Today was a day for juggling. Margene is still too sick to travel, so the morning was devoted to figuring out what to do
about the rental car we were supposed to return to Heathrow this afternoon and the London hotel we've already paid for but
won't be sleeping in tonight. All this was complicated, of course, by not knowing when she would be feeling well enough to
travel at all!There was also the issue of whether we could get a refund on the 36 pounds (about $50) we had paid for our two unused admissions to Chatsworth yesterday. John volunteered to handle that one and I was pleased to get a full refund. Under the circumstances, I think it was the right move and it was nice to find businesses that also operated by those standards.
I spent most of the morning on the phone and the computer, talking with the various agencies involved in arranging the car Kemwel for the car that I got from Europcar and Booking.com through whom I reserved a room at the Dorsett Shepherd's Bush. I still didn't have a plan but to formulate one I needed to know my options and spend a bit of time reflecting on the possible combinations and permutations thereof.
By late afternoon, Margene had started to return to the land of the living. At least she was out of bed and in a chair most of the day, even if she only had enough energy to pad between bedroom and bath. It looked to me like we could safely plan to travel to London tomorrow. She was still a bit uncertain, but agreed to give it a go.
If I returned the rental car in neighboring Derby by 9am, I wouldn't be charged for another day so we started there. Then we could take the 10am train from Derby into London and avoid both a 3-hour drive through traffic to Heathrow and the hassle of getting from Heathrow into the city with our bags. Plan C ... or was it D or E? ... kept the additional costs to a minimum and promised an easier trip for Margene. Let's do it!
John and Judy have been wonderfully gracious about the whole situation, first assuring us we could stay as long as necessary, then as the plan evolved, volunteering to lead us to the car rental office and shuttle us to the train afterward. Judy even prepared another excellent dinner. Last night it was a yummy jambalaya, tonight a terrific pork casserole with tarragon. You know I love restaurants, but it's hard to beat great home cooking with old friends recently met. Alas, Margene missed both meals ... but at least today she started eating again, even if it was only chicken noodle soup.
[