Back in the U.S.

Finally! Well the departure from London heathrow proved to be much more of an adventure than expected! The delayed flight boarded 3 hours late as expected and it took a long time to leave the gate and then came the announcement that it was a very busy time to be leaving so there was a 20.30 minute wait to take off. The next thing I knew the captain was announcing that we were cleared for take off, so I'd had a short nap. We started on the runway and then were told we were going back to the gate for mechanical difficulties! Guess I'm glad they were discovered before we were in flight! We were never told why we were delayed again, but 3hours after the expected departure we finally left London! 6 hours later than expected! What a mess it was for the majority of the 400 passengers on the 2 level jet who needed to make connections! I was lucky (?) that I'd already decided to spend the night in Chicago because it was a mess when we got off the plane and reps were trying to find people to give them their new rebooked tickets. The luggage had arrived on an earlier flight so it was there to welcome us. To make matters even worse so many international flights had arrived at the same time that the immigration line was through the large room and down the hall to the escalator where we came down. Yes, travel is a hard undertaking these days.

The flight was originally departing just before 8 am so the first meal was supposed to be breakfast. The omelet served at about 3 pm left a lot to be desired! the man next to me was a game rep from Sweden and he was missing meetings all over because of the connections so his itinerary was going to have to be changed for at least the first three days of the trip. He always travels internationally so wasn't upset. The movies they offered weren't any I really wanted to see, only a couple of new releases, nothing like the old days when most of the movies were the new releases. Cutbacks everywhere! I was glad I had loaded a few movies on my iPad, definitely a cool thing to be able to watch that! I tried it for the first time on the eurostar and it was pretty funny. I couldn't hear it so kept turning up the volume and then realized that people around me were all staring. Pretty embarrassing! The man next to me was French and was on his way to Lille from London, the first stop, because his mother's Id had expired the day she got there and she couldn't get home so he was going to meet her but not sure what he was going to do. He offered to help me and showed me how to push in the jack much harder than I'd done. Nice man.

Well the severe thunderstorms have subsided and it appears that my flight will actually leave today and home is only a few hours journey away!!

Stranded at Heathrow

Well, I THOUGHT I'd be headed home by now, but alas, the challenges of travel continue. I was up at 4AM worried that I wouldn't be up when the alarm went off to leave by 5:15 for my 7:55AM flight. Got to London Heathrow airport, waited in line for the ticket agent to get my boarding pass and check in the luggage and the lady asked if I knew that my flight was delayed...3 hours! No, I hadn't been notified! So that means I wouldn't make my connection so yes, my favorite thing, we got to rebook my flight. So much for spending the night with Bram and Meli tonight! I'll be in Chicago for a night and this birthday adventure will continue a bit longer than expected. I was able to find a room online near O'Hare airport so all is well. I'll be a little more rested when I get home this way.

I'm in the lounge at the airport and although it is very nice, much nicer than the US lounges, they have changed the food and it is no longer anything to look forward to. This used to be a wonderful place to eat, now it isn't. Such a shame that the changes were made. At least there is free internet here so that helps the time pass. It's a nice time to make new friends too, although at this time most of the people here are business travelers and not into visiting. I did chat with a British lady who celebrated her daughter's 21st birthday in Bruges. What a great story it was!

However it just reminded me that I didn't get my birthday waffle. For the first time in 4 years Lily's was closed yesterday!!! NO waffle! I was so disappointed, no one knew why it was closed in the summer. I hope the owner is okay, I was able to put the note cards in the mail slot and I am sure he will be delighted when he gets them. Imagine, all that way and no waffle! I tried a different place, but the waffle was not as good, but what could I do? Not a thing and I guess I'll have my birthday waffle another time!

Other than that, my day in Bruges was nice. It rained off and on, but not at all when I was out. The market was in the square near my hotel and a pleasure to wander through. Long ago I'd read that the roasted chicken was delicious and indeed it was! Many flowers for sale, a flower and food market it was. I wandered and bought a decadent box of chocolates to enjoy and then had my last friets of the visit and went to the train. along the way a large orchestra/band was set up in the small Berg square and I had time to listen to a couple of songs before leaving. There is always something new and interesting going on in Bruges! I'm getting comfortable with the train system now and it's funny to think back when I first started taking the trains and how little I knew. I'm comfortable at the station and now I have no trouble reading the signs and finding the right platform. The long trip back to the hotel went without a gliche, thankfully! I stopped at the St. Pancras station to say hello to my new friend, the waiter, and we discussed staying in touch and he invited me back next year to celebrate my birthday again. He is from Hungary and enjoyed telling me about life and food there. Next year, a year from yesterday, the summer olympics starts and it is quite the big deal! So after saying hello I took the taxi from St. Pancras to Paddington and walked right on to the Heathrow Express back to the airport. All went smoothly and after a dinner of fish and chips at the hotel it was time to call it a day and get my few hours of sleep.

