Cali Trip Tidbits, Part 3

Alright, where were we... Well I had just fallen asleep at the hotel in Cali after a VERY long day. The night went by uneventfully and I finally got myself out of bed somewhere around 8 AM and immediately hit the room service. They had a cinnamon french toast that I had to try.. I was no disappointed, it was awesome... soo cinnamony... smothered in syrup and butter. Good stuff.. The problem with room service is all the damned hidden cost. You have the delivery fee, the tip money etc.. I wound up having a nice $18 plate of french toast.. ah well.. it was somewhat worth it.

I whiled away the rest of the morning watching Cosby reruns and basically just lazing around the hotel room. This in itself was awesome to me.. I never really have the chance to just hang out alone like that. It is pretty nice from time to time.

Eventually, it is time to head up to the front for check out and the airport shuttle. After checkout I ask if the shuttle will be here for me on time, and they say yes of course.. They give the impression that the shuttle is something that comes and picks me up.. even telling me the night before that we have to fill out the book and reserve the time now otherwise they may not get here to get me.... Well I still have some time to kill, so I head into the restaurant and sit down to a nice piece of cheesecake.. this is the first thing I ate the entire time I was there that wasn't awesome.. it was just run of the mill frozen stuff you get anywhere... well I finish that up and walk outside to sit and wait for the shuttle. It is such a nice day and all.. I just lay back and relax.. at about 12:15.. 15 minutes late... the guy from the front desk comes strolling out.. "here for the shuttle??" "uh... yes.." I say.. confused because I just asked about it 20 minutes ago.. well he says, "ok, I'll pull the van around for you..." huh.. so why did they make such a big deal out of this.. it seems as if I could have just walked up to the desk anytime and said.. hey I need to get to the airport in 20 minutes... really weird...

In the car on the way to the airport I may have inadvertently talked the guy driving into moving away from southern California.. I told him how expensive our house was and he about shit himself.. He and his brother live together and they will have to pay $3000 a month on a "small" townhouse they are planning to buy together.. He currently works 2 jobs and 14 hours a day to pay his rent. (which is twice what I pay a month for our mortgage) anyway... hearing this.. he thought for a second.. then said. "I should move.. I work all the time and never get to enjoy anything around here anyway.. If my house was cheaper I could actually work only one job and have time to do things." I was like.. oh... well... I'm sure it's worth it for the weather here... uhh... I didn't mean to make the guy want to move.. but well.. unless you are loaded, southern California doesn't really make a lot of sense as a place to live. It just doesn't... You have to be bringing in some serious cash in order to live in a somewhat comfortable place... and still have time and money to enjoy the other benefits of the place... sad but true...

anyway, I get on the plane and go... The return trip was pretty uneventful. No delays... I refused to watch the movie ( Music and Lyrics) and so I just watched star wars on my portable player.. By the time I got home it was basically midnight.. I'm exhausted.. and walking through the place to get to the baggage claim.. Apparently I looked friendly because this middle aged woman just decides to strike up conversation... I do my best to give her my attention but it was hard... All she was talking about was the leg room in the plane.. I say.."yeah it can get kinda tight in there." And she just goes on and on about how "Nelson" gets in the aisle seats because you can stick your leg out... but she likes the window cause she can see out.. though you can't really see much can you??? uh.. I guess not I say.. and she just goes on and on about how she needs to use the aisle because she has to go to the bathroom every time... even though she hates using the ones in the plane.. then goes into this story about how she was stuck in the window seat on a flight next to a "young couple" and the girl was asleep and she had to climb over her to get out because she"was just a young girl... probably a young mother trying to rest and have a little getaway" giving me great details like that and that she had "black hair" and her husband "seemed really nice" good times..

I finally somehow escaped that trap.. I think she veered off to the bathroom.. and began the stand around and wait at the baggage claim.. Usually I have to stand around FOREVER and wait.. my bag is always seemingly the last one off the plane. This time I won the baggage lottery.. I was maybe 2nd or third off.. AWESOME.. I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.. Had to brush off some dude in the parking garage looking for jumper cables at 1 AM... and FINALLY I was in my car going home..

Overall.. fun trip... Cali is a REALLY nice place.. just way way way too expensive a place to have to pay to live in... to visit is great.. the food is relatively cheap, the scenery nice.. plenty to see and do.. I didn't get to really take part in any of that, but it was definately a good place to visit. The interview was nice.. it went well... I just don't see it happening. It would be a big step back for us financially just because we would have to pay mountain more for a crappier house... or a freaking condo.. not exactly in my list of wants at this point. I would rather continue to toil in my same crappy job for the same crappy money in relative financial ease, then move to a new place away from everyone and pay as much for our rent as we currently do for our house, 2 cars, cable, cell phones and food.