In accordance with trying new things on this vacation, I decided to show up early to gates and prepare for things that normal people would prepare for on a trip of this magnitude. I had a place to stay lined up, I had cash, I showed up at the gate three hours early, and I even purchased a fun little book called a "passport" that people said I should try out.
Before posting my journal, I have to thank Lisa Hemmat for volunteering to be my park and ride for the entire trip. I got some good wine tasting in at the Lido before heading off, and she volunteered to park the Hyundai at her house. Go eat at
her restaruant next time you are in or around Los Angeles.
Here's a long and eventful day of standing, walking, sitting, napping, and flying for ya....
Thursday
7:06 Arrive early at LAX, figured I'd get in before everyone else and hit the bar. As did all 300 other passengers already waiting in line about 100 yds back from the doors.
7:38 Get to talking rugby and soccer with a couple of blokes (I don't know if they say that in NZ yet) and apperantly I'm missing the Rugby World Cup by about two weeks. Some might be disappointed, but I think I'm grateful.
8:13 Still in line, but at least they gave us free oreos. If they really wanted to impress me, they should have had a mobile bar going down the line, or at least some milk.
9:02 Finally through check in. For some reason I think I'm forgetting something.....
9:38 Good News! A charging station for my cpu and phone. Bad News! I didn't bring my
dryer or hottub with me....
9:44 Apperantly if you are a male under the age of 25 going to Australia, it is a requirement that you wear one of
these.
9:58 Two voicemails since I thurned off my phone from people I told I was turning off my phone too. Neither of them was my mother. Suprised, yet proud.
10:03 There's the sideways 25 story building with wings I'll be using to hurtle my fat ass across the largest body of water in the known universe for 14 hours. Comforting.
10:06 It just occured to me that there are no showers on planes. Maybe the double enchilada platter lunch special wasn't such a great idea.
10:22 God bless
this man and whoever he hired to be in charge of hiring
these people....just, wow.
10:55 If I flush the toilet directly above the equator, which way does the water swirl? You know I'm going to find out.
11:04 Aisle seat, sharing a row with two friendly Aussie girls. About to take off, the physics of the amount of energy and force and lift it actually takes to get this thing off the ground are beginning to drink please....
11:06 I'm sorry, but don't look at me shamefully when YOU are the guy on the airplane wearing a turban. I'm not TSA, I don't suspect babies or grandmas.
11:27 Yep, they have Midnight Oil's entire CD library available for listening. Does that qualify as racist?
6:00am Three movies, two family guys, two decent meals, seven hours of plane sleep*, and we're finally about to land.
(Plane Sleep: Whenever I start to fall asleep on a plane, I can tell the exact moment that unconsciousness begins. It's the moment when my brain no longer picks up sound, thereby signaling to my body that the engines are no longer running, causing it to do the only natural thing that will obviously save me from such a catastrophe, that of course being a full-body-freak-out-jolt type thing. Now imagine that happening every eight minutes or so. I'm sure my rowmates were pleased.)
6:13 I really can't wait to a toilet flush down here.
6:19 Just realiSed there will never be an answer to the question "What did you do on July 29, 2011?". Probably a good thing, my palm reader said I was going to die in a plane crash that day. She also said I have abnormally soft palms for a man my age. Maybe it's time to find a girlfriend. I don't know.
6:25 Landed. Almost as good as Allegiant landings, but no need for neck braces.
7:01 Next plane not scheduled to board until 11 am. Fours hours of fun in an airport.
8:01 Fun with translations #1: A
"Venti Americano w/ NF" is now called a "
Large Long Black w/ Milk". Suddenly not so thirsty.
9:36 Power outage at the Sydney Airport. Why not.
9:41 Lady tells me this has never happened in the seven years she's worked here. Time for a drink.
10:31 Why are all these assholes walking on the wrong side of the oh my bad everyone.
10:44 Nap time. The floor next to that chair looks like a great spot.
11:13 You're right dad, there aren't any other seats to sit you and your loud idiot kid than right next to my nap zone. I'll move.
11:21 Why are all these assholes walking on the wrong side of the oh my bad everyone.
1:19 Second leg of nap now making way for second leg of travel from Sydney to Auckland, finally onboard.
2:38 It's a little weird looking out the window and thinking Antarctica might be under the clouds in the distance. I still haven't found a toilet with a proper swirly to get the full effect of the southern hemisphere either.
7pm local time
Finally landed. Got through customs without a hitch.
Taxi'd to the hotel, which is really nice, even nicer than it looked online. I feel pretty good as far as being adjusted to local time, but am still going to turn in early so I don't feel like I did pretty much the entire week of working the Adidas Super 64.
Sunday's agenda: Find a place to live.
