No soup for you…
July 31, 2008
Deirdre and Domi boarding plane for San Francisco.
From Deirdre Fitzpatrick in Sacramento:
Thursday, July 31st
I love sitting on a plane. I love sitting on a plane doing nothing but reading. At least, I thought I loved sitting on a plane doing nothing but sitting and reading. Turns out. I’m out of practice.
Leaving Sacramento, I felt a little sad saying goodbye to my family. I filled the void with trashy magazines. Nothing makes you appreciate a little alone time more than reading article after article about the Brangelina Bunch. You’ll wear out just reading about their gaggle.
I bought six magazines. That’s a whole lot of trash. The flight to Beijing is about 12 hours. I settled in with my magazines, put some headphones on sans iPod so people would leave me alone, and started digesting my celebri-junk. I finished the last of the 6 magazines and glanced at my watch. Surely we were halfway across the world by now?
Nope.
90 minutes had elapsed. We still had 10 and a half hours left. I could run 2.5 marathons in that time. I could work a full day plus overtime. I could drive to Mexico from Sacramento. Instead, I was facing sitting in one place staring at the seat back wishing Father Time would have a coronary.
So, I plugged the headphones into the iPod and settled in for some TV. Robin Hood from BBC America. It’s awesome. Who doesn’t love men in tights frolicking in the forest? I watched 4 straight hours of Robin Hood. He robbed to save the poor and then he robbed me of wakefullness.
I drifted to sleep and then it happened. A tap at the shoulder and the offer from the flight attendant: ”would you like some Chinese soup?”
Chinese soup on my United flight.
Just add water.
I’ve been awoken by a lot of things. But, this was a first.
Airlines charge you extra for luggage. But, apparently noodles they can spare. I had the Chinese noodles. I finished my nap. We arrived in Beijing, checked into the hotel and that’s when I found this as I unpacked.
Complimentary gas masks in my hotel room.
I couldn’t make this day up.
And we’re off…
July 31, 2008
Can you spare a square?
6:00am, Sacramento Intergalactic Airport:
I thought I had everything. Then Domi told me he had packed eight rolls of toilet paper…just in case. Just in case of what? I got the pre-China do/don’t list:
Don’t drink the water
Don’t breathe the air
Don’t talk excessively about Tibet
Do have a good time and come back ya’ll
Do you see a “Do bring a case of tp?” on that list. Nope, I don’t either. But Domi heard from someone that it’s a good idea to have a stash. I have no stash. But I have a double ply connection so I guess that’s going to have to do. I have an embarrassing supply of trash magazines to trade.
Our flight leaves at 8:30. It’s 8:17am and I’m blogging. Clearly, we’re right on schedule. Next stop: San Francisco.
See all the pictures here
Thank You Gov’nuh!
July 31, 2008
We have been flooded with well-wishes this week. And we thought we would share this one from Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.
Thank you Governor!
Olympic Kate
I’m not a doctor but…
July 30, 2008
I’m not a doctor. I don’t play one on TV. But I can certainly treat what ails you.
My medicine bag.
I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to medical care.
I blame my mother.
“Are you dying,” was pretty much a prerequisite for calling in sick for school. I attended a private Catholic school. In my mom’s book that was a paid break for her that got her in good with the Church.
Our pre-Beijing literature from NBC suggested that we pack anything and everything we might need from a pharmacy in case we can’t find it in China.
So, I’ve got stuff in case I find a rash.
I’ve got stuff in case I lose my lunch.
I’ve got stuff in case I can’t breathe the air.
And I’ve got stuff in case I can feel the sun.
My co-pays have co-pays. And, I now have supplies to run a pharmacy out of my hotel room. Here is to needing none of it.
And yes. Most of it was Made in China.
My suitcase runneth over…
July 30, 2008
From Deirdre in Sacramento:
How much do you think United will charge me for an extra 30 pounds of luggage?
My 2.5 year old son Collin.
Does the TSA babysit?
From Barack to Beijing…
July 30, 2008
Long Haul Travel Advice From The Obama Entourage:
“Sleep when you can.”
Bonney Kapp, FOX News
If anyone knows the rigors of reporting on the road, it’s my friend Bonney – a FOX News producer who’s been embedded with Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign for ten months so far. In a rare break from the trail, I plied Bonney with lobster corn dogs at Charlie Palmer’s in Washington and got this nugget of wisdom in return:
“Always, ALWAYS, write out on a piece of paper what time you have to wake up, where you have to be and why. Because inevitably, you will wake up in the middle of the night and have no idea where you are… oh look, there’s Hillary Clinton…”
And wouldn’t you know it? There goes Hillary Clinton. Leads her own entourage right past the Obama-embed at the bar, out the front door and onto Constitution Avenue.
Clinton had the halibut, in case you’re curious.
I was.
Love,
Olympic Kate/corndogafficionado/beijingboundin2days!
email me! OlympicKateAmara@yahoo.com
Mind your P’s and Q’s…and a whole lot of other stuff
July 29, 2008
Read all about it…if you can
July 29, 2008
- KCRA management in World Journal
I hate to be interviewed. Ironic isn’t it?
