We are sitting in the brand new United Lounge at SFO. It is honestly amazing. Lovely comfortable modern furniture in neutral colors. Plug-ins at each and every location. WiFi available without a lot of login fuss. The food has markedly improved (hot, cold, sushi, seaweed salad and pickled ginger!).

Which translates to individual work stations, two locations of single person gender neutral accessible bathrooms (~9 in each) a meeting area with views of the airTrain and a comfortable two person seating area with lots of power points

We are on TK80 from SFO to IST (Istanbul for all those normal people who don’t carry a plethora of airport codes in their heads). It is a 13 hour flight plus we have at least 9 hours of time change. End result is that we leave at 1815 today and arrive at 1715 on the 1st. Right. After hanging out in the Turkish Airlines lounge (think olives, wonderful olives) till 0140 (which is now the 2nd of June) we board TK160 for Antananarivo after another 12-13 hours.

(Flight update, the plane is somewhere. Departure delayed now to 2015)

The kids are around so the house is not empty or an invitation to thieves. I packed last night, then had to redo a few things this morning (craft supplies, camera batteries, cables, new insoles for my shoes and sunblock). Last but not least, I could NOT find the passport photos I printed yesterday after searching just about everyplace I could think of. Gave up, went to the UPS/DHL place and in 10 minutes had new ones. It is not that I need another passport, but Madagascar requires a Visa on entry. Payable in crisp cash, exact amount recommended. Which seems to be more than is what on the website so who knows what it will be at the time.

Meanwhile, I finally have solved the USB-C that Apple thought was brilliant to install on their new laptops (in lieu of a normal USB 2/3). One of the stands in the airport had them. Oh – did I mention that I went to Apple this morning and the dude sold me the wrong thing?

Final comment – Daughter #2 variously referred to over the years as Ms Soprano or Daughter #2 took and passed her drivers permit exam this afternoon. So I might actually wind up with 2/4 able to legally drive a car.

I have set up some prescheduled posts for the next couple of weeks so that you will know “where in the world is …..” My plan, should I be able to get on line will be to update and post photos. I suggest you check the blog since there is no guarantee that I will be able to email photos on a daily basis.