JFK Closed, Winter Weather Travel Nightmare Continues... Cantore says to Stay Home & Watch Football! And, some Miami History..

Glad none of my kids are traveling today. It's a travel nightmare out there today as people try desperately to get back to work and college after extended Holiday vacations. Winter storm travel delays that have made many airports around the country look more like National Parks with people camping out in terminals waiting for rescheduled flights.

There are so many layers to this weather story.

JFK International is currently shut down due to at least one plane skidding off the runway due to icy conditions into snow banks. So far and I emphasize "so far" no injuries reported, however early reports are usually wrong. Either way it will exacerbate a travel nightmare that reaches far wider than just "up north" and the "Mid West" as travelers stuck at FLL and MIA are stuck inside having passed through security waiting for planes with no assurances their planes will take off at all.

My daughter was stuck there for hours on Friday as her flight was "delayed" vs "cancelled" when they deboarded everyone after deciding to take the flight crew off her plane to put onto another plane. Or that's what Southwest said... I don't always believe them as they once told my son there was a problem with his luggage because "Homeland Security had a problem with their baggage screeners" however a source at FLL told me that was not true and Southwest had an issue with their own equipment. Who knows.. bottom line is you aren't flying when they say you aren't flying. She hates Southwest as she has had non stop problems since the merge with Air Tran. Then again there are people at FLL crying their eyes out and bitching about Jetblue.

It's  a mess any way you cut it if you are traveling this weekend. You know that song about MacArthur Park and the cake out in the rain.. that is pretty much how you would feel about any airline this weekend if you are camped out in a terminal hoping and praying to see your flight boarding...

Ironic to be stuck at FLL with 80 degrees and sunshine far from the snow, but your flight crew never made it or the plane never made it or they are trying to get people on already cancelled flights back onto new flights. She was told if she left on Friday she would not get back on a flight until Tuesday. Miraculously her 11 AM flight boarded around 2ish and she made it into Raleigh just as the Jewish Sabbath was coming in .. in time to light Sabbath candles which we do around sunset. She was reminded over and over how lucky she was that her flight was merely delayed by very unfriendly Southwest ticket agents.  She watched a mother with two crying babies try to rebook a flight for the next day after sleeping in the airport with her exhausted family and as the process was finalized the ticket agent reminded her there was no assurance that she would actually be seated on that plane. A sort of "WTF" moment for anyone after just shelling out a fortune and already having been stuck with one cancelled flight. They sell you the ticket and then afterwards remind you the plane is over booked and they are juggling passengers. Huh??

Flying just isn't what it used to be and why the airlines did not seem more prepared for this weather emergency is beyond me seeing as everyone knew this storm was coming...

May I say AMTRAK is NOT an option. Stranded tourists found that one real fast as flights were easily available prior to Hercules and Ion being on the way...

If you are living where it's warm... smile and enjoy and hope the AC keeps working.. Arizona, San Diego or Miami...  Tampa and the Florida winter crops are in for a real frigid week and some of the crops might not make it. A good example of why Henry Flagler liked the idea of pushing further south down to Miami after the rest of the state suffered a hard freeze. 

Today is a good day to stay home and be glad the heater is working & watch the NFL Playoffs from inside.

Jim Cantore was right on that this morning on Twitter...stay inside and watch football! I will and did add if you live somewhere that the Arctic Air AKA "ION" has not hit... go out, stock up on milk, eggs, coffee and anything you need to get you through the next few days. Tuesday Morning in Raleigh is going to be a very, frigid morning and the NWS says "anywhere between 8 degrees and 14 degrees" so shop fast and then hunker down and watch the NFL Playoffs.  Keep Pounding Carolina :) I may add..

(cute...Jim Cantore just called me "perfect" ...)

Weather is locational... if it's not cold where you are now... it will be soon.

Even in Sunny Florida...So if you live somewhere that the latest Winter Storm has already hit turn the heat up and contemplate where you'd like to live if only you had the money ... 

and the guts to pick up your stuff and move on down to South Florida... where the sun shines

and it rarely stays cold for long...

....even if you are poor in South Florida it's still warm and the ocean is warm and free... 

http://www.brickellmag.com

And read up on how Julia Tuttle seduced Henry Flagler to move to Miami with Orange Blossoms.. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/12/julia-tuttle-miami-mother-of-miami_n_3262488.html

Besos Bobbi

Stay warm...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz6GzKWiIAs