And now the adventure of traveling home faces me...wishing for a safe journey and a big welcome home by my kids tomorrow!

Ciao from Heathrow!

BACK in Bruges!

So, so, so much to write about but not much time. All these years of writing my travel blog and I've been so faithful about sharing this journal of my travel experiences, but this time with the intermittent Internet access and the busyness of my itinerary, the time to write has been minimal. I hope that I am able to remember the details to write about later. But in a short update...(well, knowing me, it probably won't be that short...), I will share some recent happenings with hopefully more to follow.

At this moment I am lying in a luxurious room in the Grand Hotel Casselbergh in Bruges. I stayed here on my recent trip and when I rebooked for last night they said they were upgrading my room for the same price. One thing I've learned in my travels is to not expect anything with the hotels. Was a bit disappointed with the room in a palace hotel in Lisbon, but that is for another time. I walked into this room and expected a little cozy room again and walked in, beyond exhausted,and was in awe. The room is stunning, 2 stories high with a gorgeous crystal chandelier right in the center of the room. The room is not large, but the decor is elegant. Not as fabulous as my birthday hotel in Lucerne 3 years ago, but I'd never have known a room like this is tucked away in this hotel! The windows look out onto a small courtyard and into the other part of the building, but the view isn't the focus. The two story windows are covered in elegant drapes. The bathroom is large, all done in white tile with a frosted glass door. And for me, probably the most wonderful thing is that the air conditioning actually works and I am snuggled with soft sheets and a cozy duvet in a cold room! A rare delight in Europe! The room in Portugal was lovely with a great view and a wonderful large white and green tiled bathroom, but it was warm, even after having the maintenance man in who claims to have reset the thermostat in the ceiling before and now for another American (that would be me), who just wasn't satisfied with the 23C that they like, supposedly he set it all the way down to 17, but I'm sure in a very short time it was back up. Unfortunately I don't sleep well when hot so I wasn't comfortable at all.

But back to the luxury of Bruges...I did sleep well although with the day I had I think I would have slept well anywhere! It's a shame not to have more than one night here. I slept a full 7 hours and hate to go back to sleep and miss experiencing the comfort of the room. Breakfast is being served but I think I'll patiently wait until my waffle shop opens at 10 for my breakfast. I arrived last night exhausted but still walked into the central square for some frites at my favorite stand. While there chatting with a couple of young men as we waited for our order, they were shocked I'd been there so many times with out trying a Bickey Burger. Well you know me, how could I resist trying something new recommended by locals? And since that is what they were ordering I knew it wasn't a joke, so I added the bickey burger too. It is a hamburger and I'm not sure I liked the meat but you barely taste it so that is okay. It has a chili sauce on it, nothing like our chili, and has cucumbers on it, which turns out to be like our pickles but with a different flavor, and crumbled fried onions. Enjoyable but not sure it will be one of my Bruges staples when I visit. But now I can say I've had a Bickey burger!

I am thinking about the short time I have here and just realized that there is a big market on Wednesdays. I think it would be worth checking out since the timing is right. Might get some grand pictures there. Then I will visit Lilys for at least one of my favorite waffles and to drop off the cards I made for the owner with 2 different pictures of waffles on them. After that I will pick up a box of chocolates, have frietes with stouffle on them, pick up my roll on luggage and head for the journey back to London.

Seeing Cesar in Portugal was nice, but we had so little time together and he was so exhausted, that it was far from our usual exciting time together. He didn't even have a cake for me, which is a BIG deal to me. We did take a lovely ride along part of the coast from Lisbon almost up to Capo de Roca, the westernmost point of land in continental Europe. The day was miserably hot, the first like that in 3 weeks, and of course it would be the day I was there. but as we got towards and past Cascais, it was cooler. We stopped near where the road ended so I could get some photos of the beautiful turquoise water along the rocky coast and it was actually cold with the wind and we enjoyed just standing there soaking in the windy cold air listening to the ocean crashing on the rocks. A lovely setting and memory. The coastline of Portugal is beautiful and we passed lovely beaches filled with people making the best out of the weather. The Portuguese people love those hot days and the seaside towns are filled with tourists.

