It’s that time again. You know…the time where I don’t really have one coherent post so I just make a list and call it a day. Here goes…

1. Do you know how nice it is to breathe in, one full breath, and then exhale without having a huge coughing fit?

2. It is SO nice to not be constantly dizzy due to lack of oxygen making it into your lungs due to some b*&$# spraying perfume in my face at 30,000 feet.

3. Steroids are good…for some things.

4. Like breathing.

5. Two and a half pages of my Passport have stamps.

6. The Boy’s Passport also has many stamps from trips to three countries in less than a year.

7. About The Boy…it’s his Birthday a week from tomorrow.

8. A week from tomorrow?!

9. Crap, I better start thinking about that shopping list.

10. He’s invited seven boys over for video games, pool, foosball and swimming.

11. It being the weekend after 4th of July, we’re hoping that at least some of them can attend.

12. Tommy will be home for the party.

13. Which is good because me? With possibly up to eight 12 yr. old boys to control? Not a good thing.

14. I’ve been looking out the window at the gorgeous pool in the beautiful sunshine for seven days.

15. I’m going to attempt a quick dip later.

16. But I will be smart. If I get dizzy, I’ll go inside.

17. I hope I don’t get dizzy.

18. Because dammit, I wanna go in the pool!

19. I haven’t had a drink in a week.

20. I’ve lost two pounds because of the no drinking and the no appetite due to illness thing.

21. All of a sudden I just got really sleepy.

22. Must have something to do with the Pillsbury biscuits we had this morning….cooked in the deep fryer.

23. Have you ever had biscuits fried in the fryer?

24. They’re outstanding.

25. All golden brown with honey on them.

26. I must go now so I can lay down and digest fried biscuits and breathe.

For the last few days, I’ve felt like I couldn’t really get a good, solid breath. Ever since that lady sprayed perfume on me in the plane, in fact.

So Tommy made me go see the doctor. Turns out the inhalation of cheap perfume sprayed willfully in my face resulted in my inability to catch my breath. The perfume, it seems, inflamed my lungs and breathing passages which made everything feel tight and caused much dizziness and general bitchiness.

Plus, I have a cold with much sinus drainage and a fever.

And so…I am now…on antibiotics and steroids. Yes, steroids. Apparently, they will quickly relieve the swelling in my breathing passages and lungs and allow me to breathe easier. Also the swelling in my sinuses from the cold will decrease too so that’s a nice side-effect. I don’t even want to think about the other possible side-effects. Because really I don’t care at this point as long as I can breathe.

I must go breathe now. That is all.

We didn’t get very many pictures on this last trip, but there are a few. We took a walk down by a nature reserve/bird sanctuary on our second day there. Here is a look back from the sanctuary toward the city:

The sanctuary is by the ocean. Here is a picture of a pier that is close to a large grassy area with benches where people were eating lunch, snoozing on the lawn and some were even doing Tai Chi.

Then we took a walk over to the port. This is a really cool bridge, no?

Our last day in Buenos Aires, we went over to see the widest street in the world. It’s called 9th of July. I’d say it’s wide, wouldn’t you? That white thing in the middle is called The Obelisk. It points up toward the sky like The Washington Monument.

The weather was beautiful as you can see. We hope to make it down there again some time. There are still some places we’d like to show The Boy, and which I’ve never seen before.

First, I must say that I picked up some really nasty virus type cold thing on our trip last week. It’s my bad summer cold I had a few weeks ago re-visited. It’s probably why I wound up on the galley floor trying not to faint when that b*&^% (I mean “lady”) in front of me sprayed me and The Boy with that nasty two-dollar whore perfume.

Anyway, as I lay around with nothing better to do than complain about how horrible I feel I thought I might provide a list of things you probably shouldn’t ever do under any circumstances when you’re traveling with the airlines (the whole spraying perfume on other people goes without saying – I think we can all agree there).
1. If you’re in coach, don’t ever put your seat back down so you’re laying on top of the meal the person behind you is trying to finish. At least wait until they’re done eating before you shove their knees into their chest.

2. If you have not had a pedicure recently, don’t wear any type of open toed shoes – especially flip flops. Nobody needs to see that – ever.

3. If your child is crying, don’t just ignore them and hope they’ll stop. It’s just not right to let them unleash their blood-curdling wails into a crowded, closed cabin.

4. Don’t stand in the middle of the aisle with your ass in someone else’s face and then fart. That’s just gross.

5. Don’t let your kids run wild in the airport and trip people as they’re trying to get to their gate.

6. Don’t fall asleep in your coach class seat, and then lean against the person next to you whom you don’t even know.

7. For God’s sake, don’t let your breath get so bad that the person next to you feels they need to offer you some gum or a breath mint!

8. Don’t bring McDonald’s on the plane with you when there is no meal being served. That’s just mean to chow down like that in front of other people.

