Deja Vu

Deja Vu #1 With the arrival of summer vacation this week, I have the sense that we're living the movie Groundhog Day. We keep having the same seasons over and over again: summer - fall - summer- fall - now summer again to be followed by yet another fall. Winter 09 is going to be a shock (a welcome one, I think) to our systems.

This 3rd summer vacation is sort of anti-climactic, really. I mean, the arrival of summer vacation is usually accompanied by a delicious feeling of indulgence as new freedoms and fun are embarked upon after months of hard work. However . . um. . . we haven't exactly been engaged in months of hard work recently. In fact, we've been engaged in some pretty fun adventures the last few months. More relaxation and fun just doesn't seem to be what we need right now. (note: David probably has a different take on this as he hit the ground running upon our return.) So, maybe it is alright that part of the cost of our sabbatical is that the kids are going to be spending some time this summer playing catch up; the girls are behind in math and all 3 kids are rusty with their musical instruments. Ian has even started private clarinet lessons in an effort to catch up with the other freshman band members for next fall.

DejaVu #2 Within a day or two of arriving home, we observed a wasp setting up a lovely little nest - right inside our mailbox. I don't know what it is about our mailboxes and creepy crawlies. We had a huntsman spider take up temporary residence in our Australian mailbox. Hmmmm..... I wonder which is more dangerous?

Deja Vu #3 Last February, David flew back to the USA for his work. On the long return flight from California to Australia, he told me how he was seated next to a morbidly obese man. This man was not just overweight or obese; he was of a size that we rarely see. It was an interesting situation for David; the guy was very nice and friendly. David chatted with him a bit. But the man just didn't fit in his airplane seat very well; his body was so large it came bulging under and over the arm rest, and there was no room for him to lower his tray table. He perched his meal trays on his belly.

As we boarded our long flight from Japan to Minneapolis, it was therefore with some interest that we spotted an incredibly obese man seated on THIS plane. We casually started checking row numbers, feeling pretty confident that he wouldn't be seated near us. What were the chances? Pretty quickly, our casual checks became wrought with a little anxiety as it became increasingly clear that yes, this man was seated in our row. . .seated right next to David, in fact. David was absolutely incredulous. What were the chances!! I managed not to laugh outloud and even volunteered to switch places with him, but he refused as he had a plan. Again, the man was very friendly and nice, but he just didn't fit in his seat. He bulged around the arm rest into David's seat and kept his arms crossed on his girth in an effort to fit in his space. Once we were allowed to walk around the cabin, David wasted no time finding a flight attendant and asking to be reseated, knowing from experience that it is basically impossible to sleep seated next to such a large person. Once asleep, their arms tend to slip off their bellies and into the laps of those on either side. The flight was pretty full, so when David was reseated, I stayed in my own seat which was 2 seats down from this over-sized gentleman. I was able to observe how he really did need 2 seats; David's move served not just his own comfort but that of this man's as well. There was maybe an inch or two between the man's body and the seat in front of him, so it was clear he could not use his own tray table for his meals. Indeed, he used David's. With David gone, he put the arm rest up and slept/sat with his shoulder and arm in David's seat; they extended about halfway across. I don't know what to think of this, but he didn't go to the restroom once during the 11+ hour flight (David thinks he wouldn't have fit in the bathroom) and had to be taken off the airplane in a wheelchair.

"What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there's nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9