We stopped with some of the cards I'd made with Portugal photos at the hotel where Cesar used to work, to see if they would be interested in selling them since they are right where the hotel is. It was a nice visit because the people were excited to see him again. The surprise was the warm greeting I got from several of the staff who remembered me too. I did visit several times while he worked there and it was nice that they remembered me and welcomed me so warmly. Several of the traditional kisses as a welcome. Unfortunately the conversations reverted back to portuguese so I was left out. We did talk to one of the managers and he said they would be VERY interested in selling my cards there if they were postcards instead of greeting cards. He said he was being totally honest, not just kind, when he said the photos were excellent of the area. So he asked me to take several photos of the hotel and he would talk with the CEO when I come up with a price I would need to get to see if it will work out. The hotel has now become a 5 star hotel and is quite modern and lovely so it was really kind of exciting to photograph parts of the hotel at his request. If they decide to go with the idea he said he would like me to go back and photograph more of the hotel too. Imagine going to Portugal to photograph a 5* hotel! As a job! Cesar has told me he thought my photos would sell well there with the kind of clientele they get from around the world, so now we will see!

The time in Lisbon was short, and though not exciting, it was quite comfortable. I think it would be what it is like to visit family, an experience I no longer have. However being in Portugal for that visit was a nice part of my birthday extravaganza, as my celebration continues, although it is quickly coming to an end.

Yesterday I woke up in Lisbon. Being at the airport was quite a hassle, it was packed and so disorganized that I could write a whole entry about that experience itself. At one point I had to call out to Cesar to help me because a guard wouldn't let me into a part I'd been sent to. He wasnt allowed to accompany me to an area where he used to be able to go as I checked in. He came up near me and explained in portuguese what I'd been told and the man let me in. That is NOT a place I would like to be without him to help take care of me.

The plane was late leaving, another common occurrence with the airline. But all was well and after circling heathrow we safely landed and I was on to my next new experience of a day filled with them! I went to a new area and boarded the heathrow express to paddington station. The wonderful concierge at my London hotel had told me that if I bought the ticket ahead of time it would be 16 GBP rather than 24 at the train. I can not tell you how worth it that was to be in a comfortable setting and be in the center of London in 15 minutes! I would pay that anytime for the comfort and convenience. Then I found my way out of the beautiful station to the taxi stand where I got in a taxi bound for St. Pancras station. A delightful driver pointed out the sights along the way, the famous Madame Troussards wax gallery, the London zoo, baker street of Sherlock Holmes fame and more. We arrived at the station and I bought another ticket on the eurostar, since I was there much earlier than expected because of a ticket chane from Lisbon. Ahh, the flexibility of travel, or actually the lack of it.

I had over 2 hours before boarding the eurostar for my high speed trip under the English channel to Brussels. I chose a table at a restaurant near the entrance and had a delightful waiter. I mentioned I'd flown in from Portugal and he was telling me how much he loved visiting the Azores so I gave him one of my cards of the beautiful bouganvilas next to a building with peeling paint. He couldn't thank me enough and then came back and gave me a business card and he is a professional photographer! Another interesting new friend. A man came and started talking to me and asked if he could join me. Turns out he was a 72 year old priest, hmmm not mr. Right for me! Then another lady came up to talk about the steak and mushroom pie I was eating and my waiter came back and laughed that I sat down alone and had attracted a group around me. He knew this trip was my birthday trip and I said I guess that was my party and he and the American lady sang happy birthday to me, pretty funny impromptu party! And then the big part of the journey arrived, the eurostar journey. It was amazing! I arrived at Brussels and with a little help I found my way to the right train to bruges and made it! So in a day I was in portugal, London, the French countryside and Belgium. This afternoon I head back to London and sadly early tomorrow I head home....


Short? Yeah right!

Norway

More than once I was explaining that one of the many reasons I chose Norway for my big birthday celebration was that it was a safe country to visit. None of the unrest that is so prevalent in many parts of the world. Beautiful Norway, such a wonderful visit only to be darkened by the outrageous bombing of the building in Oslo and the camp shooting. I'm still in disbelief that it actually happened there. What a naive person I was to believe that anywhere is safe from terrorist dangers. This trip did not stop in Oslo, but I have been there many times before. I haven't followed the news on the incident but my heart goes out to all the people effected by that terror.

