Go West!

So I find myself in Modesto, CA. Staying at a Holiday Inn Express. I started to laugh when I signed the "aware of active train" clause on my ticket and their are earplugs on the counter!! I think so far the highway is much noisier (much more constant). Getting here was an adventure.

The day started off at 6:30AM, 8:45 flight. Tried out US Airways this time. I've done Denver and LAX but thought I'd travel by way of Phoenix this time. I was routed through Phoenix to Las Vegas to Fresno. I'm sure the airports were nice, but I only saw them in fast forward. It felt like I was on The Amazing Race/ Treasure Hunters, etc. As soon as I would land I would have 15 minutes to find my next destination and then book it so it wouldn't leave without me because the flights were already boarding as I landed!!

The flights were fun though. Plenty of Hobbit Time (LOTR ROTK audio book). First flight I had two seats to myself with lots of leg room (front row).

Second flight (PHX to LAS) I browsed the skymall catalog. Had a fun talk with my neighbor about the strange things you never knew you needed.

Third leg was the exit row. My exit row buddy just happened to be an electrical engineer who used to work on RF and now does non-polluting power plants! He lives in the Sierra Nevadas near Yosemite in a town called Big Tree and actually has a sheer granite dome in his backyard! Of course the irony of producing all this power from wind, hydro, etc. and it is all sent to Los Angeles.

All in all it was a good day. I hope the work goes well too. Sure would like to explore Yosemite or San Francisco, but we shall see. Both are ~2 hour drives from where I am. Would make for some long days.

And I thought it was 'sunny' California. We Oklahomans come here and it starts to rain. (Doesn't help it's the rainy season), 60s and 40s all week.... just like back home!