So this is the first proper entry in the U-U-USA blog as the web-o-sphere is lovingly referring to it these days. 24 hours ago I was thrashing around in my bed trying to sleep, but kept awake by things i'd forgotten. There was a incident where i'd lost my wee HD vid camera i'd specifically bought for the trip. the looking for it was fierce but alas i'd have to leave without it. So we got up at 7:15am. quick showers and then last minute checks. I missed Gerb's final goodbyes and for that i'm sorry, but i'm getting him a gift from every state to make up for it (not). Then we hit the road at 8:30. Just as we were driving along the road to the airport beck shouts "whats that" as she hold up a little black bag, "a camera" I say sheepishly. The camera we'd spent the whole last night tearing the house apart for looking, was in the car all along. Hurrah! The camera was found! Through the airport nice and quick and straight onto the plane with only time for a boots meal deal for brekkie. The plane has TV's on the back of the head rests, awesome. Well they're touch screen so the woman behind Beck spends half the journey poking hers (and Becks head) mercilessly. so 6 CSI's (2xNY,LA, Miami) and a couple of sleeps and meals later and we're in Newark. 1/2hour late but ho hum. Then the fun starts, we have 1.5 hours to get through the terrorist checks (slow) then get our bags (quick) then navagate the being refurbished Newark airport (slow) and finally through security again. So we're waiting in line and our plane leaves in 35 mins. I'm sweating cobbs, and it looks like we'll just make it as I approach the guy "you see this S on your ticket sir, this means you've been selected for additional screening" Even before I left Belfast the b******s had sold me out! SO I go through, get the old cloth check on my bag as well as body check (my rivets were beeping), behind me Beck's having a heart attack, when I finally we get free we run to the gate. As we approach it reads Sacramento, WTF! Turns out they changed our gate last minute from 73 to 137, the furthest gate away. So we run like remo, me with no belt, trousers falling down and Beck looking like we just won and then lost a million dollars. Then I heard over the tannoy "the boarding gate for Los Angeles will close in 5 mins" 4 mins later we make it on the plane. we just sit in silence for the next 20 min's while we take off. It was all fine after that, though. Nice on time flight to LA. A nice man at the airport let us use his Cell(ha-ha) to phone for our shuttle bus. I forgot to tip them , tho, Oh well. Our hotel is really nice, funkier than George Clinton at a Brie factory. We had a turkey club sammich between us that would of fed 5 people. It was delicious, oh and we've free Wi-fi! Soon we will need to get the car and drive to San Fran. 9hr drives are always fun. On the wrong side of the road. In a car the size of a tank. Wish us luck!