Leaving on a Jet Plane...

The good news is, I know when I will be back again. As I type, I am blogging from my gorgeous hotel room in Manila.

Check it out:
http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/manila/makatishangrila

This is likely the longest distance blog I shall ever type. As many of you know I am here for work for a week. I left the US on Friday at 12:35pm, flew from Richmond to Detroit, had a short layover in Detroit, boarded a plane for Nagoya, Japan, had about 90 minutes in Nagoya and then boarded another plane (actually the same plane) for our final leg to Manila, Philippines. Carver (my manager) and I flew Business Class from Detroit to Manila, it seriously is the only way to fly considering you are on a plane for a long, long time. We left Detroit at 3:45pm on Friday and landed in Manila at 10:30pm Saturday Night. Granted, there is a 12 hour time difference, but still, a long long time.

I had a teary goodbye with the girls and my parents, as they will be heading back to Northfield on Monday, so I won't see them for a few months. They will be back in September after their first visit to Camden Yards to see the Sox played the Orioles. It was our Anniversary Present to them. I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but every year we get them tickets to a different ball park, cool huh? I sure think so.

So back to my trip. As I sat down in Business Class for our first leg from Detroit to Nagoya, I was greeted by a fabulous glass of Champagne, and I enjoyed several glasses of Riesling before and during dinner and then it was back to water, so I wouldn't get dehydrated for the long haul across the globe. I dined on Crab Cakes which were delicious, Carver enjoyed Filet and Shrimp Scampi...she claimed that they were delicious as well. There was an adorable family upstairs (we sat Upstairs in Business Class) with us, 4 little ones and two beautiful young parents, the two youngest were Olivia and Avery's age, so of course my heart ached for the girls, I was so impressed with how they all handled the flight, but more impressed that they paid for 6 Business Class flights, that's like $30K, are you serious? Yikes. I watched: 17 Again with Matthew Perry, cute and cheesy, just the way I like um, then I watched part of Gran Torino, but I couldn't get into it, I was too tired, so I tried to sleep, but that didn't work, so I watched The Reader with Kate Winslet, VERY STRANGE, but powerful. I then watched Two and a Half Men, and then He's Just Not That Into You, and of course I slept a little...or I tried, even with the comfy reclining seats, its tough to get comfy. The food from Nagoya to Manila was rough, so I ordered room service when I got to the hotel a little after 11pm.

The hotel is wonderful, its in Makati, close to designer stores, the Hard Rock, TJI Friday's and California Pizza Kitchen, I will post pictures when I get back. And it has a 24/7 Starbucks.

I ordered a Grilled Swiss Cheese, cheese choices here are slim, and it was horrible, but the French Fries were delicious and the Coke Light was to die for, and after talking to Brad and my Mom I hit the hay, but not before taking one of the best showers of my life, seriously, the water pressure is one I really need to write home about, the best I have experienced. I took another one this morning after I hit the pool for an hour.

We will work East Coast Hours, so we don't go to work until 8-9pm Monday Night, which is 8-9am Monday Morning at home. So today Carver and I are going shopping and will then take a nap, and will have a yummy Japanese Dinner tonight before just laying low. We will likely try and stay up for several hours tonight to try and get on the schedule we will keep for the week, but I booked a Massage for 10am tomorrow morning, I cannot wait.

Oh yeah, and its hot and humid...and I mean HUMID with a capital HUMID.