Thursday, August 14, 2008

15 minutes at the internet cafe for 15 dollars

I left our hotel room stumbling around in the dark to find something to wear. I threw Fifi in the stroller and stuffed a twenty dollar bill and the hotel key into my cami, because the darkness wasn't kind to me and I couldn't find appropriate undergraments.

I weaved through Poland's finest youth early Friday morning. And even in their state, they saw the upkept American mother in sweats and flipflops pushing a baby down the cobblestone streets in the wee hour.

I found a 24 hour "Kantor" to exchange my money and a bar to purchase some juice and a Diet Coke. I washed out the old milk from her bottle in the bar's bathroom surrounded by posh Polish women in stilettos dancing to the beat of the downstair's disco. I zipped up my hoddie to hide the fact that I was pretty exposed underneath and brushed back my greasy hair.

I have spent the last hour strollling through the historic streets of Warsaw at 3am, with a wide awake toddler sipping orange juice from a bottle. I am thankful for the youth of Poland for providing me with enough eye candy tonigh tmasking my extreme exhaustion.

Apparently, Fifi does not adapt well to time changes.

And apprarently. from the smell of the man sitting next to me he hasn't showered in some time. Or. It could be me.

Apparently, my 15 minutes of internet cafe time are up.

Apparently on our next over sea adventure I might consider drugging my children with benadyrl. Or find an internet cafe with spell check and hugh speed internet.

54classy comments:

Kate said...

Little Fifi will enjoy reading about her adventure one day!!! Here's hoping for time change adjustment and clean smelling people!!!

Kate (who did resort to a small dose of benedryl,(on recommendation from our pediatrician) for Lia on our plane ride home from China...if only we had known that it would make her higher than a kite....good times....good times...)

AutoSysGene said...

Sounds like your having fun! Tell Fifi she needs her beauty sleep and to give her mama a break!

Rachel said...

Fifi will love this one day, as will you :-)
A well spent $15.
Miss you punkin'

Kat said...

Well, you may be exhausted but you certainly used Fifi's time change confusion to your advantage. You would never have had this experience at 3 AM otherwise. And we would not have had a hugely fun post to read. ;)
Hope you catch a few winks before your next adventure!

A Crafty Mom said...

Oh no - the time change saga!!! It's the worst part, but she should be better in another day or two. Hang in there - sounds like it's going well (excluding nasty-smelling guy from the cafe!).

Anonymous said...

I guess she is just a party girl!

And I would highly recommend Benadryl. It works like a charm on my little angels :)

Rachel said...

Why sleep when you can hang out with the party crowd? Smart girl. ;)

Tena said...

Glad you have arrived safetly!
I am with little Fifi, I do not adjust well either!

Mandy said...

How awesome that you are able to be so far away and still very much in touch!!! :)

Have lots of fun!!!

3 Peanuts said...

Awww.. I could picture it all. Hope Fi is adjusting now and I look forward to hearing more about your adventure:)

Eve Grey said...

OH Mommy, send your husband out with Fifi next time!

Jill said...

Benadryl and Dramamine are my best friends when traveling... hope you adjust well to the time change soon!

enthalpymama said...

Enjoy, I know you will! Glad you could drop a line.

Heather said...

Glad to hear from you! Maybe it was a conspiracy on Fifi's part. Maybe some of your dear readers promised her toys and candy if she made you update from Poland at 3 AM. You never know, she's one smart cookie...LOL!

April said...

It's so great to see a post from you!

No worries about spell-check, hun. It makes the moment all the more real.

I hope you get to take a nap later!

Mozi Esme said...

Sounds like fun! I love traveling with a baby across the world . . .

Not really. And I didn't resort to benedryl either.

Victoria said...

I hope Fifi settled down for you. It sounds like you are having quite an adventure. Some day you will laugh :)

Rhea said...

Oh, dear. lol Greasy hair, Polish nightlife and a toddler. These things do not mix.

Rhea said...

I'm glad you spent your $15 to check in and say hi! It was great to hear from you and hilarious as well.

Chelsea said...

Great to hear from you. And those keyboards! A little different. . . You are forgiven for any typos.

All I wanted to do was sleep when I got there.

I have such a travel fever these days.

JCK said...

Oh, it sounds like you are having a fabulous time! Keep it up! Especially hanging out in discos!

Gretchen said...

Okay, maybe you are thinking that VACATION means RELAXATION. No no no. Now that you have kids, VACATION means CHAOTIC HELL. and if you want RELAXATION you must go to SPA. or at least get a BABYSITTER. These are very important words to learn. Okay class dismissed.

Miss said...

Dood you made it. Nice.

So would you rather have an encounter with the smelly man? Or the mean ole blue hairs?

Miss you already!

Anonymous said...

I hope Fifi will adjust before you have to leave. What an adventure you are having.

