Hello everyone! I apologize for the informality of this letter by sending it out to multi addresses rather then personalizing it.

Many of you asked me to let you know how everything was going here on Jekyll Island, Georgia and just the initial departure from Vegas would cripple my fingers if I had to write this story to each person seperately. It is definately for the books and has the makings of a good sitcom script and although it may be humorous in retrospect it was the traveling experience nightmare of a lifetime or as I call it - "Plane Trip From HELL". I'm going to write this in detail because it has to be read to be believed and there is no exaggeration involved.

Monday, August 16th , 5:15am - After taking a 3 hour nap(amazing for me), shower, and shave - I head off to McCarren Airport here in Vegas for a scheduled 7:20am flight. The reason I left so early was because I had a rental car to return to "Enterprise" because my own car was having some body repair work done. This actually worked out pretty good for me. I returned the car and took the "Enterprise" shuttle to the airport which got me there in plenty of time - actually much earlier then I anticipated. I got my bags checked and my boarding passes along with designated seat. I was off and running. I  got to my gate, took a seat and proceeded to read the morning newspaper while I awaited my flight to board in about an hour.

After about 20 minutes went by I noticed a line was starting to form at the ticket counter at the gate. After another 10 -15 minutes I noticed the line was getting unusally long. It was then that I stared up at the "Departure" screen which flashed that that my 7:20 flight was delayed due to " Maintenance Servicing" and that the estimated time of departure now was 11:15am - a 4 hour difference.

Assuming that this rescheduled flight left on time - that would push my arrival time in Jacksonville, Fla.(an hour drive from Jekyll Island) to 8:00pm(there is a 3 hour time difference and I also had a scheduled 45 minute layover in Houston). This immediately caused a dilemma considering our show that night was supposed to begin at 9pm.

I got at the end of this huge line of people who obviously had dilemma's of their own to deal with.

After calling my travel agent and standing in line for almost an hour I got to the ticket counter at about 8:20am. I explained my situation to the America West/Continental representative who tried all he could do to accomadate me by checking all kinds of airline flights that he could possibly put me on. By the time he had gone through every possibility on the computer it was about 8:45am and there weren't much options left to get me to Jacksonville since most of the early flights that go there had already left or were full. The next America West/ Continental flight that was leaving was at 9:50am and was full. He put me on "stand-by for that flight which would get me to Houston then after a short layover -  on to to Tampa (via US Air)and finally to Jacksonville(via Continental)at about 8:20pm or I could wait for my original flight to take off which once again was ESTIMATED to leave at 11:15am and get me in Jacksonville way past my 9pm showtime because of the layover in Houston. He kept me on my original flight just in case I wasn't able to make stand -by.

I phoned the Elvis impersonator(Johnny Preston)who had booked te show(s) and let him know what hapening to me. He phoned his boss at the Holiday Inn Beach Resort and conveyed the bad news to him. At the time his boss wasn't that understanding because of all the advertising he done for this night and all the inquiries he was getting for the show (I will scan and send the huge pre-show write up when I return). Miraculously(or at least I thought so at the time), I was called for the stand -bye flight.

I flew the 3 hour flight to Houston which arrived about 10 minutes late. Not too bad except that originally I had 40 minutes to get off the American West plane and reconnect to a Continental flight going to Tampa. I got to the gate with about 10 minutes to spare and when I got up to the representative she told me that I would have to go to the "Continental Customer Servive" counter because I was now being re-routed through Tampa to Jacksonville which wasn't on my original ticket . She then told me I'd better hurry because my flight was preparing to leave.

I ran like crazy(all this time with a 25lb carry -on back draped across my shoulder) to the "service counter" and cut to the head of the small line to explain to that representative that I she had to be the one to re-route me through Tampa. She couldn't understand why they just didn't do it at the gate counter but she was very obliging and drew up the new ticket which included a ticket for a connecting flight on US Air when I got to Tampa.

I ran like hell back to the Continental gate and just made my flight(Whew!). So, here I am now going to Tampa(not in the original game plan). I've forgotten how long the flight was but this I know - my plane arrived in Tampa about 10 - 15 minutes late and I had only 30 minutes to get to the US Air flight.

The Tampa airport is pretty big. I made a mad dash much like OJ Simpson trying to make it to his Hertz Rent-a-Car while being chased by the cops. By the time I found and boarded the shuttle that takes me to a completely different terminal(where US Air is at) and got to the gate - what a sight it was for me to see my US Air flight disembarking. I then proceeded to the US Air gate counter to let them know of this new dilemma and see if there was another flight leaving for Jacksonville. They looked at my ticket and told me that since it was Continental that re-routed me that I would have to go to the Continental ticket counter and be re-routed again. They smiled and apologized.

Now, I have to get back on the %$#@!& shuttle and head off to yet another terminal in the Tampa Airport that houses Continental Airlines. I did get to the Continental Ticket counter and after showing them my ticket and explaining my situation they tell me that  there are no more flights leaving for Jacksonville today. However, another representative mentions that he thinks there might be a Southwest flight leaving for Jacksonville. He calls the Southwest counter and sure enough there is one  last flight leaving in a half an hour for Jacksonville. They make the arrangements over the phone with Southwest and send me over to their counter which, thank God, is not too far from their own counter. I ask them the number of the Southwest flight that I will be traveling on and they tell me it's #1664 and they even write it down.

Soooo, now I'm in good shape right?(WRONG). I call the Elvis guy in Georgia. By this time he has already left for the Hotel and I am talking to his 15 year old daughter. She tells me that her daddy will be sending someone to pick me up at the Jacksonville Airport since he had to leave to start preparing for his show. I tell her that I will be in Jacksonville around 9pm and that my flight is Southwest #1664 - no problem. I walk over to the Southwest ticket counter and hand the representative my ticket for which he hands me my boarding pass. The plane will begin boarding in about 20 minutes.

