Reporting in from California

We left Omaha this morning in a cold rain and landed first in Denver, where it was only cold, and then in Orange County with the sun brightly shining, and the surfers waiting, as they seem to always be doing, for just the right wave.  You obviously have to be very patient to be a surfer.  

This time of year is normally pretty quiet in the beach communities south of Los Angeles, but it is something worse than quiet this year.  Obviously, the economy here is in bad shape.  Many stores have closed up since we were last here in October.  There were very few people on the sidewalks. The Beach House Restaurant, a popular local restaurant overlooking the beach and the ocean had a total of 6 customers, including the two of us for most of the time while we were eating. The place is usually packed.  Anyone care to buy a nice place on the beach?  This might be your opportunity.

It isn't often that something funny happens when you travel.  At least the opposite is certainly more common in our experience.  But today was the exception.  As we were waiting for our luggage to come off the plane there was a public address announcement requesting that a Mr Wilson please return to his plane so that it could continue to San Jose, and that Mr. Wilson was not in San Jose as he apparently thought.  I don't suppose he found it amusing that he was over 400 miles from where he thought he was.  Oh well, some days are like that! 

Tomorrow the schedule is to spend a leisurely morning, have lunch and drive up to LAX airport to meet Lillian and Rebecca.  Then off to New Zealand at 10 PM.

Three Days to Liftoff

Susan and I leave Tuesday morning for LA, and will be spending the night at the Laguna Riviera Resort in Laguna Beach before leaving for NZ late Wednesday evening.  We didn't want to take chances on the midwest weather by flying to LA and on to NZ on the same day, having had plenty of experience with canceled flights the past year or so.  Rebecca and Lillian will arrive Wednesday afternoon, and the four of us catch the 10:00 pm Air New Zealand flight to Aukland....13 hours non-stop, arriving Friday morning.  Guess we should have flown out on Sunday evening, which, thanks to crossing the date line, would have let us miss Monday. I ask you: what better day of the week could there possibly be to miss? I'll keep that in mind for next time.  Scott and Claira will be a couple days behind us since Claira has a few exams to take before spring break.

Susan has been clearing out all the leftovers from the refrigerator, the last piece of cherry pie is gone (sob, sob), and all the stuff we are taking is piled up in the spare bedroom, to be crammed into suitcases tomorrow.  We better leave soon or all the food in the house will be gone, and I'll be reduced to eating 10 year old freeze dried food left over from backpacking trips.  Maybe a friendly neighbor (hint, hint) would save me from that fate?  ;-)  Jim

Gearing up for NZ. 27 Days to departure and counting

Lots of email flying back and forth today between MD and NE concerning what to take and what to expect when we get to NZ. Also, Susan and I made a shopping trip to the Backwoods store (who, of course, have a sale going on) and the bike store to pick up some bike shorts and jacket.  Simon recommends marino wool for jerseys, socks, etc., stating that even the sheep in NZ wear it.  (Humor was always one of Simon's weaker attributes.) We leave Omaha on February 28th.  Stay tuned for updates.  Jim