How To Find Your Better Half In Thailand

Busy, but fun day today!

An early early morning that found us all in the car and going to school for international day.  Jonathan's country was Cuba.  Every student was assigned a different country and they had to have a display board and then a food and/or an artifact.  This is what we made the mango bread for (which was amazingly delicious!)

We hung out at the playground for a while after the classroom visit.

And then we headed to the mall because Rachel needed to go to IKEA.  Ah - IKEA!  I couldn't wait to see what Thai people do at IKEA.

The answer to that is ...

Nothing but shop!

No napping on the sofas!

The beds were all well made and unoccupied 

In fact, the only ones who were laying on their backsides on the displays - were us!

So boring!:(

So we had to go over to have some fun at the ice rink!  It's FROZEN fever with my little buddy Sarah so we had to do our own version of Elsa and - whatever the other ones name is!

We skated for a while with our skating helper Mr Penquin.  We took a break....

And then went again!

We bought some sparkly shoes!

And then headed home to meet the a school bus and hang out with some neighborhood friends!

A full, happy day that included tacos...

Amusing bathroom signs:)

Ice cream (btw - this is how to distract babies from their moms!)  Play lands!  Friends!  Air conditioning!!!!!!

Oh - and head gashes due to springless trunks!

One way or another - I'm makin memories in Thailand!

Oh - and if you ever need to find yourself a girl or a guy to share your life with....

Just come to the shoe stores in Thailand!

Two Hot Days Down!

And I'm not counting how many are left because I don't want the time to go any faster than it is!

Monday was my first day here - it was just adjusting and survival in the heat.  Rach and I just sat around unpacking all day and catching up.  We went down to the corner and picked up dinner from a little place  - of course rice:). And then a stir fry that was excellent!  Then bed not long after.

Tuesday - today  - we brought Sarah to school and then took the baby to the hospital for her shots.  It was cool to see inside the hospital that they go to as it is a hodgepodge of nationalities because it's a tourist hospital.  

There's a specific section that you go to just for baby shots.

After, you go out to pay and they have these amusing little sealed cups of water you can take.

We then ate lunch and got coffee (love their drink carry "bags")

and then let the baby play in a play area while we just sat and caught up on life.

My favorite was the little toilet in the bathroom but there was no indication of what it was until you swung the door open on the adult sized stall and were greeted by this mini toilet...

We then picked Sarah up from school.

And headed home to make Mango bread for international day at school tomorrow!

I'm A Little Behind (excuse the pun)

I've been naughty and haven't posted any of my exciting adventure which, they actually have been exciting!

I was back on the road again last week for a conference in Denver (where I saw NONE of the city as we were in the conference hall - but been there done that before so no loss.  Denver is a nice city to visit if interested).  I actually got to meet up with my friend Patti and attend an event at her church the night before I left.

Then I got home and did some office meetings Thursday morning and met Sean to go to this opera at the Lyric that I had really been wanting to see called The Passenger.  It was written back in the 50s but no one wanted to perform it due to subject.  It was based on a true story.  About a woman who was an as guard at Auschwitz and it's like 5 or so years after the war and she's on a cruise with her husband and thinks she sees this woman who was in the concentration camp.  It was a pretty good opera - ended a little strange - felt unconcluded.  But the music and all was good!  The staging was awesome!

Oh - and the company was even better!:)

Right now it's Monday morning in the U.S. And I'm passing time blogging while sitting on a plane in Tokyo waiting to go to Bangkok.  I had about an hour between flights (13 hours from Chicago and now another 7!  Sheesh!) so was able to hit the ladies room (the little behind pun now comes into play:).  I LOVE Japanese toilets!  They're so high text and unassuming - God forbid you ever let anyone know you actually use the toilet!

So you have all these options ... Music, scent, rinsing... oh - and the seats are always heated to just the right temp!  No cold butt shock in this country!!!!  

Right by my gate was a cafe so I got to get a quick Gyoza!  Love it - and it's always way better in Japan!

