The Spy Who Took All My Parking Spaces!
Note to self: When all the signs and signals leading into the airport say, “FULL! FULL! ALL FULL! USE SHUTTLE LOTS!” there may actually be some reason to believe them.
But I was late getting htere, and adding 30+ minutes to the trip (on either end) sounded very unappealing. So I cruised around through the parking structures for 15 instead, trying to find anything, and failing.
Finally chose valet parking, bevcause I was out of time. Yikes!
On the bright side, having now mysteroiusly morphed into a Premier passenger, I was able to (a) skip into the short line at the security checkpoint, (b) board first, and (c) get a free Economy Plus “upgrade.” None of which was to sneeze at.
The flight was only a third full, so I was able to spread out across three seats, and sit in the middle to use the computer (with nobody in front of me to lean back …)
We were delayed by 40-odd minutes taking off because of ice on the bottom of the plane, freezing up “water” lines (which we knew had been solved when the stewardess was able to flush the toilet in the head). We made up about 15 minutes of that time in-flight (I spent the flight finishing my next StoryBall assignment), and then …
Well, then, I got to drive the freeways of SoCal, yippee-skippee. The EverLost system on the Hertz car (a very zippy little Hundai) suggested a variation on a theme — 105-110-5-2-138-210 — but I stuck with the 105-605-210 plan. The Century was, even at 7:30, quite slow, making my 40 mile trip take more like an hour and a half.
So I was not in a good mood by the time I finally figured out where the heck the Hampton Inn was in Arcadia. It’s all in that Restaurant Row area on Huntington, just west/south of the 210. A couple dozen big name chain restaurants, and a lot of hotels all tucked behind them with tiny signs on the street.
By that time it was going on 9, and I was Ravenous (in reality), so I skipped any sort of computer stuff for the evening, grabbed some dinner, read and watched a little TV, and hit the sack.
Very busy day today, and tomorrow. so unknown what sort of posting may go on. But if it does — well, y’all will be the first to know.
IIRC the 605 doesn’t have carpool lanes, or does it? Not that it matters to you as a single occupant vehicle, but the 105-110 route works well if you’ve got passengers. Double-laned HOV between the 105 and downtown in both directions. Mind you, as soon as the HOV lanes run out, it starts sucking the big one. The 605 avoids all the downtown traffic.
While you’re in Arcadia, you may want to check out Din Tai Fung. It’s a dumpling restaurant where they make several of their selections right by the waiting area. Excellent food, but you can expect a wait if you’re not there right when it opens for lunch (10:30 or 11:00) or dinner (5:00). It’s at 1108 South Baldwin Avenue, south of the Santa Anita Mall on the east side of the street.
No, no diamond lanes on the 605, though that was actually the least congested part of the trip.
Thanks for the recommendation on the restaurant (not that there’s any dearth in walking distance of the hotel, let alone in Pasadena). I have about 6 hours of homework already for tonight, plus whatever official business dinner plans there may be, plus a desire to spend (virtual) time with my honeyboo on CoH, so I probably won’t search out the restaurant. But I’m sure Margie is taking notes for our next trip out here …
Welcome back to sunny So Cal! Temps approaching 90 here in Riverside. And winds, too.
Too bad you won’t have time to visit me during this California trip, as this will probably be your very last opportunity to do so! 🙂
Very trepidacious about my upcoming plane trip. Completely unfamiliar with Ontario airport. Add to that the post-9/11 complications, and I fel that I’m in way over my head. Geez, I hate travelling.
Ontario is a relatively innocuous airport. The commercials, though annoying, are correct — the parking and terminal layout is a lot more compact and agreeable than, say, LAX.
On the other hand, because of lack of behind-the-scenes space, the luggage X-rays are out in the lobby area, and you are required to trundle your bags over to them yourself after you check in. Annoying.
So … enough beating around the bush, Avo — what’s the scoop?
Okay, okay. But I was having fun dropping cryptic hints.
By the end of the year, I should be living in the beautiful state of Washington.
I’ve wanted to move there ever since visiting the place as a kid, over thirty years ago. But moving is especially traumatic for me, and I didn’t think I could ever manage it. A friend there has been urging me to move, and I was sorely tempted. When a coworker suggested we could go together, I thought she was joking. When I realized she was serious, I thought it would be nice to have somebody to drive up there with. When I finally figured out she was talking about rooming together, I thought she was crazy. But I think it’ll work. I spend all my time at my computer playing City of Heroes. She spends all her time at her computer playing Final Fantasy. We could go for weeks without seeing each other! We’ll hardly have a chance to get on each other’s nerves.
So, I’m flying up there in a couple of weeks to look at apartments and interview for an entry-level job with Cingular. Then we’re driving up in the last couple of days of 2005. No more 90-degree weather in November! Huzzah!
But I’m scared spitless. Anxiety levels way up. Add to this the fact that I’m working 11-hour shifts right now, and I’m a wreck. I hope I can pull this off. Wish me luck guys.
(And sorry if I’ve hijacked another thread, Dave!)
No problem. Washington has always sounded like a nice place to live (if you don’t mind a lot of rain, at least along the coast).
Hey Avo…we don’t know each other, but we both know ***Dave. I recently moved to SW Washington (I’m closer to Portland, OR than Seattle) from Colorado, I’m not sure where you’re moving to, however, if you want to meet let me know!
🙂
Funny…
Amanda, I have two friends that moved to Boring, OR. (outside of Portland) last year…so it seems like the place to move to.
And…
Huzzah and ‘Grats Avo! 🙂
Thanks! As scary as it is, this should be a good change for me. The main downside is that I won’t be able to pursue my studies in voice acting, as the school only has sites in California.
Amanda, I’ll be moving to a suburb of Seattle. Just about 30 miles north, actually. I’ll let you know once I’m settled in. 🙂
I wonder if you can find some sort of local college work. Certainly there’s room for local voice talent work (for commercials and the like).
Well, I can definitely say I love it. It has rained quite a bit, but so far it has not been the “doom and gloom you won’t ever seen the sun again!” thing that I was promised. It’s still early in the winter though so that could change. However, that goes back to the “I spend all my time at work or at home in front of my computer who needs the sun” thing. 🙂
Please let me know if you want to ask me anything about the area.