Hello All:
Well, after what was a rather emotionally harrowing 24 hour journey, YesMSG has relocated to Brazil to start World Cup 2014 and Olympic 2016 reporting. However, we have time to get to sports; after all, the NFL Lockout just ended, and few are interested in the result of Atletico Minas Gerais and Paysandu; so let me first start with the personal.
First of all, thanks to all of you who wished me an uneventful journey. Unfortunately, your requests fell on deaf ears. This is why it has taken almost a week to post.
After packing the house, arranging for 6 suitcases and 2 car seats, and spending two nights in a packed Embassy Suites (no Suite holds the aforementioned suitcases, plus two more for the mom-in-law), my entourage headed to the airport for the delightful Seattle-Dallas-Sao Paulo excursion. 14 hours in the air, and about 24 door to door. Well, at least the journey went as expected. To recap:
- The little one (almost 2) decided that despite flight #1 being during nap time, there was no need to nap, and instead was better to check out the plane more thoroughly than the FAA for four hours. Despite being exhausted, and having all types of food all over her clothes, and mine, she spent the hour or so free in DFW running around yelling Chocolate Milk, Chocolate Milk.
- We get on the 10 hour flight to Sao Paulo. I figure she is tired, and will go to sleep soon. Instead it takes 3 hours for her to go to bed. During that time, we have drunk, eaten, moved around a ton, and glanced at every passenger. During this time, the bigger one (5.5 years), is happily watching movies, eating,and now trying to sleep next to his granmother.
- Little One finally falls asleep, and Big One seems like he will too. So I decide to kill a couple of hours watching Limitless (Bradley Cooper, DeNiro — good enough, barely, for a plane).
- Immediately Big One decides he is not tired and wants to do sticker books while sitting in my lap. This entails his head blocking the screen, so I act like I am watching a tennis match for the next 90 minutes. Finally, the film is about to end, and I convince Big One to try to sleep again.
- No sooner does he get to his seat that Little One wakes up rather confused and complaining. I am trying to mute her cry to watch the ending of the film. I barely accomplish this. It takes me about an hour to get her to sleep again.
- Phew, I think; however, in the immortal words of Howard Cosell: “But No! Biggie One gets up again and needs water.” Water with ice to be exact. So Big One and I head to back of the plane to get him water. The first thing the Flight Attendant asks me is “do you need a bandaid?” At this time I realize that my hand is covered in blood from some cut I just acquired. Nothing serious, one bandaid later, Big One has his water with ice.
- I get back to my seat, and Big One has gone to bed. I am about to close the eyes, when the kind lady, who has put up with Little One’s cries and encroaching on her space, engages me in conversation, which wakes up Little One.
- In summary, they did a relay of sleep, and I probably got 90 minutes, but here we are.
Since that time, of note:
- Very different living in a city, where there is traffic, but I can walk to everything I need (provided I did not have to push the stroller of one who wants to walk, while the other one who should walk wants to ride on my shoulder.
- Big One has taken to it so far, as he already knows how to hail a cab.
I will do my best to get back to sports soon!
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Yes MSG
Yes MSG 