Arrival in New Orleans

The Fiske-Phillips and the Sforzas have arrived in New Orleans! The flight was quite painless; I was surprised to see such short lines everywhere yesterday, at check-in, security, even the first plane was only about two-thirds full. There were even small crowds at the slot machines in Las Vegas (too bad, if it had been crowded, I might still have my $20 in my pocket). We arrived shortly after midnight and called the hotel for the shuttle. "Sorry, the shuttle stops running at midnight!" Should have thought to check on that, I guess. A short cab ride at New Orleans "standard" rates of $7.25 per person and we checked in and fell quickly asleep despite the time difference. By the way, it was nice when the hotel desk clerk thanked us for coming to help their city. This morning, Barbie and Georgia went across the street to McDonald's and brought breakfast back (room service at half the price!) and we're getting ready to head over to the Hilltop Rescue headquarters. Everyone is in good spirits and looking forward to the adventure. -Loring

WARNING! Barbie's trip journals are always longer and WAY more detailed than anyone elses! So, if you are a Readers'Digest fan, read Loring's entries, and if you want to read the equivalent of "War & Peace" read Barbie's.

Soutwest Airlines made a BIG mistake! Instead of allowing only 2 checked bags as most of the other carriers, Southwest allows 3!! Well, if it's offered, one needs to take advantage, right?? We looked a little like the beginnings of a small nation when we arrived at Ontario International, each toting two suitcases, a sleeping bag and backpacks strapped on. The TSA folks were nice as they rolled their eyes!!

After an hour stop in Las Vegas, we boarded our plane for new Orleans. Loring and I, being the consumate Southwest patrons had strtegically spaced ourselves at a window and aisle seat with an empty one in between. That way if the plane doesn't fill up, we have more room. We've trained our children to do the same, so in effect the four of us have 6 seats across if the plane doesn't fill up. Now I must say that we always cheerfully move if someone asks, but we rarely make eye contact with those folks going down the aisle as to make it more difficult for them to ask. (Okay, so now I've confessed this bit of greed and I feel better!) A young woman and her dad were looking for two seats together, but there were none left...obviously others had the same strategy that we did. Loring heard her trying to negoiate with her dad seating so that she could still talk to him. Not being a mercinary, and an all-around nice guy, Loring offered to sit with Sarah and Jacob and give the two seats to them. Keili was obviously a bit frantic and let us know that they had just received a call, while on vacation in Vegas, that her mom had suffered an aneurism and was being admitted to the hospital's ICU with possible neuro-surgery pending. I listened as she reported to the nurse the medical power-of-attorney information authorizing treatment if her mom wasn't able to do so. It was stunning to be on the periphery of such human catastrophe and powerlessness. I spent the flight with Keili telling me about her mom - about their relationship, both good and bad. She talked about the love affair between her parents and how the man sitting next to her was her adoptive dad. Her bio-dad had died tragically when she had just turned 1, and when she was nearly 2 1/2 this man had gotten down on one knee asked to adopt her and marry her mom. Since then he had always been her dad. She talked about the fight she had had with her mom the day they left for Vegas, (mom was supposed to go with them, but had backed out in the last moments because she wasn't feeling well.) She told me about saying forcefully, "I love you!" and slamming the door as she left.

We talked about Katrina, how healthcare is still so lacking in the area and how scary it all was for her. It was a powerful plane trip.

Her mom is only 51, and I thought about how close this all seemed to me. In just six years, I'll be her age. Sarah will be close to Keili's age and life could suddenly be shifted and shaken. I'll probably never know the end of Keili's story - if her mom will survive, how she will cope in the next few months, but in many ways she will never leave me.