9. A turkey or ham sandwich is OK; McDonald’s, Cinnabon or Burger King are not.

10. Are we clear about the food?

11. Don’t try to schmooze the gate agent and try to get a fee upgrade. Nothing pisses them off more or will get you a worse seat.

12. Don’t wander through the aisles when they have the fasten seatbelt sign on. There are rules, people!

13. Don’t switch seats before they close the airplane door. You’ll just make the flight late and piss off the flight attendants. They have you where you are for a reason.

14. Don’t wear sleeveless tops, sweat, and then raise your arms to mess with your hair. That’s just disgusting. Nobody needs to smell that.

15. Don’t lay your kid down across the seat and change a diaper (number one or number two; but especially number two). You can do that in the bathroom.

16. Don’t let your toddler get their sticky hands all over other people’s things (luggage, napkin on the tray, their hair; you get the deal). It’s amazing what some people think is OK to let their kids do to other people.

17. If the person next to you is working on their laptop, don’t crane your neck over to look at what they’re doing. That’s one of the rudest things I’ve seen people do.

18. Along the same lines, don’t read their book over their shoulder. SO rude.

19. If you know you snore, don’t sleep on the plane – or at least wear one of those nose things to cut down on the noise. Believe me, other people CAN hear you and you are keeping them awake (the guy across the aisle from me snored the whole way from Buenos Aires; I didn’t sleep very much at all because of that jerk).

20. If you are traveling with a toddler, don’t spend the whole flight singing Wiggles songs. It might be fun for you, but it’s SO not fun for the people around you. In fact, it’s downright inconsiderate.

I’m sure there’s more I could list. There always is. But for now….I must go try and find some soup to eat so I can lay down again and cough some more.

After a ride in the back on a rather tight flight out of Argentina (another airline had a flight cancel out of Buenos Aires so there was no room in Business Class) behind a woman who felt the need to spray cheap perfume in our faces and all over the vicinity of the last three rows (we won’t go into the adverse effects of said cheap perfume spraying except to say she cleared the last three rows and I spent some time on the galley floor trying not to pass out and/or throw up from an allergic reaction)…we finally made it back to Dallas. Good news is we did get first class on the domestic leg of our trip home.

Even with the perfume incident, I have to say it was a really, really good trip. The Boy as I write this has his Argentina soccer jersey on (freshly laundered by yours truly). It was definitely a trip worth taking, and I think we’d all jump at the chance if the flights ever opened up like this again. Who knows…maybe we can make it an annual thing.

But seriously…who thinks it’s OK to spray cheap perfume all over themselves and their fellow passengers inside of an enclosed aircraft with a less than desirable oxygen supply? I don’t like that woman very much. Not very much at all…I’m still trying to cough that crap out of my lungs.

Guess what? After last night’s post (while I was digesting) we got a call from the Captain saying the flight tonight was canceled.

Of course, I was worried about getting home since I thought that would mean they would move all the passengers to the flight tomorrow. And of course, conversely, Tommy thought that was the most wonderful thing he’d ever heard. Because really, who doesn’t want an extra day in Buenos Aires?

Guess what? Three other airlines fly out of here. When we checked earlier there were about 20 open seats; an hour ago we saw that we might actually have a good chance of getting business class on the way home (keep your fingers crossed). Yeah, other airlines!!!!

So….today we went down by the port and got some really good pictures (I might post some things when I get back). Before that we had some outstanding omlettes and cafe con leche (basically espresso with milk) and we managed to con them into making The Boy chocolate caliente (hot chocolate….but not just normal hot chocolate; this was the best damn hot chocolate any of us have ever tasted).

Then we had dessert at Cafe Tortoni and did a little shopping (hey, I had an excuse to get a shirt – we were here an extra day after all). The Boy got an Argentina soccer jersey and was a hit everywhere we went tonight…especially the Italian restaurant called Broccolinos where we had dinner after stopping in for cocktails at one of the flight attendant’s rooms. OUTSTANDING food there. They put us right by the oven where they bake all the fresh bread and bake the lasagna and other cheesy stuff. Good wine there, too.

Okay, sorry. I do talk about food a lot, no? But if you’ve ever been here or ever come here, then you know or will know why I feel the need to do so.

So we don’t have to get down to the lobby for the bus until 7:30 tomorrow night. We have plenty of time to kick around and see a few more things so that is outstanding. Did I mention the weather has been absolutely perfect here? Sunny and mid-60’s. Truly it has been an absolutely wonderful trip…with a bonus extra day.

So how I have to agree with Tommy. It IS a good thing to get an extra day in Buenos Aires!

More tomorrow if I have time.

Oh yes, it’s all about the food and the drinking today. After our nap, we headed down to the lobby to have a beer and some peanuts (Coke for The Boy). When we were almost done, the Captain on our trip walked by with one of the flight attendants. They told us there was a party in one of the rooms upstairs.

