Random Thoughts While Sitting in Suvannaphoum Airport Waiting to Board My Flight to Korea

• Running shorts--seriously, dude?  I mean, I understand that you want to be comfortable, especially on a long flight.  But for the sake of all that is good and decent in the world, to say nothing of thinking about the kids, this probably isn't the right time and place to be cruising around in your racing trunks.
• On the flip side, to the lady in front of me at the security checkpoint who needed five minutes to remove all the jewelry and then looked shocked when you were also told you needed to remove your six-inch wedge-heeled shoes: it's an international flight, not a fashion show.  It's totally cool to dress down just a touch.
• I broke my streak of eating at the Burger King in this airport for something like 163 consecutive trips (I would get a Whopper before every flight from this airport, including in-country trips).  But the streak ended mostly because I hadn't had any Pizza Company pizza on this trip, and it's right there, next to the Burger King.  Besides, they had a sweet upgrade deal that included a monster-size Pepsi.
• Now watch, that same lady I mentioned earlier is going to be sitting next to me on the flight.  And she will be the most delightful  conversationalist.  Because karma has a wicked sense of humor like that.
• Since when did Suvannaphoum start requiring you to remove your shoes during screening?  I've never had to do that before, and we' e already established that I have transited this airport at least 163 times before today.
• Just discovered that Pizza Company's Hawaiian pizza has not just ham, but bacon as well.  I knew there was a reason it was so good!
• Fake crying by little kids trying to make their parents feel guilty in Slavic languages sounds remarkably similar to little kids fake crying trying to make their parents feel guilty in English.  And Thai, too.
• To the older gentleman sleeping sprawled across a few chairs, shirt unbuttoned all the way and wide open: are you by chance related to the dude wearing the track shorts?
• I want it on the record that I don't actually have anything against women wearing jewelry and/or high heels. Except when it disrupts my attempts to pass through airport security quickly and efficiently.
• Why do I have the sinking feeling that we won't actually board the plane directly, but rather will get on one of those people movers and drive halfway around the airport first? And this is a BIG airport.
• At what point during the flight will I regret guzzling that monster-size Pepsi?
• By the way, if you're going to load passengers on the shuttles and then drive them to the plane, there's really no point in calling for people with small children or special boarding needs to board first.
• I will refrain from commenting on the boarding process, except to tell the (literally) pushy Korean lady behind me that when I've stopped moving, it's because I can't move because there are people in front of me blocking the aisle.  Please stop pushing my backpack.  Yes, I can feel you pushing me. Just. Stop.
• Well, what do you know--we did board the plane directly.

Random Musings

Watching Brazil-Mexico play in the Under-20 World Cup semifinal match and I've got all sorts of things running through my head.  Many thanks to my good friend Lance for inspiring me to post completely non sequitur thoughts.  I make no promises that I'll reach 100 entries, but it's good to have goals.

