Trying out First Class

I got off to a rather rocky start this morning at 2:30 a.m., as did Fritz, who spent the night (all 4 hours of it) sleeping on my suitcase.

I wasn't really feeling my best because of my Avonex injection yesterday evening, a day early so that I wouldn't have to fly with medication in my carry-on. Fortunately, check-in was very easy at the well-organized Humphrey terminal. On a whim (mine) we decided to pay the premium $ for an upgrade to first class, such a pleasant experience that I will feel cheated the next time I fly in coach with my former peers.

Beverage service started the minute we sat down. Many of our fellow elite passengers started right in on the bloody marys and screwdrivers. The guy behind me ordered a Baileys and orange juice,a combination questioned by the flight attendant who was relieved to be told that the passenger wanted them separately, not mixed.

The flight -- nearly 5 hours -- passed very quickly with the diversion of a full breakfast, several orange juice refills and, at the end of the trip a Bacardi & diet coke for me, scotch and soda for Bob.

The temperature was almost 80 when we got off the plane, the only arrival we could see this morning. We moved quickly through customs and immigration and boarded the bus to our hotel. It was a jolt to move so quickly from the royal treatment to the old bus, where beverages were sold from a cooler at the front of the bus. $2 to serve yourself, which we did not.