I'm back.

I think the nicest, most polite thing I can say about the trip back is that apparently Amtrak's logistics have a hard time coping with a changing situation like flooding.

Because after changing my tickets from Friday to Sunday (after being told that they were busing people Friday night but it should be cleared up by Sunday), then being told that I'd be bused, then being told LATER that the train was back in service, then being told I'd be bused from STL to Little Rock and put on a train there, I was finally told I'd be bused from STL to Mineola.

Luckily, I knew that in time to get a refund on the sleeper coach. Or I would have been extremely unhappy.

I spent 18 hours on a bus Sunday evening through this afternoon. I do not recommend it. I especially do not recommend it if you are not a heavy sleeper or are not one of those lucky souls who readily falls asleep "anywhere." I was able to get two seats to myself. But bus seats are fairly small, and the bus had no leg rests. I spent the night alternately wishing I was 3 feet tall (so I could fit in the space afforded by the two seats together without having to fold up some body part) and contemplating Sartre's comment that Hell was other people (as there were several people who could NOT refrain from loudly cell-phoning friends or relatives every hour on the hour to apprise them of the progress and the mounting state of their irritation. That second state being why I figured it would not help matters for me to ask them to quiet down)

I feel very bad about missing a day of class, especially when I saw no travel-related benefit from it...it is easier to explain missing a day because accommodations were much better, but when they are much the same - not so much.

But at least I am home. I hugged the windshield/driver's side door of my car when I saw it again.

I hope the floods go down rapidly. And I hope service is properly restored before my planned Memorial Day travel. Or that travel will not be happening.