1. Muchas gracias Galavision por la difusión de la Copa Mundial.
2. Letting my child "test" my Cherry Coke when she should be trying to go to sleep is probably counterproductive.
3. Mexico's number 10 totally left his leg down on purpose and should've been given a yellow card.
4. Why do the TVs in this hotel automatically revert to the Home Shopping channel every time they are turned off and then on again?
5. These Mexican and Brazilian footballers are fast.
6. I was faster when I was under 20, but I was never this fast.
7. Found upon delivery today that the moving company "misplaced" two of our air freight boxes.  They said the mix-up happened in Thailand.
8. I really hope they find those two boxes like they promised, because that's where our bedsheets and blankets are.
9. In the boxes they did deliver today was my scale/body-fat monitor.
10. I have mixed feelings about this particular piece of equipment.
11. The bad news--a month of living out of suitcases and eating out has taken a horrible toll.
12. The good news--I think I can only improve from my current form.
13. Said form sadly resembles a pear more and more each passing week.
14. I really, really need to start running regularly.
15. Forget the kid laying off the Cherry Coke.  I need to lay off the Cherry Coke.
16. I think I should feel guilty that I haven't read much news about Thailand since I left Bangkok a month ago.
17. My nascent guilt is assuaged by the fact that when I have looked at the news about Thailand, it has pretty much been exactly what I expected it would be.
18. Is it just me, or do Spanish football commentators speak really fast?
19. What's the deal with those ugly block numbers on the Brazilian jerseys?
20. The number 8 player looks like he's got a giant "i" on the front and back of his uniform.
21. Why does my three year-old daughter insist on sleeping just left of center on a queen-sized bed when it's just the two of us on the bed?
22. Yes, that means she's encroaching on my part of the bed.
23. I shouldn't complain too much, because I do love it when she snuggles up to me.
24. I don't like it, however, when she kicks me in the middle of the night.
25. I don't habla any Espanol, but I'm pretty sure the commentators just said that the referee for tonight's game is addressing both teams in English.
26. I'm sure that's working out swimmingly for everyone.
27. Oh, my daughter went to the bathroom--I should try and reclaim some mattress-space.
28. Please don't tell my wife, but part of me actually doesn't want to move out of this hotel until after Saturday evening.
29. Why Saturday? The U20 World Cup final is Saturday night. And we don't have a TV at our house yet.
30. Our televisions are somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, I think.
31. I really hope our household effects are over the ocean, not in it.
32. Brazil's keeper looks like he's been in a cage fight, not a soccer match.
33. Exactly what is in that magic spray that football physios use?
34. Am I being a pretentious git by continuing to refer to soccer as "football?"
35. My excuse is that's what it's called in Thai.
36. For those who have not been paying attention for the last two years, my family and I spent a little bit of time in Thailand.
37. And for the record, I spoke a little bit of Thai during those two years.
38. With the guys I played football with every week, among others.
39. I hope Mali and Anne are having fun at girl's camp.
40. I've seen their so-called "camp" and it's much more civilized than any camp I ever went to.
41. When I camp I really like to feel like I'm roughing it.
42. That said, I don't mind camps that have more modern restroom facilities and not just a hole and a plank.
43. That blocky font on the Brazilian jerseys makes the player's names look almost like they are in Thai.
44. Or maybe I'm just missing seeing/reading/speaking Thai every day.
45. Apparently the referee has finally decided to watch the same match as the rest of us.
46. Once we move back into our house, I promise to drastically reduce my intake of carbonated beverages.
47. This time I really mean it.
48. Really.
49. I like the way this announcer says the name of Brazil's number 7--Dudu.
50. Say it with me--"doo-doo."
51. Now say it like you're mimicking a kazoo and you'll get the proper effect.
52. Speaking of doo doo, there's a small train at Fairfax Corners called "The DuDu Train."
53. My son thinks the name of that train is funny.
54. I love my son's appreciation of scatological humor.
55. Being five years old has its advantages--like getting away with obscene amounts of scatological humor.
56. Fairfax Corners also has a really cool fountain that my kids like to play in.
57. That fountain is much more fun to play in when it's hot outside.
58. My kids have not told me that it's too hot outside since we left Thailand.
59. We all got a huge laugh out of the teenage girls at Fairfax Corners getting repeatedly sprayed directly on their backsides by the fountain.
60. I'm not entirely convinced that those girls didn't know exactly what they were doing.
61. After 85 minutes of Mexico looking more threatening as a team, Brazil has scored twice and the wheels appear to be coming off the Mexico bus.
62. The kid has realized she has a lot more mattress space on which to spread out.
63. I'm sure that in 15 minutes or less she'll be right up next to me again.
64. And I am totally okay with that.
65. After two completely cynical fouls (one per half) Mexico's number 10 is lucky to still be on the pitch, let alone still not in the referees little black book.
66. Not to besmirch the Mexican national teams, but it seems to me that whenever they get behind in a match, they get really chippy.
67. I love the fact that Rafael Marquez often turns into such an emotional midget when he plays against the United States and gets himself sent off.
68. The soccer match ended in time for me to see the end of a new episode of "Deadliest Warrior" on Spike TV.
69. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I've missed watching "Deadliest Warrior" and I love that they've added the guy who analyzes tactics and strategies.
70. Tonight's episode pits Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard against Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge.
71. I find this match-up more than slightly disturbing, yet engrossing.
72. Kudos to the hosts for saying that both of these men were psychologically imbalanced and their groups are not to be admired in any way.
73. Not that I'm rooting for the Khmer Rouge, but the fight is being staged in an urban environment that I feel favored Saddam's tactics and training.
74. I need to check and make sure that the US jerseys don't use the same block font as Brazil's.
75. Just checked--they don't.
76. I'm totally on board with Jurgen Klinsmann's decision on US jersey names and numbers.
77. As much as I've blogged about running, I really cannot explain in any language how much I enjoy soccer, just in case you haven't noticed.
78. I don't think I'm going to make it to 100 on this one.
79. As funny as Brendan Fraser can be, Pauly Shore is equally annoying.  Perhaps even more so.
80. ABC Family is not kidding with their tagline, "A new kind of family."
81. That line-up is nothing like my family.  Thank heaven for that.
82. I don't want to end this blog post on that note, but it's late and I'm getting tired.
83. Why was it that the entire time we were in Hawaii I had songs from "Lilo and Stitch" running through my head?
84. Okay, me and this wee one are going to tuck ourselves in an go to sleep.
85. Can anyone explain to me why the kids who rented our house put tape over the part of the tub that keeps it from overflowing?
86. Good night my friends, sleep well and keep the password a secret.