over at my parent’s house in New London. The next day was my cousin’s daughter’s birthday party outside of Manawa. Afterwards we headed back to Oak Creek, the suburb of Milwaukee where my brother lives, and that is where I stayed for the rest of the week.
At my brother’s I had a few quiet moments with my nieces, which I treasure, but much of the week was a flurry of relatives in and out of the house. Each night we kind of just slept where we landed, be that a bed, the couch, the floor, a sleeping bag, or an air mattress. I think that everyone in WI is sick, and my niece Jessica is teething so that didn’t really help anyone get a good night’s sleep. I, myself, was sick but only for one night.
Christmas to me is a time to spend with family & close friends and amid all of the hustle and bustle that is what I got to do this holiday so for that I am thankful. I spent a lot of time with my brother and his family and with my parents. I also got to see some of my extended family. My parents are both from big families (both from families with 8 kids) so seeing everyone is always hard to do. Also, Nancy and Josh were finally well enough at the end of the week so that we could spend a day together and they join my brother and I in seeing Lord of the Rings, Return of the King.
My entire family has digital cameras now (digital elphs rule!) so I’ve been sifting through hundreds of photos. Over the next few days I will start to publish them, small sets at a time.
Also, I learned a valuable lesson.. that no matter how tempting it is to skip your flight from Milwaukee to Chicago with a 3 1/2 hour layover in Chicago to drive there when it only takes an hour and to take the opportunity on the drive to stop at the outlet mall in Kenosha, you shouldn’t do it. I learned when I got to Chicago that when you miss your departure flight your entire flight is cancelled. Nice.
8 responses so far ↓
1 tara // Dec 29, 2003 at 6:04 pm
Any piccies of Wisconsin Christmas cheer?
2 rachelleb // Dec 29, 2003 at 6:12 pm
tons
3 petrol // Dec 30, 2003 at 4:06 am
Shite. Should’ve gotten in touch with you before you left NYC. I’m currently based in Chi (in the city, 30 minutes from ORD/20 from MDW). Could’ve kept you company. Least we could’ve done is make sure you didn’t go hungry or thirsty while getting the next flight out of Chi.
4 rachelleb // Dec 30, 2003 at 8:09 am
My friends Nancy & Josh drove me to Midway (which sucks compared to ORD). I ended up getting on my scheduled flight but I had to pay more. Persistence & question asking and making the agent talk to her supervisor a few times got my change fee of $50 waived but I still had to pay $93 for the difference in price of airfare.
5 Nan // Dec 30, 2003 at 9:55 am
I feel like it’s my fault for making you skip that first flight. Let me know if I can help you financially for it. I still think that’s just crazy. I wonder if you called ahead if they would’ve waived that charge.
At any rate I’m glad we got to spend another day together before you left!
6 rachelle // Dec 30, 2003 at 9:57 am
it’s not your fault.. you didnt make me. if i would have called ahead they said i would have been told the same thing. i guess then i would have known not to skip it.
7 petrol // Dec 30, 2003 at 10:54 am
Persistence wins the day! I’m glad you were able to waive the 50$. Good that you’re back in NY for the New Year (:
I’ve learned my lesson with missing flights - I have never missed a flight ever, but my kid sib regularly does the “chance passenger” thing when she goes to the West Coast. I can’t handle that kind of stress.
8 Arthur // Jan 1, 2004 at 12:20 pm
Rachelle - welcome back - glad you are posting again. I’ll get some “around the new year” type shots up on my page too. NYC from 12/26 to 12/31.
I used to fly from Midway with the old flight simulator - when I went to Chicago one time, I “visited” Midway, which was the “default” airport for flight simulator. cute tiny airport if I remember - didn’t now Midway planes could get all the way to NYC.
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