| | It was our first time in Orlando together. I had been out to the office quite a few times, but Debbie had never been able to come. We had a great first week with our Leadership Rising seminar. The seminar was inspirational and challenging, but it didn't take up all our time. Deb & I got a group car and did a couple of evenings out. It was really my first time driving in Florida where I wasn't in a convoy with a group agenda. It was cool to be on our own and without the kiddos in the Sunshine State (tho we did miss them a wee bit  ) The weekend brought the Specialty Recruitment retreat high in the mountains of central Florida (not quite the Andes, but there was a slope). The little tourist town had an old 125 yr old inn where we stayed, and during the tourist season it even has a scenic train ride. Too bad that August isn't the tourist season in Florida. But the atmosphere was relaxing, and our worship time in the gazebo by the lake on Sunday was awesome. I did buy a Santa Fe Railroad mug at a little touristy train shop. Along comes Monday and Tropical Storm Fay. Passing over Cuba there was a hint that it could turn into a hurricane. Fearing that Deb would get stranded in southern FL on her way out, we changed her flight to Friday to be sure to leave enough time for Fay to make her way through and beyond the state. Hurricane status never happened (to this point), but then Fay decided she wanted to linger a while. Our team meetings moved from the main building to the Activities building when they closed the main office. Still the shorter walk didn't help our umbrellas stay together with all the wind and the rain. It all when a bit better than expected, actually, with a more relaxed atmosphere and JEANS!  Maybe I'll post some highlights later. By Friday I thought we had just about made it through the affects of TS Fay. The main body had finally passed by Orlando and had moved north and then inland where it should just play out. Deb headed out early on her flight so she could hurry and wait 5 hours in Fort Lauderdale for her Detroit to LA flight  (at least they rebooked her). At 5 pm I'm at the Orl Airport thinking that Deb is in a plane high overhead waving to me. Then I get a buzzing noise in my pocket and there's Deb. One of the outer bands of Fay unleashed pool loads of rain on the FLL airport and delayed her flight past when she could connect in Detroit. Coolness! They had found a seat on my flight, just a few rows back (she wouldn't beat me to LA after all! haha!). All goes well. We leave a little late but land with lots of time to transfer---except---there's no place to park.  No worries. We should be 15-20 minutes waiting for our space, then plenty of time to make the switch. 20 + goes by, and then we moved, but not to our space, but to the next terminal over. Hmm. At least we would get off. Then, almost there, and they needed the guy with the flashlight sticks and the ear muffs to guide us in. Oh brother! Another 10 minutes. Then ok, 15 more feet and off goes the 'fasten-seatbelts' sign. I get a call from Deb. She's on the plane. "Ok, honey, we should be getting off any minute". Yeah, right. We stand another 10+ minutes waiting for the door to open. Then it's hunt for the exit, walk outside to the next terminal, go through security again, and then run down to the end of the terminal wing to see the ramp pulled away from the plane and the door solemnly shut with no airline people.  Bye Deb! So they did pop for a nice hotel with meal vouchers. I have net access, and they extended my stay till 3 pm so I don't have to sit in the airport so long ( I leave at 8:20 pm). I've got some good books and a lot of thinking and praying to do. And, best of all, Deb called last night when she arrived so I could hear that she's ok and she could know that I'm ok as well. Not how I would have planned it, but now I have some time to digest, meditate, and even touch base with Xanga. And, uh, yeah, she did beat me to LA. See ya tonight, honey! |
