Un largo camino de regreso a casa

This weekend the unexpected, unplanned and unwanted happened.

I had planned to leave NY at 9pm to make it to NH around 2am... Things wouldn't go my way - as always.

My boss let me go 15 minutes earlier, which was AWESOME coz I was going to be able to make all the rides I needed.

7.15pm

I called the taxi to come pick me up at 7.30pm. I needed to make the 7.39pm train to Manhattan in order to make the 9pm bus to Boston.

7.29pm 

I was still waiting outside.

I called the taxi company

N. I called you like 20 minutes ago to ask you for a car. I'm still waiting. I need to make the next train.

Taxi Company. The car should be there any second.

N. well, the car IS NOT here.

TC. I'm sorry ma'am but it's rush hour and ...

N. That's why I called you 20 minutes ago... it's not that I'm just calling you to have a car sent here RIGHT NOW! I called you 20 minutes ago!

(I started crying...)

7.35pm

TC. I want to apologize to you for the delay, but the driver got LOST (*). He's been there for 15 minutes but he doesn't know where the street is.

N. What? You're kidding me, right? Do you understand that I just missed the train to NY????

TC. I offer you my apologies, and I will send a car right away and the trip would be free of charge. blah blah blah...

I made the 8.09pm train that arrived in Manhattan at 8.52pm.

From there I had to take the D subway coz the subway I usually take was out of order on Friday night, and then the A to another station... and I didn't make the 9pm bus to Boston.

The 9pm bus from Manhattan to Boston arrives in Boston at 12.35pm and gives me a little time to get my connection to NH. The LAST bus to NH leaves at 1am... and the next bus leaves at 5am.

So... I took the 10pm bus to Boston, I arrived in Boston at 1.35am... and I shared the bus station with all the bums and the rest of the human beings sleeping in chairs and floors.

There was the typical crazy woman talking to herself and cursing (right behind me!!!!) and the annoying machine that cleans the floor. Loud people and fake-robbed-teens (beggars) that came with the line: 'Excuse me miss, I was sleeping over there and someone stole my money. They left my ID and everything, but they took my money' (the guy was sleeping 2 chairs away from me... and I didn't get robbed and everything was in my wallet...)

At 4.45am I got my ticket to get on my bus to go to NH.

From Boston to NH there is only 1.30hr so I was gonna be in NH at 6.30am.

At 6.30am I safely arrived to Portsmouth, NH knowing I'd have to wait until 9.15am for Gary to pick me up. He had duty and he had to leave at 9am. I couldn't take a cab to my house coz that would have been $75 -more than the whole trip from NY to NH. 

I was cranky, very tired, and extremely exhausted! All I wanted was a bed. And a shower...

I slept in 3 buses, 2 bus station chairs & I drank horrible coffee.

13 1/2 hours ... that could have been only 7 if that taxi driver hadn't gotten 'lost'...

(*) the LOST situation:

The town I live has 2 streets that sound kinda the same: BLACKWALL LN & BLACKWELLS BEACH RD

Every time you call for pizza, taxi, chinese, you say Blackwall Ln and they ask you: blackwells Beach Rd? I guess there is a HUGE difference, but oh well... Even we get mail for Blackwells Beach Dr. But oh well... that's the problem with this town.