I have resorted to benedryl upon the right recommendation for dosing from our pediatrician. My baby will not sleep any where but her crib and when we stayed with my grandmother for Christmas she was screaming at 12 AM and we had to be up early to go to go see other family so a little benedryl helped her to sleep. She also has allergies so I did not feel so bad. She does have to take this every now and again for those.

Good luck! I cannot wait to read your next post.

MY wish for you is to have a great time, clean smelling people, cheaper internet cafe's and fifi to sleep.

Anonymous said...

Oh God I can NEVER adjust to time changes on trips...at least not for a few days. I hope Fifi manages to soon!!

Unknown said...

Why zip up? It's not like you're going to run into anybody you KNOW. Live a little. Have a little FUN. Be uproariously sexy. Although that may be a little difficult in sweats and greasy hair. Hmmm. maybe next time.

Michelle Kemper Brownlow said...

You are so brave!
I would be scared out of my wits to walk around at 3am in a strange city!
YOU GO GIRL!

GypsiAdventure said...

Oh my, sounds like the adventures have begun. :) Glad everyone arrived safe - hopefully Fifi will adjust soon and you will all enjoy the rest of the vacation!
~K

Anonymous said...

how funny! When we came home from Greece, I dosed benedryl and half a dose to myself so I would know when to dim the shades and turn the TV's off. 30 minutes later I am in a coma induced by allergy medicine. I would go for Dramamine.

Mama Smurf said...

Aw! Hope you get some sleep! Enjoy the rest of your trip.

Happy Days said...

Sounds like fun!!! Traveling with todlers is so tough because of the whole sleep thing. Enjoy!

Courtney said...

This made me laugh and you are across the globe. Glad you spent $15 to check in with your readers. Tell Fifi to adjust for you!

Lisa said...

So, so glad you arrived safely....was thinking of you & wondering how the trip went.

Enjoy it all, my dear!

Lindsay said...

Kids have a funny way of getting you out to see the world at wee hours of the morning. Sometimes when I get done with work at midnight and I see all the YOUNG folk out knowing full well they'll be up until at least 2am, I feel really, really old. Hang in there - at least you got to experience a piece of your vacation you probably would have never been able to (nor wanted to for that matter) without the help of Fifi. :-)

Lindsay said...

Kids have a funny way of getting you out to see the world at wee hours of the morning. Sometimes when I get done with work at midnight and I see all the YOUNG folk out knowing full well they'll be up until at least 2am, I feel really, really old. Hang in there - at least you got to experience a piece of your vacation you probably would have never been able to (nor wanted to for that matter) without the help of Fifi. :-)

krissy said...

Oh man...the time change stinks with kids. Benedryl works well for wide awake toddlers.

Sounds like you are still enjoying your time even though you are exhausted.

Crystal D said...

Yikes, I never thought the kidos might not adjust well. How was the plane ride? I bet that was an adventure all to itself.
Anyway, have a great time!!

Ellyn said...

Sounds like much fun. Hope the rest of your trip goes better.
Word to the wise, benedryl makes our son mean and cranky and not at all sleepy. Good luck. Hope it goes better for you.

Jolyn said...

I am uber impressed that you think to blog in these conditions.

Pleasepleaseplease check out MELATONIN. It is the jet-lag wonder cure, and all-natural. You can get it at every grocery store or wal-mart...in Poland? dunno. I crush it up in my kids' juice, for the non-pill swallowers. Up to 3 mg for kids, 3-6 mg. for adults. I swear by it, pinky promise.

Flea said...

Poor little Fifi! It would never have occurred to me, the time change. Keeping her on her regular schedule is probably a good thing for you when you return, though.

Have fun!

Amy said...

Benadryl is the bomb!
Sorry you've having a rough night, but what an experience right?

mamatulip said...

Think of it this way - you saw Warsaw in a way you might not have if you didn't have kids. ;)

Nan Patience said...

Whoppee! Hey everyone, we're in Poland! Great post, hope you can buy lots of internet tokens.

Marcy Massura said...

glad you made it safe and sound

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

UGH!! Hope she gets on track soon. Have a good trip, even at 3 am!

Anglophile Football Fanatic said...

I hope she adapts before you are heading home, because if she waits until right before you come back it's going to be hell.

Enjoy Poland!

Helen Wright said...

Benedryl or Gravol...never leave home without it!

Rach (Mommy Learns to Blog) said...

Yay for a safe arrival, boo for sleep upset! The adventures have begun already! I can't wait to hear more . . .

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

It'll be something to laugh about....later.

CC said...

You are my kind of lady. Diet Coke at 3am. Woo hoo!

Marmarbug said...

Oh god!!! You poor thing! I hope things will improve on the sleep front!!!!!

Wendi said...

Strolling a baby on the streets at 3am?
Washing baby bottles in the bar's bathroom?
This does not sound good.
You. need. sleep.
And some high speed internet.
Here is hoping for both!

Jaina said...

Oh dear, I hope she adjusts soon so you get some rest too!

tiarastantrums said...

no - don't drug them! it all works out in the end!!

 

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