Mileage Run on United’s PS Service

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Yesterday I returned from a 22-hour mileage run on United Airlines’ P.S. service from SFO-JFK.  The trip report is here.  Lots of pictures of planes, especially some of jetBlue just for Michael, Patrick, and Bill.

 

It was a good trip, getting to experience some of United’s best service.  It also was an inexpensive way for me to maintain my 1K Mileage Plus status.

 

Back in San Francisco today, I’m going to try to catch up on some of my movies.  I watched Wong Kar Wai’s 2046 after arriving back in SFO.  It was a visually beautiful film, DP’d by Christopher Doyle.  I’ll also try to meet up with Anita and with Paul, so it should be a busy day.

Visiting Friends in SF

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Out in San Francisco this weekend to visit friends.

 

Paul and I took BART out Friday evening to see Bruce and Howie.  They live out in San Ramon, 45 miles east of the City.

 

Bruce’s parents were in town from the central California coast – the area where “Sideways” was set.  I’ve wanted to meet them and was glad to have an opportunity.

 

Dinner was supposedly a “simple” affair.  Not the case, really, as Bruce is a passionate cook and his simplest meals are actually very grand.  This evening, he prepared four different gourmet pizzas for us, preceeded by an amuse bouche of mussels – the recipie came from this book.  Very tasty indeed.

 

This morning (Saturday) I woke up early and had breakfast at Miss Millie’s restaurant (24th Street and Castro) with Bob, Anita’s roommate.  Bob’s partner is also in Thailand, so we have lots in common.  Bob looks a lot like my friend Albert.  I’m going to make it a project to get a picture of both of them together.

 

After breakfast I headed to the airport where I did a fun overnight trip to JFK.  More about that tomorrow.

Two More Trip Reports

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Busy weekend – mostly spent finishing up my final two trip reports from the July trip to Bangkok.

 

Part 4 of 5 covers the THAI Airways International flight from Bangkok to Tokyo Narita and feature exciting people like Paul and Aori (below) and Tawn (left).

 

The fifth and final leg of the trip – Tokyo Narita to Los Angeles, features the world’s best airline: Singapore.  The trip report includes details on some of the amazing customer service they provided.

 

 

 

This evening – once I get this bloody project completed – I’m heading over to Jenn and Kevin’s (Sister and Brother-in-Law) to grill a couple of tri-tip roasts and some double-cut pork chops.  Tri-tips have been marinating in a Santa Maria rub for 24 hours.  The pork chops in a homemade teriyaki marinade.  Yum… 

Traveling from Kansas City to Bangkok

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The third installment of my July trip report from Kansas City to Bangkok has been posted on airliners.net.  Read about my five hours at Seoul Incheon airport, where I “officially” visited South Korea for a few hours.

 

I’d love to be able to explain why I really am fascinated by doing these trip reports.  Who am I kidding?  I already know the answer!

 

It’s because ever since I was a child I’ve been an airplane enthusiast.  My Dad worked for United for 35 years, my uncle worked for Branniff (the first one – check out this interesting link) and then Northwest, I worked for United one summer, Tawn worked for United for more than 2 years, and several of our friends worked for or still work for various airlines.  So it is kind of in my blood.  In fact, my first plane trip was when I was 1 month old.

Summer Bounty – Bacon Lettuce and Tomatoes

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The best part about living back in Kansas City is that I can get really good summer produce.  Every Saturday I go to the Farmers Market in Overland Park and buy some yummy veggies and fruits.  Right now is peak season for peaches and tomatoes – corn is pretty good, too.  A few weeks ago it was all about the blackberries, but that’s over.

 

The Farmers Market is especially important because, due to heat and drought, my tomato plants never really bore much fruit.  I am not ready to become a full-time farmer.

 

This afternoon I fixed my favorite summer meal – one that I’ve been eating almost daily for the past two weeks – a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich!  Once I move to Bangkok, I suppose that I’ll trade this in for a BBT – Bacon, Basil, and Tomato.  There is a recipe in this month’s issue of Sunset magazine.

