The Art of Racing in the Rain

As luck would have it, Tim was called back to the US for some meetings, and asked me if I wanted to come along.  My first reaction was "No."  It is so expensive, and the flight home is a killer.  But when he said so sweetly in an email that he really hoped I would come, I had a change of heart.  Waiting for all the necessary approvals from work, he did not know until about 48 hours before what his flight arrangements would be.  Once he finally got the details of his flights, I quickly got on line and found a seat on the same flights.

Of course, at the last minute, the only seats left were in the middle of the middle seats, insuring an even-more-pleasant experience.  And I wouldn't have Tim next to me to lean upon.  I was surprised to find a fair for less than the tickets we bought to go home in April, which I'd purchased way more in advance.  Still, a good chunk of change, sigh.

Tim came home from India that Thursday, and bright and early Friday morning we were on our way to the airport.  I don't handle last-minute so well; I like to have time to get my head around things.  So I was a bit uneasy (translation: cranky) through the whole rush-rush process - sorry, Tim.  The nice thing about it was that we didn't really have to pack much, since we were going home to our house with all our stuff.  We had plenty of clothes, shoes, etc.  So we went with fairly empty suitcases, planning to bring back more "stuff" upon our return.

All the aggravation was worth it in the end, when we got to see two of our boys.  Tim would have to go into work, so I spent most days at home, finding a couple of days toward the end to get out and visit family and friends.  It was the best birthday present!

Best example ever of "reduce, reuse, recycle."
Tim's birthday was six days before mine,
and he had lots of cake left from his party.
So "Tim" became "Liz" - kind of.  Well-done, Tim!

A few days after we arrived in the US, I heard that Pattaya had suffered some pretty severe flooding.  The rainy season announced its arrival in grand fashion.  My friend, Mika, sent me photographs of some very flooded streets and businesses, and I heard that some areas declared a state of emergency.  Sounds like we picked a good time to be away.

One news story told about a worker at a 7-11 store, who offered to heat up a customer's sandwich because the oven was still working.  Yikes!

Once back in Thailand, we got a good taste of the rainy season for ourselves.  It doesn't rain all the time, but when it rains, it really rains.  The sewer systems are not up to the task, and many streets are chronically flooded each time the big rains come.  Luckily, the flooding recedes fairly quickly, usually within a few hours.  But in the meantime, motorbikes, cars and ground floor businesses bear the brunt.  This is probably why most places have tile floors.  Our condo hasn't had any issues that I've seen.  Being on the fourth floor helps, too.

The locals seem to take it all in stride.  People continue to get around on their motorbikes wearing colorful plastic cover-ups, and businesses keep their mops and floor squeegees handy.  I've even seen motorbikes on the road with the rider holding up an umbrella!  Life must go on...

What I'm reading:  I happened to be home at the time of the St. Clare annual used book sale.  I made the drive over to the east side, hoping to run into a friend or two, and picked up a few books as well.  Just finished "Tell the Wolves I'm Home" by Carol Rifka Brunt - loved the honest rendering of a fourteen-year-old girl who made me care about her from the first page.  A beautiful story of love, friendship and loss in the early years of the AIDS crisis.  Complex, well-crafted characters.