Monday, 6 June

I had GBS take me to Heathrow instead of flying out of Manchester. This way I got on one flight in England and didn't get off until Los Angeles. They set it up for a 4:00 AM pickup, and when I called on Sunday to confirm, I said, "Tell the guy he can show up early if he wants to." The owner laughed at me and, as it turned out, didn't pass the message on. It took us FIVE hours to get there instead of four because the traffic was so heavy. I was beginning to get nervous, but I was at the check-in counter exactly the required two hours before flight time. The driver said he wouldn't have minded leaving at 3:00, and that's when I told him that I'd suggested that and been laughed at. The guy who now owns GBS Cars also owned Sherwood for many years, and Sherwood is the group who would have stood me up at Leeds-Bradford because no one bothered to turn on the computer when the boss took a day off. Luckily, the flight in to LHR was late, and I missed the LBA flight and called them to tell them that, and that was the first they knew that they had ANY pickups that day, and turned the computer on. Looks like nothing has changed. Next time I'll drive my own car to Manchester and stay overnight at one of the hotels that offers free parking for two weeks.

Speaking of Leeds-Bradford, it turns out we can't get ANY flights to London from Leeds. Even the Gatwick flights have been discontinued because the airport fees are so high. However... if you want to go to Islamabad, there are two flights a week. Go fig. (The driver said that it was hell at LBA on those days, because for every one that left, six would accompany him to wave him goodbye, and six would show up to welcome one coming in.)

I always book a wheelchair because I can't walk the long distances to the gates nowadays. The problem is that I can't just book one for that part of the trip; I have to book one from curb to plane. It's sort of embarrassing. Today the group at Heathrow took me to the gate in a Lexan golf cart. I think it may have been bulletproof. It was still quite a ways, despite all the improvements. The buggy driver told me that it's at least a 15-minute walk to the gate from the central shopping area. It would take me twice that, and I'd be dripping with sweat at the end of it. So I'll continue with the wheelchairs.

The flight was okay; American Airlines with a Boeing 777. Badly laid out, as you have to jog to the center to get through the doorway into economy from Business Class, and the overheads in the center can't be reached by people in the aisle seats. I think this is one of the old style, where Boeing changed their mind halfway through the process and went from a 3-3-3 layout in economy to a 2-5-2 layout. That's why all the doors are offset.

The flight was uneventful except for some interesting turbulence coming in to LA. Made it feel like a roller coaster and got some wonderful reactions out of the kids on board. They were terrified and loving it.

I bit the bullet and watched "Rango", which was good (ANYTHING with Johnny Depp is going to be a treat) but they could have done a few more jokes. And, speaking of Johnny, the other movie I watched was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," the Tim Burton one with Depp in it. I don't normally watch movies but Jim always tells me to see them, so I did, and they helped kill the time. I also saw an episode of "CSI: Miami" which was kind of a bust because I haven't seen it in a few years and it was part 2 of a 2-parter. I noticed that American also had episode two of "Downton's Abbey"... what good will episode 2 do without episode 1?

This is the first time I've come to Los Angeles and not felt I was home. There is always the discouraging sight of concrete and industrial units on approach, but this time I kept thinking, "There's so many people!" Too much culture shock. Too many odd shops and vehicles I don't recognize. The weather, oddly, was spectacular: blue skies, little fluffy clouds, and 66 degrees F. So it's sort of weird to not feel "at home."

American TV sucks. Mindless crap from one end to the other. I may not bother buying a set when I get back permanently. The only thing I saw that may have been worth watching was an episode of "The Closer", but there's something about Kyra Sedgwick that I don't like.

I have a Nissan Altima hybrid. I like it. It's stark white, which I dislike, but the seat is comfy and it accellerates like a jack rabbit. When the gas engine cuts in, the car gives a ladylike little shudder, and you can hear the bass note of the exhaust, but there's no kick like there was on the Prius I drove some years ago. My problem, which I had with the previous Altima, is that the brakes are touchy. I almost put it on its nose at the Hertz gate.

I'm at my favorite LA motel, the Best Western Gateway in Santa Monica. My appointment tomorrow is for 1:30 but the first one on Wednesday is at 8:00 AM, and I decided that rather than schlep my stuff all the way across LA and all the way back to stay in a motel for one night, I'd just come straight here for both nights. So far I only have two days' of doctors appointments, but I think the cardiologist will have something to say because I went back into atrial fibrillation on Friday morning. I get so tired of this stuff.

Wow, I just told the MacBook to set the date and time automatically, and it determined I'm in Santa Monica, CA. it must have queried the ISP or something. At least now it's not telling me it's 5:00 AM on Tuesday. It certainly feels like it.

I'm going to shower and it the sack, if I can. I forgot this motel has no sound proofing and the German guys next door are having a long conversation. Sounds like it might be soccer-related.

More tomorrow.