T-Minus one week...whatever T-Minus means

A week from today I'll be in the air heading west...I think, maybe we go north first I'm not sure. Anyway, I'll be crossing the Atlantic in a mere TWELVE hours. Twelve hours! What the HECK am I going to do for 12 hours? Now, I know there people who would kill to have 12 hours to themselves to read or listen to music. But I have to say, it makes me twitch a little. From the time I was kid, I would pack all of these things to do a read and I would never touch any of it. It always happens. I'm only a 1/4 of the way through Orhan Pamuk's Snow, I could finish that. I do have a few Fresh Air episodes downloaded as well as over a week's worth of Rachel Maddow's two shows. But I have to say most of the time when I'm on a plane, I end up staring at the back of the seat in front of me. I don't know why! I can't sleep, I can't read, when I'm not staring at the seat back, I'm annoying Ira and he's not going to be there. Sigh. And it doesn't help that I am SO EXCITED to get there. That's going to make the time go even slower. I know there are going to be some folks on the ground that are anxiously waiting my safe arrival as well. And then I have to get through customs (see previous posts) Stay tuned for a list of the things I am most looking forward to when I get home...

Early morning laptop sessions

When people use the term "jetlag" you think that if you haven't been on a jet for a week or so, it shouldn't be an issue. I beg to differ. My friend Kathleen here in Cairo said something like "oh you'll be waking up in the middle of the night" I thought "that doesn't sound right". Usually when you have jetlag, or at least when I have in the past, you either can't sleep or you wake up early, right? Not here! Apparently, traveling here from the states causes major sleep issues for most people. Not my husband, which is kind of annoying...could he BE more adaptable??? Anyway, this heinous breed of jetlag involves going to bed a normal time, sleeping for anywhere from 2 to 5 hours and then waking up. Then, feeling tired again a few hours later and sleeping most of the day. Awesome. Let me tell you it does wonderful things for eating, interacting with other people, exploring foriegn lands, and just generally feeling like a productive human being. There is one saving grace in all of this. My laptop.

Those who know me, know that this whole computer thing is pretty funny. And bless Ira for having the foresight to say "no" when I innocently asked him "but can't I just use your laptop in Cairo?" We would be killing each other if we had to share! I think that most of my friends are pretty amazed that I can turn this thing on let alone "blog" and "upload photos". But this damn thing has become my best friend. Mainly because it lets me "talk" to my best friends! Skype, or Gmail, whatever, I am addicted to staying in touch with everyone I love. If I wake up at 5 in the morning I am secretly excited because there is a chance that someone will still be awake over there for me to talk to! And if I wake up at 6 in the morning that means that I will keep clicking "Refresh" on the New York Times website to see if Michael Phelps won any more gold medals. And then on the flipside, when I finally wake up mid-afternoon my friends are bored at work and I am the welcome distraction! I know this can't go on forever, but until my body gets adjusted (which I've heard can take up to an astonishing THREE WEEKS!) I will be happy to stumble out of the bedroom, down the hall, to my shiny blue friend waiting for me on the couch.