Leaving Los Angeles

I feel like I've started the majority of my posts about LA by saying it's been a long day. Well, I'm saying it again. It's been a long day.

Please, do not take that as me saying these long days have not been great. I'm grateful that the days have been long. Jen and I were able to pack into the last four days about two weeks worth of decent vacation goodness.

First, let me recap last night. We did, indeed, go play miniature golf out in Sherman Oaks. It's the first time either of us had played in quite some time. We chose the most challenging of the three courses that this place offered. And, luckily, I'm not very competitive, otherwise, it would be difficult for me to admit that Jen beat me. By one stroke.

After hitting the links, we drove into the Hollywood hills where I was shown a great view of LA at night. Sadly, I saw no coyotes. I was all prepared too. I brought my ACME paint so I could paint a tunnel onto the side of one of the hills, then trick the coyote into going into it. But it was all for nothing.

This morning we got up and left the apartment at 6am. My flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 9:30, but I had to get checked in and Jen had to get back with enough time to get ready for work. So she slowed down when we got to the terminal and I jumped for it. Then she peeled out. I don't think she could've gotten rid of me any sooner if she'd tried.

I kid. While we were quick about saying good-bye ('cause she really needed to beat traffic on the freeway), she actually did stop the car. We hugged, we cried... I hate good-byes... 'scuse me... I've gotta check something out over here... something in my eye...

I'm okay now... I got checked in at the airport and found out that I could upgrade to a first class seat on my second flight (Chicago to Raleigh). And I could do so for only $90.00 more. Since I didn't spend as much in LA as I had budgeted for myself, I thought, why not? LAX to O'Hare was a pretty decent flight. The in-flight entertainment was Horton Hears a Who, which actually turned out to be a very good movie. I think what adds a lot to it is where everyone joins in on a chorus of REO Speedwagon's I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore. Classic.

O'Hare to RDU was a different story altogether. What should have only taken an hour and a half turned into three and a half hours. Good thing I had paid the extra money for the extra leg room. That could have been an even more uncomfortable flight. See, we got to about Roanoke and started doing circles in mid-air. Eventually the captain informed us that Raleigh was dealing with some storms that weren't really moving away. So the holding pattern lasted for about half an hour, until we were just about out of fuel. We were then redirected to Norfolk, where we were to refuel and wait out the storms. I should have disembarked the plane by 7:20pm. I didn't get off the plane 'til well after 9.

Nothing like a little adventure. I was getting a little tired of hearing the guy next to me in first class though. At first he would just huff and throw his hands in the air. But eventually he started cussing and insulting the pilot when we weren't able to land. Me, I wasn't worried. What's the point in worrying about something you have absolutely no control over? It's not the pilot's fault that there are thunderstorms and air traffic control is stopping planes from coming into Raleigh for a little while. Suck it up dude. You're in your 50s. Grow up!

Once again I'd like to thank Jen for a great weekend. Best. Vacation. Ever. That might be a slight exaggeration. But it was the best vacation I've had in a long time. And thanks again to Kevin for the drop-off and pick-up at the airport. Tomorrow, if I survive the readjustment to Eastern Daylight Time and a full day of work, I'll post pictures from the weekend. And, really, I hope to figure out how to edit the video that we shot, 'cause I think some of it actually turned out okay. When that day comes, it'll make an appearance right here.