Monday, June 23, 2014

NYC/CT Recap: Part 1

I just got up from a four hour nap following a pretty long running, but successful, trip back to Santa Monica from Stamford, CT.   What a great time it was in New York and Connecticut.  Meeting some old friends, getting to know some new ones, and the great moments we shared throughout the weekend made the trip quite worthwhile.  So!   I now have the daunting task of recapping it all on the Daveblog, and I want to be as thorough as possible, so we begin with just the first chapter in a series of Daveblogs about my weekend out East.

So get your fresh peach ready, you know I did, and sit back and enjoy

DAVE IN NEW YORK (and Connecticut): Part 1.

The trip began back home, watching this week's Amercia's Got Talent with Coach on a Wednesday night.  Great episode was brewing!   One good act after another but, sadly, we had to put it to bed early because it was 9pm pacific and it was about time to get to the airport.  Coach was kind enough to give me a ride and I went over some of the things I really enjoyed about the New York area.  I could see the familiar sights on Lincoln Blvd: the Toyota Dealer, Swinger's Diner, Bay Cities Deli, the Vons to its right that used to be an Albertson's, stuff like that.   On our way there, we took a slightly unconventional route that went down Sepulveda Blvd. near LAX.   We passed by the LAX are In-N-Out and it reminded Coach of when his family and he had In N Out before a big vacay.   I wanted to do something *like* that... send myself off with a very Californian meal, but I settled for baked salmon and triscuit, which was nice and light.  Good thing, because the next four days were going to be action packed for the stomach.

Anyway, I got to LAX, and check in was fine.  No incidents there.   BUT, after getting to the terminal, I settled down to find a spot at the gate.  I get a bunch of texts from friends asking if I'm watching the Dodger game.  So, I check my phone and see they're up 8-0, and I'm like "good stuff, not a big deal."  I go about my business and then check the phone *again* and I noticed the "0" in the hits column, and I said "no way!!!  Dodgers have a no hitter going!"  I texted my buddies back and it was Clayton Kershaw entering the 9th with no hits allowed.  It was about 50 minutes before boarding so I ran over to the airport bar to see the finish.   Suddenly, I realized, there's a good chance they won't have it if they have DIRECTV, but fortunately, ESPN simulcasted the 9th inning so I got to see the final three outs.   Kershaw completed the no hitter!!!!  I was so pumped... I didn't yell since most of the guys at the bar probably didn't care about the game (LA people man...) but we did get a couple guys clapping too.  I made HUGE claps... fistpumped and everything.  I was *pumped*.  What a way to go into a trip!


So, we were about to board, a guy was sleeping at the gate and I had to go wake him up to make sure he didn't miss the flight.  He was out like a light.  Good thing I reminded him.   We board the plane and take off.  I saved a bunch of albums, and a podcast of the SVP and Russillo show on my phone to help me sleep.  On this flight I worried greatly about the dreaded "crying baby" or "bickering couple."   I got a huge break -- neither of them were aboard this Virgin America flight.  Virgin America really came through in the clutch: even seats in their coach section which they call "main cabin"  are a little bigger than other airlines from my point of view and they have that extra inch of pitch to help you recline.   It did take a while to get to sleep but there was that glorious moment, of about 30-40 minutes, where I got in some hardcore REM sleep.   I was thrilled to get in deep sleep on that flight.  Overall I slept for about 2 hours... maybe half sleeping much of the time.   The music didn't help me sleep much but the flight overall was very quite and I got some great rest for the trip.  

The flight landed at EWR, Newark Liberty Airport, right on time.  Unfortunately, that was the extent for what went "right" at Newark.   Part 2 is coming up, stay tuned!

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