Back in the USA

We arrived at the airport plenty early in Athens and it was a good thing. Mia discovered she had left her ipod at the house and insisted she could not go on a long plane tip without it. Her father went back for it while we wended our way through getting boarding passes, checking luggage and sat in a coffee shop to await his return. He came back in plenty of time. The flight from Athens to Newark was two hours longer than the flight to Athens. I had forgotten that. Just as well. There was nothing to do but grin and bear it. I think I dozed an hour or so. The kids slept very little, watched movies on TV and played games.

In Newark, we had to go through customs, reclaim our luggage, present our items-to-declare lists, (I was sure they would want to check the 10 or so sandwiches that the kids were carrying, but I handed him the cards and he waved us through) then re-check our luggage, go through security again, and find our final gate. It all went off without a hitch and there was even time for Mia and Marcos to walk around and get up and down and generally be relieved from the cramped seats. I sat and did nothing but keep an eye on them and on their belongings piled on the seats next to me. On the plane from Newark to Seattle, after staying awake for some 20 hours or so, the kids finally slept and I got an hour and a half of sleep too, which helped a lot. We were all happy to see their parents at the baggage claim in Seattle.

That was Monday. Today is Wednesday. I slept much of Tuesday, but I think I am adjusting to the reversal in routine. Now I try to stay awake during hours that I slept in Greece and try to sleep during hours I was awake. Athens is ten hours ahead of Seattle, nearly half a 24 hour period. One disappointment has been the inability to get my laptop to access Internet Explorer here in Seattle, even though the laptop is accessing a strong wireless signal. Something must have gotten changed when the laptop was set for wireless in Athens and we can not figure out what. So I still can not get on the internet from my laptop. I had wanted to send some pictures, but that will have to wait.