What can I say?

This is the most incredible story I have ever heard, more like the most ironic story ever told...

OK as some of you know my son was coming home for Cyannes dec. 9th one year anniversary, he left last thursday from S.F. cal. area and was riding in on the storms that swept off the coast line headed east. In the meantime we here in mo. were gearing up for the possibility of another devastating Ice Storm that would rival last years horrific one that left us without power for 10 days.

I felt so much relief that he would be here to help me out as it is not only dangerous but difficult in duty such as hauling water, bringing in wood from frozen slick icy ground, not to mention a million other chores that you must do to eat and survive with diligence as things like house fires are very possible when it is sooo cold outside and the wood stove is working over time.

OK now Ryan heads for and into the colorado region as storms take over with a vengence that leave him stranded on the side of the road in his bus filled to capacity with over 60 people. This was bad but nothing compared to what was ahead for my poor son, looking forward to home coming after 3 years away, and all the known comforts like the iced christmas cookies warm from the oven, the laughter and games, music and of course the home cooked meals only I have the ability to prepare him, (Mom thing) The Hanging of the star on the tree, all things warm and fuzzy...

NO way, not getting off so easy.

NOw because of the stranded on the side of the road he has lost 4 connections that could have placed him safely at home on last Saturday night,

No way not getting off that easy. ( sometimes I think I was adopted out from the murphy's)


Well if you happened to catch that TV interview about the extremely poor conditions of the freezing cold bus stop in Amarillo Texas where entire families were stranded, with out even the most basic of needs like food or warmth or blankets, laying children around with no blankets on concrete floors in a bus terminal, no courtesy phones or hot drinks or food provided by the Grey Hound Bus terminal? Is this America???


NO way not getting off that easy!

My son paid all of his life savings to catch a bus, 240 for the bus, and 6 days worth of vending machine filler (frankenfoods) He though t he was going to arrive with 125 dollars or so to treat his little bros when he arrived...

No way not getting off that easy!

He ends up stranded in the bus terminal( Appropriate name) and then gets carted off with the other 60 passengers to a safe place to weather the storm...

No way not getting off that easy...

It turns out to be a concentration camp style bunker building that he said already housed around 200 indigent people. BRIGHT lights, loud yelping kids,
No TV or radio... NO computer???? He asks for a phone to call home...

No way not getting off that easy!

So off he 'escapes' back to the 'terminal' Word for our gathering stations here in America that seem doomed to become terminal at some point for real.


Is down to the last of his coins to call home with an SOS!

No way not getting off that easy.

I am broke, no one to ask for money, cannot get through the storm anyway to go get him...

Never under estimate a desperate MOM!

I call and BEG for a flight, and after a very strong prayer I find that one airline says if he could get to Dallas from Amarillo he could get a flight for 121.00! BINGO! This is possible! Tears of gratitude...

Not getting off that easy? Nope...


He has 1 minute the only bus is leaving NOW! (Fly's through the terminal)

Makes the bus, he has plenty of time to get to the airport before his 8am departure...

You guessed it...

No way...

Not getting off that easy...


The bus encounters the worst part of the incoming storm and fog begins to descend on the band that covers from where he is to where I am and down to the route 6 hours away where we have to travel to pick him up at the airport. Icy road conditions and flurries...

A break happens in the storm here at my house and with it the news that his flight is CANCELED!!!

Good thing because the bus was also limping along so slow, he could have never made his NON refundable flight at 8am...

NOw all I know is that my ex husband is exhausted from the craziness of this whole ordeal where he trudged through the dangerous and thick iced roads, to get to the town 50 south of us and waited 12 hours as my sons buses kept saying delayed until...

!2 hours yould think that he would be rewarded by seeing his step sons weary road traveled face and deliver him to his unexcited little bros and his stressed out (but loving) Mom???

No way not getting off that easy.

The ex we will not care about in this rant... (heheh,)

So yesterday am I get a frantic call from my Grandma, my 92 year old Grandpa has fallen on the ice and broken his leg clean in half one inch below his very bad knee!!!

