10/17/18 - On 10/12, we got a phone call and were told that Uncle Neal Kauffman from Jamesport, Missouri has passed away.  We also learned that the funeral was already scheduled on Monday, October 15!  I started to look for airline tickets and soon learned that they were extremely expensive so Mary Ann and I started to coordinate airlines and times so we could use accumulated miles or points.  We soon got a scheduled together.  I would fly United and Daniel would fly American.  We both are leaving from Philadelphia.  I left at 6:00 am and he left at 6:05 am.  I was flying to Washington Dullas and he was flying to Chicago.  I forgot the exact time of getting in to Kansas City, Missouri but knew I had about an hour and an half wait since he had a longer lay over in Chicago.  Plans had been to both be at the airport and have the rental car by 1:00 pm.  Well, in Washington things changed.  We boarded the plane, got buckled in, announcements were made and soon I thought we would be in the air.  Then came the announcement that there was no captain to fly the plane.  He did not report to work!!  We were to get our belongings and get off the plane.  When we got to the gate entrance, we learned the flight was cancelled!!  Boy, did that get my all upset!!  We were told to go to the customer service area and get re-booked.  Of course, the customer service counter was a distance away so I was the last one to get into a long line!!  While in line, I got a text that I was re-booked already and would have to go to Newark, New Jersey and then Kansas City and arrive at 10:52 pm.  Well, that was not going to work for me since my Daniel was there and we would have an hour and half to Jamesport so Daniel would just have to wait in Kansas City.  So then I got on the phone to United to tell them that schedule will not work and we have to do something else.  Finally, the agent found something from Washington to Denver and then Kansas City getting in at 6:15 pm!!  Of course, I fussed and fussed but he insisted that is all he could do.  I decided to stay in line to see what the service desk would do.  When I got there, she stated she would look around because things change all the time.  Soon, she had be going to Chicago and then to Kansas City arriving at 5:25 pm.  I finally gave up and accepted that schedule.  I got a lunch voucher and was told to go to the United web site to get some compensation so will do that today as well.

Daniel did have a delay and got in an hour later but still had a lot of time before I got in so we decided he should go to the hospital in Kansas City to visit a first cousin (David) that was in a car accident and had many injuries and a serious head injury.  I was also in touch with a niece and her husband (Katie and Galen) who were traveling from Nebraska to Jamesport to attend the calling hours that afternoon. Katie informed me that they would plan to come a little later so at least we could see them before they headed back to Nebraska.  They informed me they had arrived to Jamesport about the same time that I arrived to Kansas City.  Daniel was waiting in the cell phone lot for me.  We drove to Jamesport and arrived at 7:20 pm.  We met Katie and Galen outside since they wanted to start home.  We had about a 15 minute visit.  It was so good to see them.  It was so cold so I said my good byes and went inside to warm up.  I then met the family, learned where my brother and I would be staying for the night and so said our good byes and left for a Vernon Kramer's house.
We visited a few minutes, got acquainted with the surroundings and off to bed.  What a day.