The trip was lovely, so many incredible sights to see along the way! The highlight was the zodiac ride in Geirangerfjord as I mentioned before. Felt very brave and am so glad that I overcame the trauma I dealt with leading up to the adventure. I survived the zodiacs in Antarctica and these actually had seats in them, a much more 'luxurious' experience! The driver purposely made it exciting, flying right up to the sides of the fjord and going the full speed, 50 knots as we leaned to the side being sprayed with water. I complained about the intense heat when we had to put on the life preserver suits that covered our entire body, but once out in the fjord I was quite pleased to be cocooned in the warm, bulky outfit. The bouncing wasn't good for my back and neck, but a small price to pay for the thrill! To have floated through the fjords that way was an experience to remember! ten years ago, twenty years ago, when I was teaching class after class about Norway, I NEVER could have imagined seeing the fjords, much less cruising on the zodiac adventure in one.

My actual birthday was also a memorable day. I was in Bergen and took a tour to the home of Edvard Grieg, the famous Norwegian composer. I am not familiar with much of his music but the troll-ish music from Peer Gynt called something like Mountain King was something we listened to in class when we studied Norway. There was a piano concert of his music, in a 'concert hall' overlooking the hills and lake of his home and it was stunning. Dinner was a delight as Diana and Alec took me to dinner at Sabatini's restaurant. We had a great time even though they have changed the way it works and it wasn't as good as before. Disappointing a bit, but it was so special to be there with friends for my day. Even had a bit of the champagne that the hotel had given me. I wish I could remember the card Diana gave me it was perfect...something about one should be celebrating 60 with dignity, but the way I was doing it was much more fun. Cute card and so perfect!

When I was on the tour in Aldasnes I met 2 ladies who were celebrating their 60th birthdays together on the trip because one of their husbands had given them the trip as a gift. They had been friends for 54 years! While we were at dinner at Sabatinis they came in and had found a card in Norwegian that has a big 60 on it and said they hoped it said something nice because they couldn't read it and dropped it off and left. What a fun surprise and when I get home I'll put the text into a translation program and see what it actually says, but a great memento of being in Norway for my 60th!

Disembarking the ship wasn't bad at all, I know to go out early and there was no problem with them letting me off so I had found my luggage and was on the bus before the rush began. Once in London I chatted with my friend the concierge and enjoyed his life story, what a kind man he has been for the last 4 years and now I know more about him. He is from Macedonia, speaks 6 languages and he has put his money into a lovely home he has had built to retire in, in Macedonia. Everyone has a story and it seem seldom can it be guessed!

I spent the afternoon in Covent Gardens, lively place with street entertainers and many people wandering. I was exhausted so I had a quiet evening at the hotel and was up and now at the airport waiting for my flight to Lisbon. I wish I were more excited about it but this is the first time I'm going and not being met by Cesar. Evidently he won't be at the hotel until the middle of the night because of his job so we will have a short time together tomorrow and then Tuesday morning I fly back to London for the next part of my adventure.

Cheers from London...safe and sound!

Alive and Well and

cruising to Bergen! Limited internet in the fjords...happy birthday to me! The zodiac ride in Geirangerfjord was definitely the highlight of the trip...brave me!

Stavanger - Once Again

This will be quick, there hasn't been internet for a while so I wasn't able to catch up last night and am not sure we will continue to have it this morning.

Ahh, back in Norway! Waking up at 6AM I was ready to turn over and go back to sleep but caught a sight outside my balcony door and sleep was over. We were just getting into Stavanger and the sun was shining on the beautiful white houses going up the hillside. I was back! I remember gardens by the houses but unfortunately when they moved my room they put me on the other side of the ship so as we pulled in I lost sight of the white houses I'd seen on the last trip, maybe the gardens that were filled with pink and purple flowers are still there.

Breakfast is over and now I'm waiting for Diana and Alec so we can check in for our tour. We will be going to the gardens and you reach them by boat. The pictures look lovely so it will be fun to see them today. The sun is shining, in spite of bad weather warnings. I usually have great weather for my birthday trips so I expected nothing less this time. Last visit, 4 years ago, the morning was beautiful and the rain came in the afternoon and I was drenched walking around the town, but that's okay too. This afternoon I have a couple of places I would like to see so I might be taking a taxi to some of the sights. Norway, such a beautiful country!