Leave the family to rush to hospital, I will not go into this right now as I just got my eyes open after the last bout of tears and crying.


And as far as I know my ex is at the airport in Arkansas, my son is in Dallas ready to jump on a plane and should be home by 3 or 4 in the am...

Crazy Huh???


NO WAY YOU ARE NOT GETTING OFF THAT EASY!

I will be back to let you all know just how this all turns out...

And those of you that are my chat buddies, I will check in and have my son also give you a shout out when he arrives...

Oh Honey..What can I say but WOW..JUST WOW! Unbelievable.
You and your family are in my thoughts today..for three reasons now instead of one.
HUGE HUGS
And if I see Murphy..I'll kick him in the butt and tell him where to stick his law...

Antar, I don't pray too often at all, but, I whip one out from all of us Murphys here.

Cuhail (Murphy)

P.S. I didn't do it! It was a different Murphy with all the laws and such.

reply to post by Cuhail


Whoops..no offense Cuhail..You knew what I meant...

Thanks so much you two, I feel so funny , you both made me laugh for the first time in days although tears flowed my heart feels good.

And Murphy, there is no difference...

I often talk about (especially under the influence of a good Irish whiskey during a good fight on good St. Patrick's day) Me great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great Grandfather Patric McCurty, he had hair the color of carrots and eyes as green as the Emerald Isles, and a nose as BIG as you Fist and as red as a beet! Just wanted to tell you that.:w::w::w::w::w::w::w::w:

Oh my goodness, what an ordeal. My prayers are with you and your family.

Please be safe in all that you do to get everything worked out.

Marilyn

Thankyou so much everyone that has sent U2U's and messages! I could not have done all of this without my online friends and your encouragement.

As I sit here at 10:44am my time, Ryan slumbers beside me on the bed I made for him cozy in the dinning room.

He got in at 6am this morning , road weary and with a very bad stomach ache from the 'chile' they served him at the red cross shelter... (My sister in outlaw stayed in a shelter last year during the storm and they served her 'chile the whole time...' Wonder if its the same chile???

Ryan said that during the blizzard the grey hound encountered in Colorado, they had all the people standing in a line passing the suitcases and such from hand to hand transferring to the next bus. ALL AGES and health, not one person was allowed on the bus for warmth until after the luggage was moved!

I knew he would be sick, and the truth is, I feel like I should contact the company for a full refund as well as travel expenses and the plane flight! Am I wrong? You know they are just going to say that it was unavoidable due to the weather, but what happened to Ryan and the 60 others is unacceptable. He would still be sitting in that shelter had I not done something. Had the first flight not been cancelled the bus from Amarillo to Dallas/Fort worth, he would have lost the non refundable ticket and any chance of getting here short of his thumb.

Anyway its off to the shower and over to see my Grandpa at the hospital.
That is another story about the dangers of going to the hospital and the incompetence you encounter while there, it almost seems like they do not do ANYthing profilactically (sp) in stead they wait and see until infection sets in and then they deal with it. Most of you know that I lost my beloved MOm last year this time to incompetence at the hospital level and then 6 weeks later my beautiful daughter. I hate the health care in this country yet they have us over a barrel, if you need help what choice do you have? I suppose there is much worse in other countries, but here in America the dos are so afraid of being sued that the RNs have to spend most of their time charting to cover the hospitals ass's rather then in patient care.

Just say a prayer for all of us, I strongly believe in the power of energy, and it matters not if it is Gaia, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, Krishna, or Santa Claus, it is the intent that is the miracle. Thankyou so much.

I can't believe the outpouring of kindness and selfless friendship that I have found here among so many of my respected ATS family. So much to share just kicking tonight with my beautiful sons.

WE did contact the Greyhound bus lines and I will attempt to do an ats PODcast for you all so that Ryan can tell the story in his own words.

Again, words cannot express the gratitude felt by your kindness and support.

Thank you