Up Up and Away

Arrive at the airport at 14:30 for the 16:25 flight - smooth check-in but am told flight is 100% full not one empty seat. Oh well win some lose some. Now for some reason I still haven't worked out I still have some status with United airlines so Nye and I were assigned economy plus while Ally and Auryn sat down the back in regular economy. The five inches (12cms) of extra legroom was quite a luxury for me and especially for the very tall Nye. Note to self - they offer Economy plus for just $185 at the airport if there are seats available - simply ask.

I slept for most of the flight - maybe 10 out of 13 hours so that was good but departing 30 minutes late and being kept in a holding pattern for another 45 minutes at the other end ain't my idea of joy.

Relatively smooth path through immigration where everybody wears a gun and customs where everybody wears a gun. Now if anybody recalls any violence in customs or immigration halls in the USA I would be pleased to be reminded of same.

On the Skytrain to collect the car only to find that the small SUV we had booked had an open luggage area which had a sign above it saying "break in and steal my luggage" printed just above the numberplate. We switched to a Chrysler 300 which is a very nice 6 cylinder 3.5 litre tank but drives well.

To the apartment hotel only to find that they had us booked in from 20th December not November - must admit partly my fault but mainly theirs. My enquiry was for 20th November but when they sent the confirmation I apparently put Friday 20th December - which in itself should have rung a bell. Anyway they arranged for two one bedroom apartments one of which had just had its carpet cleaned due to a curry smell - it is fine.

We dropped off our luggage and went across the Golden Gate bridge to have lunch at Sausalito as well as a shmooze through some of the galleries. Now I have to say that Auryn to this point was exceptionally well behaved both on the plane and afterwards - not a complaint, cry or anything. But for some reason when we hit one gallery he became HYPER so we excused ourselves and left after which he was again great - obviously turned on by artworks.

Back to the hotel via Lombard Street with the Griffiths heading off to bed while I go to the nearby Wholefoods supermarket and buy some chowder, raspberries and blueberries for dinner and just in case I wake in the middle of the night.

Anyway here I am off to bed.
Keep well all
XD