Where have I been?

We´ll I am finally in Germany!  To give you a rundown on how the trip and what has been going on since I´ve gotten here:

I flew out of LAX on Thursday, July 17th.  My flight left at 5:45 Pm but arrived in plenty of time to check my two LARGE suitcases (each weighing about 70 lbs) and hang out in the International First Class lounge in right beside gate 73 in the United terminal  - I have never been inside this particular lounge before and let me tell you, it is a lot nicer than the Red Carpet Club.  By the way, if you have noticed that I am writing to you without using apostrophes, there is a very good reason, I am using a German keyboard and some of the keystrokes are different.  The letters Y and Z are placed differently on it, and the apostrophe symbol `is on the top left hand corner of the keyboard.  It is taking some getting used to so for now instead of me backspacing every couple of times while I am typing, I will write a little more formal.  Back to the story - - 

I am the only person in the lounge and immediately notice that they have FOOD here, unlike the Red CArpet Club which only serves coffee, soft drinks water and the occasional shortbread and bananas.  This lounge has sandwiches, free booze, and all kinds of other treats to gorge on.  I pour myself a glass of champagne and find a comfortable seat and wait for the next 2 hours before I board my flight.  After about 30 minutes a few people walk in, but my eyes perk up when I see the actor Eddie Cibrian walk in. Very Handsome.  He is currently on Ugly Betty as Betty´s sister Hilda´s love interest.  He sits across the room from me and I just stare at him for the next hour. 

I later board my flight (seat 3J) in the first class section of the plane and you know what?  It is not all that it is cracked up to be.  The service is not different from Business Class, the food is a little different.  I had the duck (it was ok).  I just proceeded to drink (1 bloody mary, 1 glass of white wine, 2 glasses of champagne) had ice cream for desssert and passed out.  I did not even need my Ambien.  Put on my eye mask, set up my seat into a bed and promptly fell asleep and woke up 9.5 hours later over England to get ready for breakfast.

I, of course change into a different outfit when I woke up. I cannot very well let B see me in wrinkled clothes when I get to Germany.  Breakfast was rather ordinary too (a fruit plate).  Now I was told that if one rides in first class, one gets caviar, nicer meals a set of sleeping pajamas and the ike, but as i mentioned before, it was no different than flying Business Class.  Maybe because it´s United.  They need to revamp First Class.  I will write them a letter.

We land in Frankfurt at 1:30 PM Friday.  I proceed through passport control, where a rather stern German police officer asks me how long my visit is and debate telling him that I plan on living here.  I figured if I told him the truth, I would end up in a little room with no window being asked questions about my political leaning - it doesnt help that my passport picture makes me look Libyan.  I tell him I am staying for a month.  I then proceed to the Lufthansa check in counter and get my boarding pass for my 30 minute flight to Düsseldorf.

For those of you who have been through the Frankfurt airport, you will appreciate what I will write about next:  I then walk for 10 minutes from security to my gate (number 41), by the time i see my gate, I have broken a sweat and done my cardio for the day.  I search for the Lufthansa Senator's Lounge (their version of the Red Carpet Club), where thankfully it´s only 3 gates away from mine and walk in and immediately pour myself A VERY LARGE stein of beer.  I wait another 2 hours before my next flight.  For those of you who have never been in their lounge, it´s fantastic!  They have tons of food and all their beer is on tap or one can just grab a nice glass of wine.  I do not drink a lot as I dont want to be a fall out drunk when I see B.

I board my flight for Düsseldorf  at 3:30 PM and it is only 30 minutes long but those German flight attendants are quick and efficient.  In business class we get served a sandwich, a drink, a choice of magazines to read, and ice cream and all with a smile and they are cute - both the men and women, unlike the old crones who work at United, by the way, my flight attendant on the United flight had just had her lips filled with collagen, the only reason I know this is because she was discussing plastic surgery secrets with the other attendants...

My flight into Dusseldorf arrives at 4:15 PM.  I pick up my suitcases at the carousel and just walk through the door.  B is waiting there for me.  We look at each other and both start to laugh...

I will write more tomorrow, on what B and I have been doing since Friday afternoon when I arrived (not about that!!!)

I read last night in the New York Times that Estelle Getty passed away.  She played Sophia on the Golden Girls.  My friends know how much I loved that show and how I adored Sophia. I always had a warm spot in my heart for her one liners and zingers.  Estelle, wherever you are, you will be missed and thank you for being a friend.