Phoenix Rising

Off to the airport – yes I know what you are thinking – yet again.

Arrive two hours before flight and a nice smooth check-in. I ask for an empty seat next to me which I am given but not promised will survive.

Through customs and immigration, collect my GST refund and up to the Qantas lounge where I have a quick last minute snack before the flight.

Mercifully the seat next to me is empty and with a window seat that is usually good. The man in the aisle seat with, well let me say, rather large. I did manage to get up once and go to the toilet and even then he looked unhappy at being asked to move.

Immigration at LA looked like long queues but moved quite quickly, luggage up and out of the airport. I booked the Radisson at LAX thinking it was, well, at LAX – no wait for 10 minutes and a shuttle bus to get there. Despite having made arrangements for an early check-in, no room was ready. The clerk said “3:00pm is check-in time and our agreement to an early check-in is only a request”. I won’t explain my response other than to say I got a room 30 minutes later.

I went to Fox Hill Mall (Westfield are doing it up to be something special) as much to my annoyance, even more sitting here now, I forgot the charger for my computer. I also discovered that the SIM card for my US phone had to be changed as the one I had was faulty. With the charger came some additional tips etc. to allow me to charge my phones etc. But of course he didn’t sell me the intervening cable. I phoned and he said come down and he would refund it – yeah sure I was going to pay another $26 to do this. Instead I wrote to the company that makes it and they are shipping me on to Las Vegas no charge.

It was now around 4:00pm and I didn’t want to go to bed as that would have been a bad move. So I arranged for a massage at the hotel, had an early dinner and after dealing with a few emails and doing BAS statements it was off to bed.

I managed to sleep for 12 hours which was great. After packing off to the airport for the short hop to Phoenix. I checked in my baggage – which was overweight but I managed to take some stuff out to make it comply and then put it back in when moving it on to the XRay machine.

I then found the 600 metre queue to get into the terminal (35 minutes) so somebody could check my passport to see I was who I was supposed to be and then another 15 minuted through security. The USA shouldn’t wonder if international arrivals start to fall as this was a tiring exercise standing outside on the kerb in the sun for 25 minutes. Anyway flight all good and I was met by my friend Graeme.

Back to his house to catch up with Penny and the kids and to my holiday ‘villa’ with everybody for a swim and the kids to use the slide and lazy river. Don’t get me wrong the villa is excellent, very well appointed and very comfortable indeed – but hey I forgot to ask for a villa with a window or any portal to the outside world. Yes folks the living room is fully enclosed by nothing other than doorways to the bathroom, bedroom and entry. I went down the “show me the last room you would have shown me path” but was told I had booked a deluxe room and all of them were like this whereas I should have booked a Superior Room. Ah….I know for next time.

A swim for me (yes I do own a bathing suit) and off to Tex-Mex for dinner with my friends and the kids. All good and actually quite tasty….remind me to ask for no refried beans with every meal I order here.

Home to bed, a dodgy computer and a dodgy internet connection.

Had a shortish night and woke up to the maintenance man coming to fix the internet at 07:20 which I was aware was coming. Spent the next 2 hours finishing off BAS statements and paying money to the ATO and off for lunch with Graeme at….you guessed It Tex-Mex. While I guess I am in that part of the world. I drifted from the theme by having a shrimp caeser salad.

Mooched around for the afternoon and off to their house for a BBQ dinner – I am making the desert as my contribution.

Catch you all soon
XD