Sat 13th- Today with Zac still coughing and now the 7 yr old with a fresh cough....our first day back in LA was indoors with the TV on. Kara came to scout out a local grocery store with me. A kind man from our hotel had pointed one out to me, and as we crossed our first intersection, I decided to verify that we were headed the right way. I turned to another pedestrian and asked if he was a local. He said in a deep movie- style gangster growl, ' I used ta be....

We had no wifi for ages once our first flight had been cancelled, so I had no idea if the booked shuttle had received my email. We staggered out of customs, exhausted and a little overwhelmed, to see no man in a red hat and shirt waiting for us. Our international phone wasn't working, no wifi. The sweet little man at the information desk kept looking at my phone and saying 'why can't you use Internet? Your phone has wi-five.' So cute. I eventually decided w...