2001-10-25 - 8:25 p.m.

Finally, I'm home. And my luggage has finally arrived, only, um, 32 hours later than I did. Grrrr. So much for delivery before 7:30. Double grrr, I've missed all of my dinner-out-with-friends options (going to Pete's for gaming with him & Dan or going up to my apprentice's for dinner with her and another girlfriend of ours). Phooey.

Anyhow, travel to California non-stop from London is a trip. Alas, I had somewhat inconsiderate flight-mates ("No, we want to keep the windowshade open so my wife can look out" - at what, at the clouds? The ocean? The brilliantly blinding sun that is wreaking havoc with everyone's little personal movie screens? - I had to watch my movie with a blanket on my head....)

Security here wasn't bad, and check-in was quick, so I farted around in the duty-free zone. Flight was otherwise okay (Blazing Saddles was one of the movies!), got some more Board stuff assembled, slept a little. Got picked up okay in SF, went back to Matt's, drank margaritas, ate BBQ, hung out with friends. Meetings all day Friday and Saturday (ugh - 9am-1am then 9am-7:30pm) including being graced with the presence of HRM Aveloc. Oh rapture.

Sushi Saturday night with Meg in leather pants, and I got her drunk by accident (it's polite to keep everyone else's sake cup refilled! Honest!)

Up way too early Sunday (4:45 am shuttle) to catch an 8:30 flight to LA. Slept in airport, slept on plane, got in okay, although luggage took for-bleedin-ever. Shuttle to Mom's. Visit with Mom & Tim. Brunch. Go to a concert of Tim's 20's-30's swing band. Excellent but something like 1.5 hours away.... Snooze. Eat Taco Bell - yum! Snooze more. Tim made steaks for dinner. Hang out, drink whisky with mom.

Retail therapy with Mom on Monday, including a new pair of shoes, some nice wool fabric, a new watchband, books for the plane home, a card for my sweetie, etc. Nice to have time visiting. Tamales for dinner and more whisky, while Tim was at band practice. Watched mindless evil Yankee baseball.

Travelling all day Tuesday. Urk. Tim drove me to a hotel where he had a meeting, so I could get a shuttle to LAX. Get there, figure out my tickets, get inspected, detected, rejected, etc. Check bags, wander airport, eat sandwich, fly eventually to SF for flight home. Find international terminal (not easy, long walk), find gate (even harder). Eat snack. More inspection & detection. Pay usurious $3.75 for a litre of water - will write complaint letter tomorrow. Finally board plane (they tell me luggage made it fine!), have icky window bulkhead seat. It may have more knee room, but it doesn't have more leg room if, as I do, you tend to extend your legs under the seat in front of you or into the aisle. Movies are screwed up. Menu is wrong. Idiots sleep with lights on. People talk too loud. Must sleep....

Arrive early, taxi for 25 minutes (and me needing the loo in the worst way), shuttle to airport, luggage missing. Bother bother bother. Make Steve wait while I confirm missing luggage. Phooey.

Finally see sweetie, get home, eat sandwich, collapse into bed. Get up at 10 for Chinese food. Sleep more. Ugh.

Sleep more today too, waiting for bag.

Ah well. Board meeting was okay, as such things go. Lots to do here now, so that will keep me busy. Need to make something with spiffy new fabric. Weekend with Queen will be nice. Roommates are gone to Ireland for weekend, what a relief.

Enough babble. Ta for now.

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