Very Important, Schedule Change, Please Read!

Okay guys,

I'm really sorry about this and I want to talk to each of you to make sure everything is cool and get your input. Can you call me at (205) 428-6838 in the next few days? Don't make me come after you. Thanks.

I've just gotten off the phone with Continental Airlines, and they have changed both our outbound and return flights. The outbound wasn't that big a deal, but the return is going to be a royal pain.

Here's what's happening:

Our outbound flight is still on June 10 but the times are a little earlier. It will be a little inconvenient, but not a deal breaker.

All except Steve and Melanie will depart BHM at 10:55 a.m. on Wednesday June 10 and will arrive at IAH at 12:42 p.m.

Steve and Mel will meet the rest of us in Houston and will join us on the Paris leg.

Our flight to Paris departs Houston at 3:05 p.m. on June 10 and arrives at CDG at 7:45 a.m. on Thursday June 11, so we're going to have a full day of jet lagged sightseeing on our first day.

Here's where it turns ugly. Our last day aboard Marjorie is the morning of June 20 and the crew was going to drop us off at the airport following a nice (but very early) breakfast. Our scheduled 12:55 p.m. flight from Paris was already earlier than either the Barges in France or Marjorie II people wanted it to be.

You see our last night aboard the barge will involve a special dinner that should go late into the night and they wanted us to be able to get a good night's sleep, have a nice last breakfast and then take the several hour drive back to Paris CDG. They prefer that the flight be no earlier than 4 p.m. to keep us from having to get up too early, but they agreed to push things up because I told them they had to.

Okay, so now things are totally screwed up on the return because the flight we were on out of Paris at 12: 55 p.m. is now going out at 9:25 a.m. on June 20 and that's just impossible.

So the good news is you'll get that extra sleep on June 20th and that nice leisurly breakfast. The bad news is that we'll be spending an extra night in Paris and won't get home until the 21st.

So here's the new flight plan:

We leave Paris at 9:25 a.m. on Sunday June 21st and arrive in Houston at 1:30 p.m.

Steve and Mel go their separate ways and the remaining nine of us fly from IAH to BHM at 3:40 p.m. and get back at 5:29 p.m.

Okay so here's what I want to talk about with you.

1. Is this schedule change a huge problem?

2. On the last night, do you want to go back to our nice digs in Paris or a hotel by the airport? If we stay in Paris we'll have to leave the hotel very, very early to make our flight and it will cost a lot more. On the other hand, airport hotels suck.

Finally, let me be up front on this last bit: My budget for this adventure is beyond shot and I totally wasn't planning on six more hotel rooms and more vans to get us back to the airport. So if some of you can afford to chip in to help cover your rooms and van on that last night, that would be gratefully accepted. Just cut me a check after we get back from the trip and I'll happily cash it. Otherwise, no worries, I've got you covered.