The Roller Coaster

By now most of you know that I was not able to make my original flight to Atlanta (from Holland) a week ago Saturday because of the volcanic-ash fiasco. My flight was automatically rescheduled by Delta for this past Wednesday at 1p. Good. So I kept my eyes and ears open all week for the status, knowing it, too, could be cancelled at the last minute. It was an hour-by-hour, day-by-day roller coaster of emotions.

Now, hold that thought.

I had sat at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport that Saturday for 8 hours before my original flight was cancelled. During that time, Schiphol was offering free wireless to everyone! Plus free water and free buns with cream cheese. So I was happy as a lark (almost as good as a free ice cream), sitting on the floor with my back against a pillar, plugged in to the power outlet, working on my photos from England and catching up on my e-mails. The time flew.

Then reality hit and I realized I wouldn't be leaving that day. But when? Who knew. So I contacted Astrid and she drove back the hour's drive one-way to take me back home. Two round trips in one day. Thank God for Granny Towanda!

Now here's what happens, remember, when they hand you a lemon! You go to the Keukenhof Gardens! We had planned to go when I returned from the States but we'd have only one week left for the tulip season and who knew what the weather would be like. With Sunday now free (no flights again), we made the spontaneous decision to go to the gardens NOW and not wait. That was a week ago today. The day was sunny and perfect in every way...not too hot and not too cold. So we drove past Schiphol airport, the third round trip in 24 hours, and "made lemonade!" I can't begin to tell you how everything I had ever heard about Keukenhof was even BETTER than what I had ever imagined. It was incredible in every way.

It even has a windmill, so you know I was in heaven.

Oh yes, and tulips of every kind and variety....

AND, orchids, of course....

It was a day to never forget. Totally worth the trip if ever you are in Holland during the Keukenhof tulip season.

Now, back to Schiphol and flying out to the States: it happened on Wednesday but NOT on the flight for which I had been rescheduled. The chaotic mess at Schiphol was so horrendous, I missed my flight! But they put me on standby for the next flight 2 hours later, which I made. It was a domino effect all day at the airport, I'm sure: people missing their first flight but making it on standby the next flight. While in the sky over the Big Pond, Astrid e-mailed daughter Amy who was able to reschedule a new flight from Detroit to Atlanta so that once I landed, I was able to go to the gate just as it was boarding. Son Mark was in Atlanta to pick me up and take me to Amy's...and I was in bed by 11:30 that night, 24 hours after having awakened in Gorinchem at the start of my day! THANKS to everyone doing their part!

And now I'm getting ready to go meet up with Vagabonde! Another sunny day (after rain all day yesterday and tornado warnings last night) and all's fine with the world...once again! (My return flight is on Monday the 3rd, via Chicago and London, adding another $900 to the cost of my flight back because of the change. But it's just money, right? Will there still be volcanic action then? I'm trying not to even go there yet....)