So much for shopping...Asia here I come

I guess I should have said, so much for shopping in Cincy. I guess this year will be online or in Asia. I am writing this while sitting in my hotel room in Seoul, S.Korea. I arrived yesterday after my 14 hour flight from Detroit. Actually flew on a new Delta jet with the new business class...will take a picture on the way home if I have the same. You have your own little "pod" feels very futuristic in fact, and not very "social" as you are completely blocked from view of everyone around you based on design. Good news is the beds lay flat, so I got a lot of sleep, probably too much given I woke up at 5am, but overall, already adjusted to the 14 hour time difference.

I will be in Asia for 12 days, 3 in Seoul, 3 in Singapore, 3 in Vietnam and 3 in China. I have never been to the 4 cities I am going to, so should be a great trip...if not for the timing. Hard to believe that someone I squeezed in a 2 week trip between Thanksgiving and Christmas, not standard timing, but the calendars were pretty clear as you would expect.

You all know me, I am pretty good on the holiday planning. Only major shift is I decided to have our "annual holiday brunch" after the New Year. I only have one weekend to host my team for a dinner and do the brunch, and it is the one after I arrive back from this trip...so just too much. My great husband said 'just postpone it' vs. me staying up to midnight the night before my flight to get the invite out to everyone. He was right...no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

The kids are not happy, wish I was there, as do I. Good news is my parents arrive on Friday, coming up from Florida to help. Claire has her first Reconciliation (Catholic sacrament) while I am gone so they will help with that and overall. Good news for me is they will still be there when I get back and be able to help me cook my dinner...maybe I should have had that brunch after all. My dad is actually in the hospital right now, but they say he will be out soon and able to travel. Had an odd bite looking thing on his forearm and went to an urgent care. Two days later he is being admitted with a big infection, ends up it is Staph MASR, probably got it in the clinic when they opened it up to drain it...hear these nightmare stories all the time, now he will live with it for the rest of his life.

I already spoke to the kids twice since leaving, and set up my Skype account when I arrived to be able to "see" them as well. Hopefully it will make the time fly. I actually find Asia time difference easy to manage as my night is there morning and vice versa, so with school, etc it is very manageable. I just need them to get home today before I leave for my day, cross your fingers. Since I am ready so early I am going to watch Tiger and see if he can pull out a win. Korea like Japan is GOLF OBSESSED (and US football too) so you get a lot of sports on TV...just in Korea, mute button here I come.