So the one thing I didn’t mention yet: getting HOME from Long Island.
We were scheduled to fly out on Monday evening. Well, Sunday (as you may know) there was a gigantic storm—about 2 feet of snow dumped in less than 24 hours. Flights into and out of the NYC area were all canceled. Including ours on Monday night.
The airline said they could rebook us for Friday. Or we could get to the airport and try standby. In fact, the woman said, if we could get on the 7:15 am flight to Chicago we could likely get a flight from there to St. Louis!
IF. I thought about it. First: the flight was likely already totally full. Second: two days of flights had been canceled…and this was one of only three flights to Chicago that day (thanks, Southwest!). Our chances: LOW. Especially as I’m sure some folks would get priority with frequent flyer type status plus perhaps sleeping in the airport.
So I though, let’s drive—it’s only 17 hours or so. Chris got on the phone with rental car companies. Nada. No one had a car, at least, no one had a car available to drive one way to St. Louis. Finally we got somebody who did. Hertz. They quoted $750 for one way on Monday afternoon to St. Louis. Um…I don’t think so. Then they quoted $350 for Tuesday afternoon. Okay! We made a reservation. If the standby flights failed, we’d drive home starting Tuesday afternoon.
Then we found out our friends’ (who were visiting family 15 minutes away) flight also got canceled. Boo! I offered to share the rental car.
Then they called: his parents were willing to lend one of their cars for the drive and would pick it up later (in a month or so). SCORE! Super super generous.
A Honda Fit.
Yes, I look like a crazy person. I don’t know why!
For some unknown reason, we left Monday night. (We had heard there might be ice).
We drove through the night. Again, for some unknown reason. I think we forgot we were in our 30’s…not spring chickens anymore 
I didn’t drive. I was SO sick, and on tons of cold medicine, I didn’t think I should. Instead, I stayed up a lot to entertain the drivers.
We stopped a lot—starbucks, waffle house, gas stations. We complained a lot. We all had trouble sleeping in the back seat of a very cramped Honda Fit. But somehow we made it home by 1:00 on Tuesday! Good times! I was so exhausted, I slept for three hours that afternoon.
But it was great to be home 
(the boys, asleep in the back seat)