Partner Let Me Upgrade U

I am beginning six days in Milan and Florence with my parents, and the trip is off to a great start. As DB* and I headed to our gate on Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta, he convinced me to try to cut the line with him and board the plane first (he always gets to board first because he gets to fly business class...no wonder he enjoys traveling). I reluctantly agreed, cringing to think of how I would feel if I were waiting in the long coach line with no DB to rescue me, and when the gate attendant told us that we both needed our passports inspected further before boarding I was positive my penance was due. Our passports were thoroughly inspected by a tall woman with taller hair who realized that our last names were the same and asked if we were related and traveling together. I stood and stuttered, honestly a bit stunned that she could read (really, her hair was everywhere), while DB responded that we were. Hair immediately upgraded me so I could sit beside my traveling companion/relation in first class.

As Beyonce asks, "What's higher than number one?"

Well, for a start, I would say two, but to apply what I believe she really means in "Upgrade U" (an extremely classy song with deep and soulful lyrics) is that being upgraded to number one (or, in my case, number first class) is the bee's knees**. And, I have to admit, BK is correct: in first class I was served pinot grigio and shrimp cocktail and salmon and even an ice cream sundae before I extended a chair that could fit at least two LCBs to the "sleep" position (really, they have one of those). It was glorious, except for the fact that this one flight attendant (a brunette, and we all know that the good flight attendants are blondes) kept touching my shoulder and pointing out the window to say, "Look how beautiful the sunset/alps/clouds/crop circles/black night sky is!"

Partner, let me tell you that had I not been upgraded to first class on a flight to Milan, that particular flight attendant would have been experiencing the sunset/alps/clouds/crop circles/black night sky from the plane's wing where she could not continue to wake me up.

Anyway, DB and I had very little trouble finding the Malpensa Express (though there was a moment, of which DB is still relentlessly reminding me, during which I stood for about ten seconds at an empty bus ticket stand trying to buy due biglietti a Milano via treni) and even walked to our hotel without any substantial*** losses or wrong turns. We have sworn off napping but did deign to shower and are now heading out to explore the Duomo, Da Vinci's "Il Cenacolo"****, and Castello Sforzeco.

Start getting excited for what will certainly prove to be my most witty and adventurous blog of all - because the trip is with my parents.

Ciao for now -



*You know I love using initials
**Apparently derived from the phrase, "the be all and end all". Don't act like you haven't wondered.
***We did lose a $2 bottle of water that fell out of DBs bag somewhere along the line, but as Billy Joel reminds us, things like that will occur - "you know it's only just a matter of time".
****Okay, it's the Last Supper, but I wanted to seem cool and Italian.