 

Artfully arranged, don’t you think? 

Trip Report on Asiana First Class

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Stormy weather in Kansas City – last night and tonight we’ve had really severe thunderstorms, unlike anything I ever saw in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I think it is really neat, especially since we’re getting rain that my garden really needs.  Unfortunately, it is coming down so torrentially that it just runs into the storm drains instead of really soaking in.

 

I had an incredibly productive week at work.  Perhaps because my reporting structure was changed recently and I’m reporting back into my boss of several years instead of the manager I had for the past 9 months.  It is now a much better reporting relationship!

 

This evening I finished the second of my five-part Bangkok trip report on Airliners.net.  Feel free to visit and see more pictures of airplane meals – this time on Asiana in First Class.

 

 

One of those nice things about the Internet: there’s somewhere or something for everyone and every interest.

Apartment Hunting in Bangkok

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Tawn has started apartment hunting in Bangkok.  His goal: to scout out apartments that meet our combined criteria (mission impossible!) so that when I’m there in late September we can select a place.

 

I’m not being very helpful.  I found a web site called Mr. Room Finder, set up by a Bangkok local who wanted a site that listed apartments that real people, not overpriced expats, could afford.  So I send Tawn links from my searches, fully realising that I don’t know Bangkok neighborhoods all that well.

 

My recommendations are not always very useful.  Like personal ads, these apartments listings are sometimes… generous.

 

We’ll see what turns up, though.  He’s found a few places that look nice, have a decent location, and are teeny-tiny.  But that’s the reality there, I think.  Especially when we don’t want to spend more than US$ 400 a month on rent.

 

 

Starbucks Moon Cakes

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What the hell?  Starbucks Mooncakes!?  Reports from Tawn (my husband – already in Khrungthep.  Picture above.) that Starbucks in Thailand is selling mooncakes.  Instead of the usual flower image on the top, there is a Starbucks logo.  The filling?  Instead of traditional bean paste, they have a coffee-flavoured filling.

 

How does one react to things like this?  Part of me is just aghast: are there no depths of cultural appropriation too deep for Starbucks to sink to?  Another part of me is tickled by the cheeky audacity.  Then I remeember that Starbucks is a major client of my company, and figure maybe I should shut the heck up, eat my mooncake, and smile.

 

Talk about your conflicted feelings.

 

I’ve asked Tawn to snap a few photos of one of these culturally cross-pollinated cakes and will post one as soon as it is available.

Remembering My Grandmother

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A busy several days.  On 26 July my 92-year old Grandmother, Wilma Schultz, passed away.  She had lived a very long life with lots of adventures, but in the past 18 months her health had begun to decline and she had said several times that she was ready to go.  So when she peacefully slipped away late Tuesday evening, I was glad that her wish had come true.

 

On Thursday 4 August we held a memorial service to celebrate her life.  A de facto family reunion, about four dozen people gathered at my grandmother’s church – St. Mark’s United Methodist – to listen to her favourite poems and psalms, to sing her favourite hymns, and to share stories about her life.

 

One of the passages that the minister read was this poem from the Unitarian Church’s daily devoitional.  (Interesting because my Grandmother was a Methodist.)  I think it is quite inspirational.

 

 

Life

 

By William Arthur Ward

 

The adventure of life is to learn.

 

The purpose of life is to grow.

 

The nature of life is to change.

 

The challenge of life is to overcome.

 

The essence of life is to care.

 

The opportunity of life is to serve.

 

The secret of life is to dare.

 

The spice of life is to befriend.

 

The beauty of life is to give.

 

The joy of life is to love.

 

 

 

Above: my grandmother as a young lady – probably around 1926

 

Below, left: with my grandfather, Elmer Schultz, out on their farm in Ionia, Missouri (late 1930’s).  Right: their 50th wedding anniversary in 1985

 

 

 

The funny thing about family events like this is that there are so many people you haven’t seen in years and years, and they all know you even if you don’t know them!