David & I flew back to the U.S. today (August 10) from Manchester & it was no fun. 2 hours for check-in & security, 4 hours sitting on the plane while manual security check was done in the U.S. on each passenger. I got up at 5:45 am & it was after 2:30 pm till they could serve any food. All we had on the plane w/ us were id papers, wallets, & tissues. I couldn't bring my purse, water, snacks, book--which made the 7 hour (plus 4) quite uncomfortable. 2 body searches. When we arrived at JFK in New York, it was about an hour through customs & another hour to collect our luggage. We had missed our connecting flight & been rescheduled for 4 pm to 8 pm. The 8 pm flight was delayed till 11 pm. Then, they told us it was cancelled & we might get out on standby the next day (or is it today?!) A kind couple offered us a ride to Albany in their car (4 hours). We got in at 4 pm after being up continuously. Now, we need to see if we can collect our luggage tomorrow. It's a great opportunity for thieves since we had to bundle our cameras, purses, Ipods, & all quickly into our unlocked suitcases. I'm glad I arrived safely & we all tried to make the best of it, but it was an awful day.

bbc