I sit down, try to relax and wait for my flight to board. After 10 minutes go by I hear my name called for me to return to their ticket counter. I get up out of my chair and walk over where the representative now tells me that he cannot let me board the plane because although he did receive the call from Continental they never switched my US Air ticket over to one of theirs and they cannot let me board with a US Air ticket. So now I have to go back to the Continental booth and have my US Air voucher changed to a Continental voucher which they should have done in the first place.

Oh yeah, as I'm walking away from the Southwest counter I hear them announce that Flight # 1632 will now begin boarding for Jacksonville Florida. I run back to the Continental counter and explain what they neglected to do for which once again they apologized. I also asked them to please call over to the Southwest booth and let them know I was on my way back so that they didn't leave without me. Running back to the Southwest gate I made an attemt to phone Elvis's 15 year old daughter again to let her know that the flight # was actually 1632 and not 1664 (as told to me by Continental). As par for the course - the phone line was busy and I had to board the plane as everyone else had already boarded.

The flight from Tampa to Jacksonville is only about 45 minutes. I got off the plane and there was no one there to meet me. I called the 15 year old girl again and gave her the new flight number and told her I was waiting at Gate C. She said that someone was on the way to get me. I ended up waiting at the gate for 45 minutes before I heard the announcement  over the PA system that said "Rob Garrett - please come down to lower baggage".

I went to lower baggage and Elvis's sister in law was there to pick me up. She apologized(there was a lot of that going around) and said besides not having the correct flight number that she had just been notified about 30 minutes ago about picking me up. It was now about 10:20 pm. We then proceeded to the Continental baggage claim area(that's where my baggage would be -not on Southwest)which was closed . We got someone to page the "Continental Baggage"  department and waited for this guy to come and open up the office which he did to no avail since,  are you  ready?, my luggage was coming in with my original delayed flight and had not arrived yet!

I phoned the Hotel in Jekyll where the show was going on and spoke with the General Manager who told me that "the house was packed" and was there anyway I could "head right over to perform". I told him that would be impossible since all my costumes, and more importantly, my background musical tracks and mini-disk player were in my suitcases. He sounded nervous and flustered but asked me to try and get over as soon as possible.

I waited about 40 minutes for the Coninental flight from Houston to arrive and hallelujah - the suitcases arrived!!

We started our one hour journey from Jacksonville, FL. to Jekyll Island, GA. and on the way I called back the GM at the Hotel thinking to myself "there is no way there are going to be people waiting at this Hotel on a Monday night at 12:30am for me to do this show" especially since school had already started in Georgia and summer vacation was officially over.

Well, I was wrong - he told me that there still was a crowd there and that Elvis had purposely delayed his show and was now in the middle of his 2nd set. There was also a female singer who had openend the show. I told the GM that we were on our way and to please have some guys ready to help me with my luggage so that I could start getting ready right away. After he asked - I told him I could probably get ready in 20 to 30 minutes after arriving.

We arrived at the Holiday Inn Beach Resort at about 12:10 and I was met by an enthusiastic bunch of people -some who quickly ushered me and my bags to my room. I met quickly with the sound man(from my hometown of Queens, New York) as I was trying to get organized and gave him my minidisc player and musical tracks briefly explaining to him that the show is already formatted in order and to operate the MD player like he would a "Walkman" CD player. He had no problem with this.

Disheveled, burnt out, sweaty(it's humid there!), and beginning to show a 5:00 shadow, I climbed into my sequins, applied eyebrow pencil,  quickly brushed and sprayed my hair and I was ready to go. I was led to the entrance of the lounge where approximately 2/3's of an audience were patiently and eagerly waiting. I heard the emcee anounce "Well here's the moment that you've all been waiting for - do you love Neil Diamond??" to which I could hear screams of "YEAH!!" from standing outside the lounge. The soundman played my intro which is about a 21/2 minute collage of Neils many hits and then into a rockin' drum beat as the song "You Got To Me" began and the announcement "Ladies and Gentleman - Please welcome to the stage - the Solitary Man - Neil Diamond!!

I hit the stage at about 12:45am to a overly enthusastic and warm greeting response from this audience. Whatever had happened to me previously that day had dissappeared and now I had become Neil Diamond for the next 40 minutes. A very exhausted and (feeling)grungy Neil Diamond I may add.

If I ever question why it is I'm in this stupid business and why I'm doing what it is I do - my questions were all answerd in that 40 minutes. I couldn't have had a more responsive and understanding audience. They were singing along with all the songs and we were all throughly enjoying ourselves -"Good Times Never Seemed So Good!"

After the show I mingled, took pictures, and signed autographs. I would like to especially thank my online friend Mary whom I met in person for the first time and who drove 3 hours from middle Georgia with her sister to meet up with their friends and family at Jekyll Island. After the show she headed back on that same 3 hour drive and went straight to work without sleepng. THANK YOU MARY!! It's people like you who make me realize why I'm doing what I'm doing and why it's worth it.
Believe it or not I actually had the stamina to go get somethng to eat after the show where they wouldn't take my money at the small late night restaurant.

The next night we had to do it all over again - this time on the "Emerald Princess" Cruise ship which was a special "Casino" cruise for High Rollers. Things went a lot smoother and I didn't get seasick.
That night I slept 9 hours.

Now I get to relax and enjoy my hotel stay on the beach. As for Continental Airlines - we have some unfinished business left to attend to...