“Are you stranded here as well?”, inquired the attractive flight attendant poised outside the automatic sliding doors to the hotel lobby.  She took a long drag on an extra-slim cigarette signifying beauty and elegance.  “No one is going anywhere. Everything’s grounded.”  She was clearly disappointed since her overnight stay was beginning to look a little more permanent than she had hoped.  The steady rain was already slinging frozen pellets creating an icy sheen on the vacant cars lined together in rows.  It was only a matter of time before the parking lot could become a skating rink risking injuries further compensated through insurance claims.