FANS REUNITED GET TOGETHER--TUESDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2011

[paul jh]

Count me in too. The fish looks delicious! Thanks for finding the restaurant.

[Marian]

You'll all be so brainy in the quizzes with all that fish! We're going to need John on our team

[mariana44]

I have already reserved John !!!

[john]

It's nice to feel wanted... however don't they say lightning never strikes in the same place twice. I might not get a single question right this time.

[Marian]

ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE John! I'd put money on it!!!

[john]

Nothing is impossible Marian.

[mariana44]

I'm with Marian on this one--unless you have recently had a big bump on your head and forgotten everything !!!!

[MAC]

Hi Mariana

Sorry we've not got back to you before. We think it's best we give the Tuesday night a miss as we're coming by coach and staying at a hotel out at Heathrow, so we're not too sure how it will all work out timewise. I'm on a gig at Croyde Bay in North Devon the night before and won't get home to Torquay until the early hours. I'm usually a little flaked the day after a gig anyway so I suspect by the time we get to Heathrow I'll be ready to crash. Then again, coach travel may well be a lot more confortable than it used to be and I might get to sleep all of the way. Trish thinks that is highly unlikely. We'll see you on the day and are both very much looking forward to meeting everyone.

[Marian]

Looking forward to seeing you Mac. We're not going to be there until the day itself, so will see you there.

[Lana]

Well ... it's been quite a week here in the Northeastern part of the US. We had a tornado on Monday that we felt all the way up here in New Hampshire and today we are just finishing with the remnants of hurricane Irene. I also have a dear friend in hospice and am not as excited as I should be about this wonderful adventure in London. I am dreading leaving her and am so sick at the thought that I may lose her before I return. She has been in and out of hospice now for several months but this looks like the final stay. I visited her yesterday and found her in tears. This broke my heart and I sat on her bed and hugged her and told her how much I loved her. She doesn't have family ... only her friends ... and I am honored to be one of them. She is a wonderfully talented writer and freelances for our local newspaper - The Concord Monitor. She wants me to go - actually she said I'd be safer there right now given our weather here as of late. She would be angry if I didn't take this trip ... so the whole thing is just very bittersweet right now. She was my initial intended guest for this event but I knew she probably would not be able to make the trip and so I asked my daughter. I do find some comfort in the fact that my daughter will be with me and understands all of this.

[mariana44]

Oh Lana---that is just so sad---I have been through a similar experience with a friend, so I know just how you are feeling. Your friend is so lucky to have you, and I am sure she would not want you to miss your trip, but I can imagine what a dilemma this is for you.
We will all understand how tough this is going to be for you.

I was relieved to hear that the dreaded Hurricane was not as bad as first expected, but I can tell that it was bad enough.

I will be sending through my phone numbers shortly, if you need to contact me when you are in London-are you staying in Kensington.?

[Marian]

What a difficult decision for you to make Lana, but your friend wants you to make the trip and I'm sure she would feel bad if you changed your plans just to stay near her.
i have worked in a hospice over here in the UK for several years, and I know that your friend will have support and friendship from the people who work there as well as from her other friends. Also, she will be looking forward to your return which will give her something to aim for, as I'm sure she will be looking forward to hearing all about your trip.
it is good that you have told us about your friend as we will now understand how you will be feeling while you are here. Hopefully you will be able to enjoy your time here too with your daughter for company

[john]

So sorry to hear about your friend Lana. I can understand your dilemma, but as Marian said, she wants you to come, and it will give her something to look forward to when you get back and you can tell her about it.

[maureen & harry]

We too were sorry to hear about your friend Lana but we feel sure you have made the right decision and your friend will look forward to hearing all about your time at Fans Reunited.

[Sandra]

We can understand how you are feeling too Lana but as everyone else has said your friend really wants this for you and God willing you will be able to tell her all about it on your return.