Back in the U.S.[S.R.?]

''All the way the paper bag was on my knee
Man, I had a dreadful flight...''

Actually, the flight was pretty good. I'm typing this from my parents' iMac (awkward to use another operating system! And to think my first home computer was a Mac Classic...).

Twenty-four hours travel time from there to here -- and with a 1.3-year old kid. Brisbane to Auckland (New Zealand) to Los Angeles to Sea-Tac (Seattle).

Only real eventful bits: (1) Took the stroller to the gate and checked it there. SUPPOSED to meet us at the gate in Auckland when we got off, but it wasn't. We inquired, and were told that it was SUPPOSED to actually go to Los Angeles and we'd pick it up there with the rest of our luggage (so we could go through Customs, then re-check our luggage). A little dubious, as the last time we flew (in June, although different airline) the customer service person also phoned down to the baggage carosel, to verify that that stroller had indeed been forwarded -- and it hadn't, so they grabbed it and shoved it on ahead. This time, the person didn't verify...

...Such that when we got in to L.A., no stroller. Wasted time standing in line at the ''lost luggage'' counter, only to be told that we should wait 'til Sea-Tac before filing a claim, just to be sure. So, got expidited thru Customs and security and managed to get to the L.A.-->Seattle flight just as they had started to board. (Carried the kid the whole way, since no stroller -- and she's gettin' to be a big sack of potatoes!) No stroller in Seattle, either. So, they'll deliver it to us if they find it; if not, I presume they'll pay us off. It's only a $30 stroller (intentionally bought a cheap one, just for travelling) -- but we bought it to **have** and **use**, didn't we? ;)

(2) The other bit of excitement is that coming down into L.A., and also into Seattle, The Bub's ears didn't de-pressurize properly so she had an earache. Too young to be told to swallow, and she wouldn't take her drink, so she just cried. And she cried so much she started coughing -- and she coughed so much that she threw up. Which made her cry more. But the vomiting must've equalized her ear pressure, because she was fine after that.


Weird to be back in ''winter'' climes -- such as it is, here. Frost on the ground this morning. Cold when I took out the garbage later this morning. Coldest I've experienced outdoors in three(?) years.

Also, getting up in the middle of the night to use the toilet: DANG, the doorknobs are low. I kept scrabbling around in the dark, searching for the doorknobs at Aussie-height (for me, bicep height), until I thought to look for them lower (for me, hip-height).

Oh: And everyone's driving on the weird side. All all the people on the radio talk funny.


Still, good to be back. :)


--GG