Around The World In How Many Days?

Handsome Hubby is our guest blogger this evening, chronicling his latest business adventure - here's what the cat does while he's away, while at home the mice play:

Jules Verne figured you could have an adventure and travel around the world in 80 days; I did it in 8 days.

While concerned about what could happen, I nevertheless set out for a business trip that would take me around the world. Along the way, I would nearly lose my sanity in 3 separate customs lines, participate in a memorial service for Japanese Earthquake victims, fly on my own "private" plane, shop for jewelry in the mean Mumbai streets, take a "buggy" flight and still get all my work done a day earlier than planned.

My own private Boeing 737. Which seat to choose?

Tumon Bay, Guam. Last time, I had my best friend with me. It wasn't the same without my wife.

With a stop in Guam for 3 nights, I was fortunate to get the chance to have some nice weather and assist with a candlelight memorial service that our company put on with other chamber of commerce organizations on the island. We had a very nice showing, with a perfect sunset dropping behind the cliffs that anchor Tumon Bay. To get to my next business destination, I traveled on a brand new airline based in Guam called Fly Guam. When boarding, to my surprise, I learned that there would only be one passenger on the aircraft. I couldn't help but smile, my own private airplane with four flight attendants? With service like this, the airline is clearly going places! It only lasted for a short hop up to Saipan and I was joined by 9 other passengers for a trip over to Hong Kong. Thinking I had plenty of time, I learned to my horror that I would have to clear customs into HK to get my next ticket on Cathay Pacific. Nearly losing my sanity waiting for nearly an hour, my 2 hour connection was whittled down to 50 minutes. Setting a record for shortest time between two passport stamps - 10 minutes - I rushed across one of the largest airports in Asia to the ticket desk and then sprinted to the clear customs again and on to the flight.

Arriving into Mumbai, India at 2AM is descending into a labyrinth of dusty, dirty, busy humanity. It is amazing how much life occurs in India at night. I took a tour of Mumbai and got to see some of the popular sights and also do some shopping with the renowned Mumbai jewelery merchants. Work occurred in the late evening, early morning, so I got to work some unusual hours. At least it was "only" 85F at night. I also got to eat as much Indian food as I wanted, which is always good to me. The flight home began on Air France which, since they left the doors open during servicing, was swarming with mosquitoes. Every 5 seconds, smack some around you (or you) killed another bug. Landing in Paris, I nearly lost it again waiting in Customs; this time there was literally no government agents to process passengers and we were left standing around wondering why. Filtering through the throng was a rumor that a bag had been left behind and so they had cleared the area. BOOM! The walls rattle, the floors shake and an echoing explosion rings through the area. Apparently, taking no chances, the French police just blew up the unattended bag. It wasn't all bad, as I got to stop at Laduree for some divine macaroons.

The Gateway of India

I love Indian Food

Open green space in Mumbai, a rarity

Off for home and getting frustrated one last time in Customs, this time simply because I chose the wrong agent.

So, in 8 days, 6 different airplanes, 4 different airlines and 48 hours in the air, I went around the world. The best part, as always was seeing my best boys and beautiful wife.

Wordless Wednesday: Friends

Coping Skills

We bake brownies. 

Sigh of Relief

Do you recognize this place?

It's our dining room!  

Thanks to my mom (and isn't everything thanks to Mom?) she and I were able to make our townhouse look like a cozy home again - and a lot less like a daycare!  Instead of visiting the zoo or the MOA, we vacuumed, dusted, mopped, laundered, Magic Eraser-ed, and appliance-painted throughout Friday evening and Saturday.  I even scraped a booger off a wall in the boys' room!  It was all worth it to stand back to see the house sparkling like it hasn't in...um, a really long time.  And to take a picture because, you guessed it -it looks like this again - note the nasty clever rug underneath and the Wal-Mart's best vinyl tablecloth.  However, I do love this picture because it's one of the first meals the 4 of us shared at the table - pancakes, our weekend tradition. 

Then today, our "fun" plans were hampered a by a cancellation, the afternoon naps that weren't, a teething boy, a tummyache, a headache, and missing Hubs' call from Mumbai.  Boo.

But now...a sigh of relief.

I just found out that the showings went well and that we already have an applicant for our townhouse!  Wow, thank you, God.  It looks like this unbelievable Big Move is going to happen! 

