Heyyyyy, folks...
Remember the "good ole days" of our show-going
when if something could go wrong it did? Well, er, um ... this trip to PA was
one of those.
Mr Evo, Cevo, and I arrived at the Tampa airport
on time with no inkling as to what "mis-haps" were lurking just around
each corner that day.
As we got off the shuttle from long-term parking, Mr Evo (as usual) raced (and I
use that term loosely) ahead
to catch the tram to air-side. I've often wondered what he would do if neither Cevo or I showed up to board the plane, but in this case ... he was the one
who
didn't show up.
As Cevo and I caught the tram to air-side, we saw
that a door wouldn't close on the tram across the way and people were pushing
their way out . Well, Mr Evo isn't exactly a marathon runner or pusher,
so the door closed, leaving him all alone on the tram that still wasn't moving. Needless to say, he did
make it ... but Cevo & I were seriously considering having to go without him when he
finally showed up.
Hurry, hurry, hurry ... to wait, wait, wait. About
the same time our plane taxied out onto the runway... the radar system went down
in Jacksonville. All air traffic into and out of Florida was shut down until the
auxiliary radar was in place. Three and a half hours later, our plane was
allowed to take off.
And, I'm here to tell you it's NO fun sitting in a plane
for that long without moving. And... I'm here to tell you it's especially
NO fun when you have a broken butt.
Yeah, that's what I said ... I don't know any
other way to put it. I had a broken butt. I broke it about a week earlier. I
stood up at the computer and sat back down but the rolling desk chair
wasn't there ... it had done what it does best, it had rolled.
I have mega respect for Delta!!!! We were hours
late arriving in Atlanta to catch our flight to Philly and of course missed our
connection, but Delta had us scheduled on another flight that boarded 15 minutes
after our arrival in Atlanta.
Cevo and I stopped at a small stand and grabbed 3
sandwiches and 3 cokes (as Mr Evo, as usual, raced to the plane) when the next
"trauma" occurred. 3 sandwiches and 3 cokes ... "$27, please". Hello? Yep...
$27. Two pieces of bread, a piece of cheese and a tad of meat, lettuce, etc, in
the middle ... $6.95 each. Ohhhhhh, for the days when the airlines used to feed
us.
Our flight to Philly was smooth and uneventful. Getting our bins off the carousel wasn't. I was standing with Mr Evo, waiting
for our 6 bins to appear when ... lo and behold, out of the clear blue ... I was
struck in the knee with a suitcase. And not just any suitcase ... this was a
hard-sided-hard-edged-Samsonite-type BIG suitcase. As it worked its way down my
leg ... my first thought was ... "Well, that wasn't so bad! I'm still standing,
and I didn't land on my butt!" Then the suitcase slammed down on my foot with
its 6'
3" owner landing top of it ... butt first, by the way, which I thought was
rather ironic, considering my own condition at the time.
After assuring him I was OK ... and I'm sad to say
I forgot to ask if he was OK ... he went on his way. But, our skycap made me sit
down and got a bag of ice from the airport bar for me to put on my leg which was
rapidly turning absolutely beautiful shades of blue and red.
As to the show?????? It was cold and rainy the
first day ... then COLD and windy the second day. But ... you came!!!!!!!! Two
busloads of stampers plus 20 ladies from SCUSA (Stamp Camp USA) from all over
the world ... plus a couple thousands of others. You know who you are!!!!! And,
we're soooooo glad you were all there!
The only pics I took were of Mr Evo's "surprise". And, what a surprise it was! Mary Ann & Jack Gindlesperger and Trish Shandor
brought with them Mr Evo's stool that they usually bring to the shows when they
help us, but with a "new look". And, what a "look" it was!!! Being from FL, we
have Flamingo bags and Flamingo Beanie Babies plus a very special "Guido
Flamingo" and "Flamingo Mardi Gras Necklace" in our booth.
I know you're dying to see this stool, so here it
is, Folks...
...
