Summer's almost over!

And it was a productive one! I took classes in Photoshop and Angel (a system of websites for the courses we teach). I got my Angel websites looking good, loaded a bunch of content to them, re-did my syllabi and emailed them off to be printed. Inservice starts tomorrow and I have nothing left to do!

Been shopping with the kids to get them ready to go back to school. The older ones leaves for a year of overseas study in China in 2 weeks. We've been researching and setting up her banking and phone support. I found a website, cellularabroad.com, that sells/rents SIM cards and unlocked tri-band phones for overseas use. We bought a SIM card for China from them and a tri-band phone on eBay, so she'll be able to step off the plane in Shanghai with a phone number up and running. Well, theoretically -hopefully it will arrive in time and WORK. We also set up Skype.

I made progress on the novel and hope to make more once I'm back in my campus office regularly without all the distractions. And PH finally got to work on my text; it's undergoing copy-editing and I should start seeing proofs soon (which I had hoped for all summer, but just as well, since I did other stuff). I just got this sunny email from one of their marketing people:

<< I hope this email finds you well! I also hope your summer has been safe and relaxing. I see we have a new book on deck for you. Exciting! What I need to begin the marketing of this text is the attached Author Questionnaire (attached) filled out with all the good stuff and I need the TOC and Preface for the book as well. These 3 pieces come together as a trifecta of wonderful that allows us to create the perfect message for your book that will feed to our reps on __ and then subsequently to Pearson Higher Ed and all retail sites on __. >>

Trifecta of wonderful, heh. I need a lot of coffee before I can talk like that.

So much great happening at once! Takes one's breath away. The phone sounds interesting. When I was in Panama I bought a phone that was unlocked and bought sim cards there. Everyone texts which makes the bill cheaper.

Everyone texts except me. lol. She can buy a phone in China if it's more suited to her needs, but I wanted her to have a working number right away, mostly so I can call and make sure she got there.

You will miss her so much, I bet you will find yourself in China visiting. Sounds like fun.

We been talking about going to China on spring break (next March) to visit! I'm not crazy about a 15 hr plane ride, or whatever it is, but we'll see.

15 hours? That's just a hop. We flew non-stop to New Zealand -- 41.5 hours.

It takes 41 hours to get from England to New Zealand? Well, that's a trip I'd never make, seriously. I hate sitting in planes. And in cars, trains and busses. I like being there, not getting there.

Our flight from Houston to Hong Kong took 28 hours in 1969. Four hours of that time was spent at an airport in Singapore, waiting for daylight, as Kai Tak Airport didn't have running lights. Landing there was tricky enough in the daytime. Landing today in Shanghai ought to be a lot safer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PCOcyt7BPI&feature=related

I used to fly long distances in the days when flying was a pleasure and there were plenty of extra seats to pop up the arms and stretch out. I lived in South Korea, so trips to and from the U.S. were very long, depending on whether it was the polar route or through Hawaii. I don't remember being miserable and I traveled with a young child.

Recently, I flew 9 hours one way and 11 hours back round trip to Italy. I was miserable and swore I would never, ever, fly a trip over 5 hours that wasn't in business class with a seat that turned into a bed with a little curtain. Some people take sleeping pills and watch movies but I don't like the idea of sleeping pills and thought I would sleep normal.

Save your pennies so you can fly at least business class. Traveling long distances today are like traveling in a cattle car if you fly economy or coach class. If you are on the aisle, you get knocked about; by the window you're smashed and stuck. Of course in the middle the other two passengers take your arm rests and lay all over you. I'm sorry; I had a terrible trip - it was a very long trip both ways and spoiled my love of new experiences. My next new experience will be as far as a car or train will take me (I hear busses are not so much fun either).

My friend flew to China business class and had that seat that made into a bed with the curtain. She even changed into loungewear to be comfortable and had a great trip. It cost about four times economy or coach class and by my experience, well worth it.

I once considered going to China to teach English until that round trip to Italy. I have to have the income to travel in class before I'll travel long in a plane again.

An experience in China, however, is very high on my wish list because it has so much potential as a world power and such a history of intellect and beauty. It's always a richer experience when you can share it with someone familiar with the country.

Enough - I think getting a phone up front was a great idea. I just didn't know that could be done when I left for Panama so I was phoneless until I bought one there. Of course, the instructions, the entire phone operation was in Spanish. My son met me with a computer - and it was all in Spanish also.

I don't text either but it's either txt or not speak with my son. So I muddle along; but sometimes I feel so frustrated I could smash the phone to smithereens.

DK, I know exactly what you mean about the unpleasant flying experience in coach. I actually got into a fight with 3 (!) people in the row ahead of me couple of years ago coming back from St. Thomas. My family was booked first class, but the flight was cancelled, and the next available only had coach seating. The woman in front of me put her seat all the way back (I think this is SO RUDE, I don't do it out of consideration for the person behind me, and most others don't do it either, I think). She hit my knee, which was crossed over my leg. Upset, she tried and tried again to push her seat back, but my knee wasn't going anywhere. She accused me (through her husband, she never spoke to me) of "kicking her seat." Her husband stared me down -and I stared right back. He wasn't prepared for that! He kept giving me reasons why I should move my knee, and I gave him reasons why it wasn't going anywhere. The guy on the opposite side of her, took their side. I invited him to switch seats with me, lol. He wouldn't, and I then told him to shut his pie hole. They complained to the flight attendant, who took a quick look at the situation, but said nothing to me (to her credit).

We have often flown first class because my husband accummulated points through his job and got upgrades. World of difference. He doesn't fly as much anymore, though, and as you noted, it costs 4x coach. The discomfort of coach is one of the reasons I won't sit through a very long flight anymore. Even in first class, I wouldn't do 40 hours.

40 hours is way over my limit. I am tall and we just canceled, yet again, a trip to Nova Scotia.
The trip from Seattle to Chicago via Phoenix just did us in.
First our shuttle didn't show and talk about stress...

Well, we got the phone and charged it up. It works, but all we can see is the display, since it doesn't work here, being an international phone (should it work here?). Also, it displays in English, even with the Chinese SIM card in it. Those of you who have used international phones, aren't they supposed to display in the language of the country? I really have no clue how this works...

eta ...just did a bit of research, apparently not all phones display Chinese characters. But for an extra charge you can have the characters installed. of course. lol