Lots of snuggles with Grandma during the waking hours

Big Britches Day

Today feels like the day after we found out we were having twins.  The day we found out we were shocked, ecstatic, thrilled, elated, proud, humbled...maybe you're like us and the day actually has a name: The Most Shocking Day of Our Lives.  It's one of the biggies like Engagement Day, Wedding Day, Graduation Day.  But remember the day after?  Fortunately, not really.  Not until another big one comes along do you remember the day after feels like:

• Now what?
• Where do I start?  
• There's so much to do!  It's overwhelming!
• So I'll eat a brownie.  Read a blog.  Write an unusual blog entry while I try to sort it out and nothing actually gets done.

Because in two weeks and two days we have another one: Moving Day.  Remember I wrote this post called "Too Big For Our Britches?"  It's happening!  We have been blessed by God with an opportunity to rent a friend's beautiful 4BR home with everything we've been wishing for and more.  So we've listed our place for lease with a property management company and have not one but TWO showings in...27 hours.  I'm overwhelmed with God's goodness because we have friends offering to help with boxes, trucks, trailers, and time, parents flying out as I type to help pack, more coming out for Big Britches Day and everything is falling into place.  It's quite amazing, humbling, and overwhelming.  And I don't know where to start. 

We've had moving days before and at the time they were big.  Small "b" big because we were newlyweds without much stuff so it only took a couple of family members to move our few things.  This time around, it's the Big One.  Or a Big One.  Perhaps there will be more which will demote this to First Big One. 

But now we have two kids: toddler twin boys who turn 22 months old today, to be exact.  Two very curious and active little fellas who have acquired an unfathomable amount of STUFF in the short 22 months they've been alive.  Or we've acquired for them. Not to mention the 6+ years we've lived here acquiring stuff.  Not that we're shoppers - honestly, we're non-shoppers. So it could be much worse.

And it's not just the stuff stuff - it's all the other stuff, too!  The details, which I used to pride myself on, but not so these days.  No pride here anymore.  My bathroom is filthy and yesterday's towel load is still in the dryer.  There is lunch debris all over my dining room  and a coat of dust thick enough to write your name on the entertainment center.  I have to have this place in "show" condition tomorrow!  I have to make people fall in love with our little house! I should be doing that but I'm kind of shocked into stillness and have to write to get it all out, to get my mind in order before I can tackle these tasks.  

So if I'm scattered the next two weeks, this is why.  But thanks for listening...er, reading.  I'm feeling well enough to go clean the dining room and kitchen.  That's always the first priority because I'm gonna have to feed them again. 

Chocolate + Pretzels = Love

I just put a batch of brownies in the oven, and for fun, I let the boys lick the batter spoon.  They loved it, because, after all, they are their mother's children.  While I was at the sink, M was beside repeating a mantra, "Pre-bo, pre-bo, pre-bo, pre-bo, pre-bo, pre-bo,"

"What is it, son?  What are you saying?" I glanced down to see him reaching longingly for the giant tub of Utz's Pretzel Sticks on the counter.  "Pretzel?  Are you asking for a pretzel?"

"Pre-bo, pwee?"  He smiled. 

Then it hit me: I just gave him chocolate - now he wants a pretzel! 

Sweet and Salty, just like Mommy.

Terrific Texas!

Wow, so much has happened!  We spent last week in TX with my sister and her family while they were on spring break (they're teachers) and while Hubs worked at DFW.  Here are some of the pics from the old Sony digital camera that I know how to both operate and upload.  (You should infer here that our new camera, a very beautiful Nikon Coolpix which makes me think of Ashton Kutcher every time I pick it up, is one that I do NOT know how to operate or upload and has dozens of great photos on it from our trip.  Maybe someday I can take a camera class...or read the manual, whichever comes first.)  With no further adieu...

Daddy and N ride the bus from DFW terminal to the rental car.  What a big boy!

N hamming it on the road trip from DFW to Louisiana

Best part of Louisiana?  The hotel, of course!

Waffle House hospitality - free boogers with every meal.

N and his teddy that we had to rescue from the hotel's lost and found

Hubs and his Great Aunt I

Auntie P at her baby shower with Baby L's first bikini

Cutie Pie Cousin L and her custard smile

One of these days I'll figure out how to upload pics from the new camera and I'll show you more good times.  But it likely won't be this week or next b/c I've got to pack! We're moving into bigger "britches" about 30 minutes south of our current location.  Seeing as how there is still laundry in the machine from our trip, I'm already behind.  But keep checking in on us - my Sony Handycam is working just fine.