The Strate's have arrived in California, and I have tell you - this place smells terrific.
The thing I've been looking forward to most about returning? A decent shower (the water pressure in Thailand is unsatisfying.) For months I felt like flat hair Jerry in the episode where he and Kramer can't get the shampoo out. But my first shower did not disappoint. The shower nozzle here generates a jet stream that practically slammed me against the tile. I felt like hugging a plumber (when I was dressed again).
Our trip began with a momentary setback when five of our bags checked in overweight. Thanfully, they only made us pay for four. People take baggage weight very seriously in Thailand. It can be extremely difficult to move luggage around when the suitcase weights more than the person paid to carry it.
But the pain of paying out the extra money was offset by a special bonus. As we made our way to the terminal and sorted through our boarding passes, we discovered that the check-in lady (now our patron Saint of travel) had booked us for Economy plus seating on the grueling Tokyo-LA leg of our journey. How can five inches of leg room bring so much happiness?
LAX was a nightmare. Just as we reached the point of exhaustion we had to go through customs, immigration, agricultural inspection, re-check our eight over-weight bags, and then lug our eight carry-ons over to the opposite side of the airport, which I'm pretty sure is actually in Pasadena. Fortunately our Sacramento flight was fifteen minutes late or we might have missed it.
When we finally landed in the capital city, both Kaddi and I had had about three hours sleep in three days. The night before we left there was a terrible thunderstorm that hit our area about 1 AM. It sounded like someone was shooting skeets outside our bedroom window. And of course it's always hard to sleep on a plane, especially with a six year old girl kicking your chair from behind, wanting a movie, and asking 171 consecutive questions about when we're going to arrive.
And so the Thai saga officially ends, for now. I'll miss our friends Selways, Nielsons, Hillmans, and others. But we can't dwell in the past, we have to go forward, look to the future.
And right now my future has a half-pound bar of Symphony chocolate in it.
2 comments:
Let me be the first to welcome you back to the good old US of A. We will miss you guys - especially your uncanny knack of calling me during my interviews. I am actually going to be very busy this last month, just trying to interview as many people as possible in the education ministry. I will also have to tell you about my meeting with the current health minister Dr. Mongkol Na Songkhla. Say hi to the whole familu. BTW, on your movie viting thing, you did not have the "Trip to the Archives" on there. That was one of my faovrites.
Mack Strate-
Welcome back brother. I just landed in Miami returning from Bolivia and I experience the same shower sensation you had every time I come home. All of your loyals readers of 301NIB must know... will the blog continue!!?? And if so, what will the new title be?
Hoping to see you guys soon,
Steve and Fam
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