What? Free drinks? We went upstairs. And all the female flight attendants were up there with champagne and wine. So we had a glass of wine.

Then, we were headed out for steaks but then we saw another flight attendant in the elevator and he took us to a place called The Winery. Five glasses of wine tasting later (Sprite for The Boy), plus a cheese and meats plate, off we went at 9:30 to go have steaks at El Establo.

Yes….9:30. But there was socializing we had to do so dinner had to wait. The boy got cheese and meats…he was fine.

El Establo has the best steak I have ever had anywhere, outside of Dora’s here in Buenos Aires. We had steaks and mashed potatoes with garlic and wilted spinach with olive oil and garlic ant it was wonderful!!!!

Then, at the end….our waiter Abilica brought us some of their customary Lemoncello (really sweet lemony after dinner drink/shot). It was good. Yes, I gave The Boy a taste. And yes, Abilica looked on with approval.

Did I mention that everywhere we go everyone knows Tommy at these restarurants and hotels and such? Oh yes, we get the star treatment (doesn’t hurt that The Boy is awful cute and polite and has been trying some Spanish on the service workers).

Tomorrow, we are headed to Cafe Tortoni and a couple other places so The Boy can check out a few more things before we get on the bus at 7:30 back to the airport. No Business Class for us tomorrow as the flight is full, but I’m sure it will be okay as long as we get on the flight.

More tomorrow….maybe. I must now go lay down flat and try and digest all the beer and wine and steaks.

And it’s lovely. Sunny and about 65 degrees. The Boy and I were in business class (yeah!). So after the plane took off at about 11 o’clock last night (Tommy at the wheel) we ate dinner (I drank wine), and finished watching one movie. By the time we woke up, there was less than an hour before Tommy landed the plane (VERY smooth landing I must say).

So anyway, of course I have to talk about the people at the airport. In a list is good, no?

1. While I was in the necessary, the girl next to me was doing number two (ewww). And….when her phone rang SHE ANSWERED IT!! And continued doing number 2! Who does that? My God, I don’t even wanna think about what’s on her phone. Yuck.

2. There were many, many people wearing flip flops that shouldn’t have worn flip flops. I mean, my God if you’re gonna do that at least get a pedicure. Yuck.

3. There was a 20-something girl wearing pajamas. Tacky, yes. Smart-probably. She probably got more sleep than anyone on her flight.

4. The little Mexican boy that was interested in my luggage tags was cute.

5. The three other toddler size and up kids running all around the gate and between the seats got in trouble many, many times. But they were SO cute. The only thing that wasn’t cute was when they cried after they got into trouble.

That’s all the people I actually noticed. After the bathroom girl, I tried to tune myself out when I was in the midst of people doing less than desirable things.

But airport time is over and fun time is here! We went and got empanadas and beer!

And we went and walked around for a while, stopping at a nice park along the way.

After our nap, we are now showered and getting ready to head out and do other fun type stuff. More tomorrow (or later tonight) if I have time.

Seriously, we are going on an International flight today!!! The Boy is still asleep. The spouse is upstairs leisurely drinking coffee. Granted, he probably needs the coffee since I’ve been up since before eight and woke him up before nine, panicking, claiming all the flights to our hub city were oversold and how were we all EVER going to get there (Note: I reversed the cities when I did the search, so I panicked for nothing).

I can’t ever sleep the night before a trip, especially when we’re taking The Boy with us. There’s packing and pacing to do the night before, worrying to do about whether we’ll get seats, etc., etc. It took me 45 minutes to pack for a three day trip. It took Tommy 10 minutes (but I get a handicap since he does this like four or five times a month).

Seriously, I really don’t understand it. How can they not be nervous? How can they not be worried? It’s a heavy burden, this having to do all the worrying for those that are not worried.

I must go and worry some more now. What if we get a flat tire on the way to the airport? What if there is no parking? What if a ton more employees and dependents list for our flight and then we don’t get seats? What if the sky falls? What if there is a flood? What if I have to sit next to a big, huge, sweaty fat guy? What if?!!!!!!!

I have every reason to worry, right?!

P.S. Tommy says if it’s gonna be this much trouble he won’t take me on any more trips with him. So I must worry in silence…silently worrying…about the fact that nobody else is worried. Oh, well. I DO want to go on the trip so I will remain silent..until it seems like he’s worried too and then I’ll be able to vent my worrying worries publicly.

Yes! There are seats! To Buenos Aires! There weren’t seats last week but there are seats this week!

So….off we go to try and hitch a ride to Buenos Aires tomorrow. With any luck, by sometime Wednesday I might have a post here telling you how great it is and how The Boy is loving it and how everything is wonderful about Buenos Aires.

In the mean time, we’ll keep our fingers crossed for seats…any seats. But hopefully good seats. To Buenos Aires!