My Soil

Dallas -- It is COLD in Dallas. I'm sure it's colder in stl, but dear goodness... isn't Texas supposed to be at least warm? But Dallas has heat, so that makes up for it.

I continue the sleep deprivation today. While yesterday I did sleep for an hour on one of the buses, at 1am this morning I was still wide eyed and thinking about how much I needed to get some sleep before 4:30 rolled around. It did, and it seemed really unfair and loud the alarm.God knows me, and I'm so glad that at no point yesterday did I have people to have to sit right next to. Let's pray that it continues to be that way for the next 21 hours of flying time.

However, there was a guy a seat away from me on the flight to Dallas last night who spoke really good Spanish and I wouldn't have expected it of him. He looks like the kind of guy who would have the horrendous pronunciation and thick accent. But he grew up in Argentina and now works for Radio Shack and spends a week in DF (Mexico City) and a week in Fort Worth, where he lives. But he was a nice guy and complimented my Spanish and also said I don't have an American accent. I said my kids still make fun of me when I mix up my Spanish.

Which is what I did last night. You know, I KNOW I'm in the States, but it still confounds me every time I arrive back. Why does no one speak Spanish? (Don't answer that one)... Dear goodness, the people in general are tall and large... What do you MEAN we don't have room for one more in the hotel shuttle??? WHERE THE HECK ARE WE????

And then I realize, oh, you can't pile people on top of another here. Oh, there are rules for the road and people freak out when the driver is the slightest bit spastic in his driving.

This is my world people!

And by the way, it's not fair to put a trash can right next to the toilet... Actually though, it's worse if there is no trash can because that's just like playing mental games with me. Eventually (this morning) I remember that you can flush the tp here... although it kinda feels like sin.

Last night, I became "friends" with the hotel shuttle guy who was from Somalia. I kept speaking Spanish to him (and to everyone else... couldn't control it)... and I don't know exactly what he was thinking, but I suddenly became his "sweetheart". He was altogether a nice guy though...

I got to the hotel and took a blessed shower. Water pressure... this is another thing that never ceases to amaze me. What, I can finish a shower in 2 minutes? I got in and decided, oohhhh... I need to do this again in the morning. I don't want to leave!! And then later that night, the covers did not weigh 10 pounds to keep me warm, but were all light and airy and the bed was soft. You may think I'm exaggerating, but these differences you note.

One other cool point... I happened to slam my foot in door last night and lost the shoe, which Mr. Somalia picked up for me... but my arch throbbed all last night. At one point I was laying in bed feeling the painful throbbing and I began to pray, Dear Lord, if You could please heal my foot... and AS I WAS PRAYING IT, the pain, right in the middle of a throb, went away. My eyes opened wide in the darkness and I was like, WOW. THAT was cool. Thank You, Lord. And it feels great this morning!Well, I'm going to go check out and see what they have for the continental breakfast and catch the shuttle back to the airport. And at some point this morning, get a coffee from Starbucks... it's been too long, precious one.