Travel Day - September 8

When I woke at 6:45 this morning (11:45pm Tuesday night, Rochester time), I wished I had not had vodka last night.  I was feeling slow.  I talked on Facebook with Steve in NY for a while and then really had to get my rear in gear.  The taxi was coming at 8:30 and I had to shower and pack.  I kept waiting for a message from Kostya who was going to arrange a taxi for me for a reasonable price.  He negotiated 160 Hrivna (pronounced Grivna - there are about 7.9 Grivna in one US dollar).  I got a message from Rostek that the taxi was called and would be a gray Mercedes.  I went down and checked out, got a little cash from the ATM, skipped breakfast and went outside to find the taxi waiting.  As I got in, the driver handed me his phone.  It was Rostek and Kostya who wanted to have a final word before I flew.  "Come back to us soon." was their message.  May it be prophetic!

The taxi driver was a nice guy and we made good time to Boryspol Airport, about a 45 minute trip.  Immigration and customs was uneventful.  I had decided to check a bag rather than hassling with it on the plane.  I'll have to get it in NY to go through US Customs and then recheck it for the flight to Rochester.  The first item on my agenda was to get a coffee - cappuccino.  I took a seat and waited.  I thought I heard a call for boarding but I didn't see any movement in the waiting area so I sat.  Then I went and got another cappuccino and sat some more.  Then there was a final call for boarding and I still didn't see movement.  Of course I was waiting at the wrong place.   No harm done.  I found the right gate and entered the plane.  It's about 85% full.  I watched three movies in a daze.  The Jones Family, Date Night, and the one with my favorite actress (whose name escapes me) about a southern family that takes in an African-American kid who turns out to be a remarkable football player.  We still have at least two or two and a half hours in our flight.

Lunch was quite good.  Chicken with mixed vegetables (eggplant being one of them) and brocolli soufle.  With some kind of chocolate cookie for dessert.  It was not like the comforting meal I shared with Rostek and Konstantin last night.  (pause because I am going to shut down the computer until I'm at JFK in NY to continue).  I sort of went into a stupor for a few hours, not really sleeping but going semi-comatose.

(Later)  Ok, it's 16:00 hours in NY (23:00 in Ukraine) and I'm at JFK waiting for four more hours for my flight to Rochester.  Immigration and Customs were a breeze but then I had to come to the proper terminal and go through security all over again.  I just missed being able to catch an earlier flight to Rochester but my luggage wouldn't have transferred and I'd have to come back to airport tomorrow.  No thanks.  I had a lot of things to catch up on by email anyway.  I'll go get something to eat and drink in a while and that will pass time.  I have to find a place to plug in my phone.  It started ringing as soon as I landed.  I have two funerals for Friday and a board meeting at church Thursday night.

I'm going to post this now and will do my final entry in the blog tomorrow morning (afternoon in Ukraine).

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(pause because I am going to shut down the computer until I'm at JFK in NY to continue).