Friday, December 3, 2010

11/23/2010 THROUGH 12/1/2010

OUR TRIP FROM TAMPA TO VERMONT FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS THEN BACK TO TAMPA

Hope you all had a most wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Tuesday morning we battened down the hatches, left a Quest key with the dock master and scurried off to the Tampa Airport for our 9:45 AM flight. Expecting chaos, we were surprised to breeze right through both check in and security. I heard the earlier flights had long lines at all points but we were lucky. After a long layover in JFK, Jet Blue got us to Burlington without a hitch. We picked up a rental car then met with Robert for a quick dinner before driving down to the house in Middletown Springs. Brrr!!!! Thankfully Brenda had turned the heaters up in anticipation of our arrival.

BAILING OUT FOR OUR THANKSGIVING TRIP TO VERMONT




Middletown SpringsImage via Wikipedia
MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS CHURCH AT THE VILLAGE GREEN



























There were Vermont sunrises over the hills, meetings at work, quick trips to nearby Poultney and routine doctor’s visits to fill the days then dinners with good friends to occupy our evenings. We enjoyed a couple of dinners with our great friends, Craig and Alexis Porter and dined with the Hanson’s the night Dick got home from his trip to China.


SUNRISE OVER THE BARN

POULTNEY STREET BANNER


What a fabulous trip Dick experienced, visiting the school that his grandfather established as a young missionary there. It was even more special because Dick was accompanied by both his son, Eric, and his grandson, Alexander.


ARRIVING AT THE SCHOOL IN TAI'AN IN THE PROVINCE OF SHANDONG
GRANDSON ALEXANDER,SON ERIC, DICK, DEPUTY PRINCIPAL LIU,
 COUSINS OLIVER AND JUDY THEN TRANSLATOR TYLER
THIS IS AN ORIGINAL SCHOOL BUILDING THAT DICK'S GRANDFATHER BUILT


Each Thanksgiving, Janet and Charles open their home to a flock of us “odd ducks” (I dare not call us turkeys) for a pot-luck feast to rival the best. This year we celebrated and gave thanks with about 45 other folks. We do have so many things to be thankful for.

Saturday, while doing some catch work at the office, we glanced out the window to the sight of fluffy snowflakes drifting down upon our cars and covering the ground. Needless to say, the Corvette did not make the drive back to Middletown Springs that night.


LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!!

Steven came in from his trip to Maryland on Saturday night and Sunday morning we finally got all his furniture moved to his apartment at Landmark College. He was so excited to have a bed to replace his blow-up air mattress! We also got to meet his two new kittens, Karen and Jack.


WELCOME TO STEVEN'S WORLD
SWEET KITTENS KAREN AND JACK



JetBlue Tail (N556JB; Image via WikipediaTuesday night we drove back to Burlington, had a fun dinner at Sky Burgers on Lower Church Street with Robert then retreated to our room at the Doubletree for a short night. Robert got us non-revenue, stand-by reservations on his Jet Blue and suggested we make the 6:00 AM flight for the greatest flexibility. It went like clockwork! We got on that early flight, breezed into JFK, walked off the arriving plane and onto the next possible flight to Tampa and were landing in Florida before 11:00 AM. It couldn’t have gone smoother, we got on both the flights we wanted and had no wait time in JFK. Thanks Robert. Nice job jet Blue!


Having subsisted all day on Jet Blue’s famous Blue Chips and a bag of their cookies, we were famished and sought nourishment at a great little restaurant, Thai Island, within walking distance from Quest. Any of you Loopers that might end up here in Tampa, give them at try at 210 E. Davis Blvd. on Davis Island (813-251-9111). The Panang Curry with eggplant was scrumptious.

We had a wonderful time visiting with our great friends and family but it sure was nice to get back to our home on the Quest.


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