Yesterday was a day of total relaxation! Napping throughout the day felt almost sinful, but was indeed heavenly. I wasn't the only one spending the day that way. I read and slept and read and slept. The food is wonderful on the ship and it looks nice with the remodeling. The floors and white tile they have added looks lovely. It is still Princess though, just a bit more like the newer ships. Not a person I recognize, I've been spoiled in the past with crew I knew or who knew friends of mine, but this time it is all new people so I am just another passenger, none of the special treatment I got when I knew people. But today I went to push the button for ice and a man walked up and offered, actually insisted, on doing it for me. He was a sous chef and the most delightful young man, we spoke for a while and he really was the first crew member to chat.

Well, off to get my sticker for the tour and to see a new sight in Stavanger. Au revoir from Stavanger, Norway!

Best Laid Plans...

Ahhh, the best laid plans...Friday was planned. I would arrive at 6 am and drop off my suitcases at the hotel and take 3 trains to reach Borough market in a part of old London. Well, the plane was 2 hours late and I arrived at the hotel exhausted. I was greeted with a very warm welcome from Nejo, the concierge man I met the first time I stayed here four years ago. It's always a pleasure to see him. I left my luggage and went to check in. When I started staying here everyone was so nice, like Nejo, and they always upgraded my room and treated me so kindly. The last couple of years they have not been kind at all and each time I request the upgrade I am told no with unkind comments being made. Today I asked again, one never knows and I was told no in a not very kind way. Then the person said she would ask the manager and a very kind lady came over and looked at my record and suddenly not only did she say to upgrade me, but it seems there was a room ready for me to check into, and I'd just been told there wasn't. As the girl was registering me I told her it was my birthday trip and she was so nice then. Paperwork got done and I went to visit my friend and he said the new manager is wonderful and the whole atmosphere has changed with her here. Thats good for business, the other ones were downright rude!

So I got my things in my room and went for the complimentary breakfast in the lounge. Then I returned to my room and started preparing for my trip into the city to the market and decided to take a little nap. I texted the man I was going to meet and told him I'd be there later and the next thing I knew someone was pounding on the door. I looked at the clock and FIVE hours and passed! I was sure whoever was at the door was at the wrong room but I opened it and the reception staff had sent me a chilled bottle of champagne and a lovely plate of cheese wedges, crackers, fruit, celery and a delicious hot apple something that was like the center of an apple pie without the crust. All to celebrate my birthday! What a thoughtful surprise! I ate most of the food and laid back down and then I was out for 3 more hours!

I woke up very rested and I was ready to see London! It was too late to visit the markets so I consulted with the concierge, a different man, and got directions to go to the London Eye. So a very brave me headed to the airport, bought a day pass on the tube/underground and headed into London to spend the evening. I am very comfortable asking questions and I advise everyone to do that. The man at the hotel had told me where to change trains but I checked with the man working at the trains he gave me a much better place to change, where I walked a few steps to the next train rather than up and down stairs at the station I'd been sent to. I got off at the Westminster station and walked across the bridge Finally I made it to the London eye and getting on it was interesting. It never stops, you get on it while it is moving! The trip was very pleasant. There were 5 of the most adorable young men from sweden on there and we had a pleasant time visiting. They came in for the weekend and one of the guys was afraid of heights and I felt so sorry for him, but he got better when we were at the top and it was nice to see how proud he was of himself to have done it. I am currently reading a book set in Sweden, "the Girl Who Played With Fire" so we discussed that for a while too.

After the memorable ride on the Eye, I stopped and talked to some people near there selling tickets to a 'London at Night' tour. I decided to take it and it was beautiful and very informative! I boarded a double decker bus and climbed to the top for the best views. We passed all the famous places and the driver was so nice and dropped me off after seeing Harrods lit up beautifully. I was at a station where I wouldn't have to change trains to get back to the airport, so I could settle down for the long ride back. I stopped at a little store that was open, it was after 11 so I didn't think there would be many choices for dinner still open. There were all kinds of things and I finally decided on a Cornish pastry and felt just like a local getting on the train with my snack. These pastries were what the workers would take for lunch when they went to work long ago. I'd seen them on one of the travel shows and a British man on the tube told me the same story. It was a rather crispy pastry with beef and potatoes inside, delicious! Just right for a midnight snack! Finally the train almost reached the airport and the people I'd been talking to showed me a new way to get back to my hotel, again a good time to ask questions!