Now another 7 hours!  At least I'm on another aisle and another bulkhead so no one puts their seat back in my lap!!!!

Happiness Is....

Happiness is when you have a crappy work week because you can't think or breathe and you're miserable because you're so sick and all you want to do is go home...

And you finally get on an earlier, blessed direct instead of connecting flight home and you get home early and your amazing boyfriend has left this for you...

And then Sunday comes and he knows you're still sick and so he makes me breakfast after church...

Happiness... I feel better just being waited on and thought of ... And even more so by whom I'm waited on and thought of!:)

It's A New Day - I'll Stop My Whining

I'm feeling slightly better today - I'm still hacking up some nasty stuff (once again, thank you Stephanie!:(. But I'm not totally achey and out of it.

My flight doesn't leave until 3 so it gave me some time to go to La Jolla.  One of my favorite coastal towns!  La Jolla and Canon Beach, OR!  Anyways - there's this restaurant up on a bluff overlooking the ocean and its a great place to just sit and soak in the ocean air.  So here I am.  Sitting and appreciating my last few hours in the warm, sunny weather before I return to reality!  

Down the coast walk farther is where the seal like to sit around and sun themselves.  Oh to be a big, beached seal just sitting in the sun!

The big beached seals that sun themselves while the Asians take pictures with their expensive tripoded cameras!:)

I'm thankful for a few days in the sun even though I've been out of it.  I am a little lucky:). Just wish I had someone here to enjoy the view and the sun with me!!!:)

Aren't I Lucky!

The comment I get a lot when people find out I travel is "you're so lucky!"

I suppose in a lot of ways I am lucky.  I've gotten to see every state in the US (except Hawaii...) thanks to my job.  When it's icy and 20 below, I get to go to CA and FL and sunshiny states where I can unthaw.  I get to visit friends who live all over the country.  So many pluses that make me lucky in a lot of ways.

But then- there are the times when family is visiting and I have to leave early to go on a work trip.  Hate that.

And even worse, when you're sick and you've got to go.  If you're in an office you call in sick if you're not well.  You're sick and you've got a flight booked and an inservice scheduled, you suck it up and go!  You feel like crap, but you keep on going becaus you've got too much riding on going.  

So this week I'm in nice warm CA - San Francisco and San Diego.  Which would be awesome and is awesome - but unfortunately I caught a vicious bug before I left and now I've been literally suffering!  I would LOVE to have called in sick, but this was the only time I could do this trip so I had to keep on going.  And it turned out that yesterday, according to my friend, when she hugged me, she discovered I had a fever.  Which at least verified that I wasn't crazy because I had been feeling chills and feeling like I had no energy.  At least I knew I was sick sick.  I literally had to keep on encouraging myself to do things.  Getting out of the car "I can do this!"  Picking up my purse "I can do this!"  Putting my pants on "I can do this!"  Im telling you tuesday and Wednesday were horrible horrible - I could barely function and I'm so hopeful that I haven't infected half the country with my crap.  I should have worn a mask but I didn't - I might have to correct that on the way home.  In the meantime I'm trying to muffle my coughs, blows and sneezes so I don't get kicked out of the hospital.  I think I can make it!and tomorrow night I fly home and then get to fall into my wonderful bed for a good nights sleep at home.  

In the meantime - I'm so lucky, I'm so lucky, I'm so lucky ... I keep on telling myself that!

From There To Here

This morning I left Chicago...

And after 4 hours flying over this

I then got to this

And finally this!

Yayyyy!  I'm so sorry all you cold Midwesterners!  I'm in CA this week!!!! I get sun and warm weather and mountains and ocean breezes!

I'm in San Francisco Tuesday and Wednesday and then flying over to San Diego for Thursday and leaving late Friday night!

I've actually got a pretty terrible head cold so I'm going to try to sneak in a few Bikram yoga classes while I'm out here and the heat will either clear my head... Or make me pass out!  Either way - I'm hoping to get some respite from this horrible sinus congestion!

Here we are!!!!:)