In The Air On The Way To Singapore
Thursday 12/5/13
We're on the plane and in the air, so this trip must really and truly be happening. And now that I've got about 20 hours of nothing much to do except ride this bird, let's see if I can get this blog entry finished. I've been trying to write this thing since Sunday, when MaryLouise came to get Trace.
That's when I really *knew* I was going to go off and teach mosaics for two months at the Mathru School for the Blind in Babgalore India.
Not being able to take Trace with me is the only real downer for this trip, and it was a real wrench watching him walk out the door with MaryLouise. But I know India's no place for a guide dog, and he'll be happier and safer with MaryLouise, Marc, Theresa and Alys.
Every major trip has its crises, and this one is no exception. We left Sacramento yesterday a couple hours later than we planned, because Andy was busy putting tarps, sheets and towels over our orange trees, tender plants and outside faucets and exposed sprinkler heads to protect them from the hard freeze that hit Sacramento last night. Temps got down to 25 degrees, and are supposed to stay below freezing for the next few nights. It was good that forecasts for the freeze came in time for us to do something about it.
And then there was Andy's discovery, upon checking on the status of the delivery of my special blood serum eye drops, that the drops had NOT been shipped as promised. Good thing he called in time to get the lab to hustle and deliver the drops to me first thing this morning at our hotel before we checked out.
And then there was my realization, somewhere near Berkeley on our way to our airport hotel, that I'd left my prescription meds on my closet dresser. It was only minutes before my doctor's office closed for the day, but Andy made a few quick phone calls and we were able to get my doctor to phone in the prescription to a pharmacy near our hotel, where we picked it up last night before we went out to dinner.
It definitely is nice being married to a Handy Andy Fabulous Mr. Fix-it kind of guy.
Okay … some reviews … the Villa Del Sol Argentine restaurant on Grand Avenue in South San Francisco that we went to for dinner last night was excellent. We had empanadas for appetizers, åndy had some kind traditional Argentine steak dish, and I had a simple grilled chicken with fresh sautéed vegetables entree that was perfectly seasoned and absolutely delicious. The waiter presented us with a complementary dessert of a traditional Argentine sandwich cookie made with a light shortbread and a caramel filling. Then we ordered another dessert, a traditional Argentine flan. Definitely one of Andy's better finds.
The hotel … well it was a TraveLodge. Even given what was to be expected, we were irritated that the phone in the room was completely dead and the wi-fi weak and unreliable. And I was horrified by the grungy lumpy carpet, which Andy didn't even notice. But we did get a decent night's sleep without bedbugs.
And it was right next door to an IHOP, where Andy and I ordered their 300-calorie veggie omelet with fruit cup breakfast this morning. It wasn't bad, either, and I'm proud of Andy for foregoing the usual syrupy IHOP fare.
We've only been on this flight for a couple hours so far, but are already impressed with five-star service on Singapore Airlines. We reached our seats on the plane to find them filled with bags of fresh fluffy blankets and pillows. While the plane was taxi-ing to the take-off runway, the flight attendants handed out warm damp and lighted scented hand towels for a little fresheing up, and then they came around with little complementary bags containing cushy warm slipper socks, and a capped travel toothbrush. Shortly after take-off they served drinks and peanuts, and these peanuts were GOOD peanuts, fresh and nicely crunchy and salted just a little. Then we got lunch. Andy had some kind of Korean barbecue chicken and I had a vegetarian Indian curry with yogurt sauce, I think this is the first time we've had airline food that we actually enjoyed. For dessert they gave us an ice cream sandwich, a full-size and top quality brand.
All this and more is what you get in economy coach class on a five-star airline. There aren't many of them left anymore.
Next stop, Seoul. We don't have to change planes, but we can get off the plane for an hour before going on to Singapore. We are scheduled to arrive at Changi Airport at 1 a.m. Friday Dec. 7.
Next report from Singapore.
Thursday 12/5/13
We're on the plane and in the air, so this trip must really and truly be happening. And now that I've got about 20 hours of nothing much to do except ride this bird, let's see if I can get this blog entry finished. I've been trying to write this thing since Sunday, when MaryLouise came to get Trace.
That's when I really *knew* I was going to go off and teach mosaics for two months at the Mathru School for the Blind in Babgalore India.
Not being able to take Trace with me is the only real downer for this trip, and it was a real wrench watching him walk out the door with MaryLouise. But I know India's no place for a guide dog, and he'll be happier and safer with MaryLouise, Marc, Theresa and Alys.
Every major trip has its crises, and this one is no exception. We left Sacramento yesterday a couple hours later than we planned, because Andy was busy putting tarps, sheets and towels over our orange trees, tender plants and outside faucets and exposed sprinkler heads to protect them from the hard freeze that hit Sacramento last night. Temps got down to 25 degrees, and are supposed to stay below freezing for the next few nights. It was good that forecasts for the freeze came in time for us to do something about it.
And then there was Andy's discovery, upon checking on the status of the delivery of my special blood serum eye drops, that the drops had NOT been shipped as promised. Good thing he called in time to get the lab to hustle and deliver the drops to me first thing this morning at our hotel before we checked out.
And then there was my realization, somewhere near Berkeley on our way to our airport hotel, that I'd left my prescription meds on my closet dresser. It was only minutes before my doctor's office closed for the day, but Andy made a few quick phone calls and we were able to get my doctor to phone in the prescription to a pharmacy near our hotel, where we picked it up last night before we went out to dinner.
It definitely is nice being married to a Handy Andy Fabulous Mr. Fix-it kind of guy.
Okay … some reviews … the Villa Del Sol Argentine restaurant on Grand Avenue in South San Francisco that we went to for dinner last night was excellent. We had empanadas for appetizers, åndy had some kind traditional Argentine steak dish, and I had a simple grilled chicken with fresh sautéed vegetables entree that was perfectly seasoned and absolutely delicious. The waiter presented us with a complementary dessert of a traditional Argentine sandwich cookie made with a light shortbread and a caramel filling. Then we ordered another dessert, a traditional Argentine flan. Definitely one of Andy's better finds.
The hotel … well it was a TraveLodge. Even given what was to be expected, we were irritated that the phone in the room was completely dead and the wi-fi weak and unreliable. And I was horrified by the grungy lumpy carpet, which Andy didn't even notice. But we did get a decent night's sleep without bedbugs.
And it was right next door to an IHOP, where Andy and I ordered their 300-calorie veggie omelet with fruit cup breakfast this morning. It wasn't bad, either, and I'm proud of Andy for foregoing the usual syrupy IHOP fare.
We've only been on this flight for a couple hours so far, but are already impressed with five-star service on Singapore Airlines. We reached our seats on the plane to find them filled with bags of fresh fluffy blankets and pillows. While the plane was taxi-ing to the take-off runway, the flight attendants handed out warm damp and lighted scented hand towels for a little fresheing up, and then they came around with little complementary bags containing cushy warm slipper socks, and a capped travel toothbrush. Shortly after take-off they served drinks and peanuts, and these peanuts were GOOD peanuts, fresh and nicely crunchy and salted just a little. Then we got lunch. Andy had some kind of Korean barbecue chicken and I had a vegetarian Indian curry with yogurt sauce, I think this is the first time we've had airline food that we actually enjoyed. For dessert they gave us an ice cream sandwich, a full-size and top quality brand.
All this and more is what you get in economy coach class on a five-star airline. There aren't many of them left anymore.
Next stop, Seoul. We don't have to change planes, but we can get off the plane for an hour before going on to Singapore. We are scheduled to arrive at Changi Airport at 1 a.m. Friday Dec. 7.
Next report from Singapore.
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