We landed in L.A. early in the morning and stood outside to wait for a shuttle to our hotel, which never arrived. Frustrated and tired, we caught a cab and when we started to get the run-around, i.e., "Which Ramada Plaza? There are many cities and many Ramadas", Barry lost his patience. The driver, pretending to be deeply hurt at Barry's tone, miraculously managed to take us to the right Ramada (the closest one - go figure) and we settled in for a 4 hou...

One week before, and miles to go before we sleep... Margaret is busy editing her school yearbook, Barry is writing a proposal, and C & T have final exams!The packs have been carefully weight-balanced and packed:Barry - 32 poundsMargaret - 18 poundsConnor - 12 poundsTessa - 9 poundsOK, we have some more balancing and re-packing to do...