Our last day of sitting in the cockpit and drinking coffee!  We enjoyed watching the busy Roadtown Harbor wake up.  But we had things to do and places to go.  So by 8:00 we were headed over to Conch Charters for the check-out which went very smoothly.  Darl, the method man, had exactly five things wrong with the boat:
1) The screw is missing from the grill.
2) The speedometer doesn’t work.
3) There is a slight oil leak under the motor.
4) The cockpit light has a loose wire.
5) The water pump wouldn’t turn itself off.

The ride back to St. Thomas on the ferry boat, the Bomba Charger, was very pleasant.  Quite a contrast to our initiation last Saturday.

We all went to the Hard Rock Café for lunch.  Last week when everybody else ate here, Andy was diving and I was walking the boardwalk.  The music was loud, the food so-so, and we obeyed the sign which said, “No drugs or nuclear weapons allowed inside.”

Claudius Chalwell our taxi driver ordered lunch from a roadside stand while driving by without out stopping.  He hollered out the window, “Chicken on rice, mild sauce!  Be right back!”

So we arrived at the airport before 2:00 and processed through immigration and customs AGAIN, then waited.  The airplane was an hour late, but they made a quick turn-around.
Sarah and Will were called first.  Then Pat and Darl.  Darl took the “jumpseat” to make room for one more hoping it would free a seat for Andy and me.  But alas!  It was not to be.

Sarah writes:
“Got on the plane in St. Thomas.  About an hour and a half into the flight, Pat walks back through the plane.  I had not seen her get on.  She said Darl was in the cockpit and she was in first class.  Andy and Mickey were still in St. Thomas.  Pat and Darl waited for us in the Atlanta terminal and we walked together until we got to the escalators where they had to go up to their gate.
“When they got ready to check people in for our flight, they were asking for twelve volunteers to give up their seats so it didn’t look good and sure enough we didn’t get on.  It was now 12 midnight.
“They said the next flight was 12:05 Sunday.  There was a flight at 6;30 a.m. that went through Cincinnati but they said we’d never get on out of Cincinnati, so we called Dot to t someone know where we were.  Marti’s number was buried in a suitcase.
“Started the long journey to get out of the airport.  Will led the way.  He read the signs and looked at the directory.  He was charging off ahead of me.
“When we got to the terminal, a airport person asked if we needed transportation, asked if we had motel reservations. We told him we didn’t have reservations so he pointed us to a row of phones with motel ads.  You just pick up a phone and push a button on the motel ad that you want and it automatically dials it.  Called Howard Johnson - no vacancies.  Called two Days Inns - no vacancies.  Looked for an ad with free airport shuttle.  Holiday Inn North - Yes, they have rooms - $79 flat rate.  Shuttle every 15 minutes.  Waited outside airport in the cold for a full 2 minutes.  Got shuttle to motel - arrived and checked in. Got to room at 1:00.  No hot water - took cold shower and got in bed. Both of us asleep immediately.  Both woke with a start at 4:00 - “What time is it?” Will says.  Go back to sleep.  Get up at 8:00, Will showers and we go to breakfast.”

Mickey:
Andy and I stood there and watched as the plane pulled away.  Then Andy looked at me and said, “Now what?”
“Now,” I replied, “we go look for a hotel.”

Now we know what life is like as a “non-rev.”  That’s what Darl has called us all along.  We are non-revenue producers for Delta Airlines.  That means we fly low priority.  Customers paying good money come first.

So we walked up the hill to the Best Western Carib.  Several times Andy expressed his deep disappointment in not getting on the plane. The Best Western had a vacancy at  substantially less than the place we’d stayed before sailing.

After checking in, we walked about a mile to the roadside stand where the taxi driver called out his order.  We figured taxi drivers probably know good food.  We got one-half barbecue chicken each with rice and a roll for five bucks each!  Quite a bargain on the island.  Then we carried it back to the hotel to eat.  It didn’t take long for Andy to settle down and accept our fate.  Cable TV, air conditioning, a good meal, and a hot shower goes a long way toward making another night in St. Thomas acceptable.

I’m glad we have a place without taxi rides.  We’ll walk down the hill early in the morning and try for the 9:15 flight.

I called Marti’s 800 number to put the word on the family grapevine that Andy and I were Okay.  I realized I couldn’t even call and leave a message on Sarah’s answering machine because I don’t have a phone card.  Shoot!  I always just call collect. But Marti was excited that I had called her.

When I returned to the room, I found Andy rolling on the bed laughing loudly.  He was watching Goofy cartoons.  Then Goof Troop The Movie came on.  Andy enjoyed the character whose voice was done by Pauley Shore.

End - Day Eleven - Motherofallvacations Vacation