And now I am back in my room safe and sound and quite possibly exhausted again so goodnight from London!

Mitzi's Big Adventure

60-a milestone birthday...what to do to celebrate? A tough decision. I needed somewhere cool, somewhere special and beautiful and far from home so the travel shopping began. I have this great cruise consultant now, someone who knows me well and knows cruises...me! So I decided on a short cruise to Norway. Similar to the one I took 4 years ago but shorter and not as far north. It is on the same ship as my last Norway cruise so I'll see how the refurbishing looks. I leave from Southampton so my flight arrives and departs from heathrow. Purchased my plane ticket and the upgrade. This time I fly through Chicago so the transatlantic flight has lay down beds and all has worked out fine, or so I mistakenly thought!

Diana and Alec decided to join me so it will be nice to see them and share the adventure. A couple of weeks before leaving I talked to Cesar and decided to make a side trip to Portugal. Because of his work schedule I needed to change my flight home to be able to spend his day off with him. Things fell into place easily and I always see that as a sign something was meant to happen. Changed my return and even though the change cost $250 that was offset by the fact that the upgrade copay went from $500 to $300, so it just cost $50 to make the change. The new itinerary came to me by email and I checked it as I always do and it looked perfect so that was done and I moved on to making other travel plans. Finally all of my hotels and plans were finalized and I was ready to head out on my big adventure. Travel is not easy. It is exciting, educational and fun, but not easy.

The email came to check in 24 hours before the flight left. I got home from all my final errands and from dropping the dogs off and went online to check in. It wouldn't let me and said to call the agent so I did, thinking it was no big deal, maybe because it was an international flight? Called united airlines and the nightmare began! She searched my records and said I no longer had that flight I'd changed my ticket a couple weeks ago from a round trip to the one way ticket home. My heart must be very strong because if I was going to have a heart attack it would have been then! I explained, calmly at first that I had my itinerary and had gotten the email to check in so obviously I was on the flight! She explained that I had no ticket for the flight over, just home. But she said not to worry because the seat was still available and I could purchase the one way ticket now but it was quite expensive. I explained, in not so calm a voice that I WOULD NOT purchase a ticket that I'd already bought! Was put on hold again and she came back with an explanation, the agent changed the ticket and United had issued a refund credit to me for the difference in all, so a $200 credit voucher was on the way to me. I told her I had no idea what she was talking about. I never heard about that and just wanted my ticket for the flight. Put on hold again and then she came back with more 'good news', they would sell me a ticket to London for only $460! I told her that wasn't going to happen I would not buy a ticket that I've already bought because one of their agents made a mistake that I'd never been told about! Put on hold again, for close to an hour with her checking back in to tell me they were working on something, but she wouldn't say what. crazy! I was so angry at the incompetence! Finally she told me, after two hours, that they had worked it out that I had my flight and didn't need to pay a thing. She told me that my persistence had saved me. She had the guts to tell me that I should always check the information they send about reservations. How dare she say that when I told her I had the changed itinerary I could show her that the flights were all still there. Then she said I should always check the price and I'd done that too and assumed the change was due to different return dates. I'd done everything correctly, they were at fault no atter how you look at it. Not sure what to say the lessons were, but NEVER trust the reservations agents and always call back to be sure your plans are what you think. This is the most bizarre thing I've experienced with flying. Although I did face a similar situation when I changed a ticket at Christmas to fly to Budapest through Munich rather than throu Madrid. I had the correct itinerary but the ticket was to Madrid. Oh my, the incompetency in the world is growing exponentially!

When I checked in at the airport I was surprised to find that I was not charged my $500 copay and assured i still have my business class bed/ seat. And they sent me a coupon for something for my trouble. Hmmm.....

And so here I am, sitting at the Chicago airport waiting for a delayed flight to London. I got very sick when I arrived in Chicago yesterday, not a surprise considering the stress of the day before. Luckily I got to the hotel and after a few hours and a nap I was better and hungry. I walked across the street for a delicious steak at Gibsons steakhouse. I'd been there before with some ladies I met when I was here for the pet expo, back when I started my dog gift basket business. Nice dinner and nice relaxing morning, so hopefully the worst is over now and I can just enjoy my big birthday adventure!