So happy to be home. It’s about 1:30 on Friday morning and I just got in. I’m going to upload these pictures now…including the ones I was unable to load last night…  and (maybe) add some text tomorrow when I’m more awake.

Flashback… yesterday morning I was going for a run and  ran into friends Brad and Bill.. We went for a short run through downtown LA… it was good to have folks to talk to while running..

LA reminds me of Houston with hills… ..not beautiful.. not ugly… kinda utilitarian.. but with  more plastic surgery

One spectacular aspect was that th jacaranda were in bloom.. they look like something right out of Dr. Suess…

I already wrote about yesterdays meetings..not much new to report there.. Here’s the crowd from dinner last night.. me, leon. Dr. Evil (dave) Jim, Dennis, Jerry and Bill. It was a really good dinner and a really good conversation.. I’ve been thinking about it all day..

We saw some real signs of Hollywood on the walk back.. We saw these signs.. and a car with a video camera mounted on its hood.. I think they might have just been thrown in for tourists like us to make it feel like we ere in movieland.

We took a brief stop by the hotel bar… here are leon and bill

… and Bryan and Mark P. (my cousin)

On my way up to my room I saw this great old picture of the opening ball for this hotel. It was in 1927.. it was cool seeing all these folks in the same space I was standing.

I was particularly struck by this women who seems to be holding her ears… I wonder what it was she did not want to hear ?

Ok.. now it’s today.. not much new here.. a travel day mostly.. I had calls starting right after 6… then I headed to the airport at 10. I got there only to find that my planes was delayed  to the point of missing my connection in DC. that would have meant an overnight flight.. ugh.. I worked with the travel folks to reroute me..I bought a one-way ticket on delta..  and for the trouble.. I was chosen for the extra-super-duper screening.. it took about 20 minutes.. they went through absolutely everything I was carrying.. I had to explain my blinking light headband several times… after my backpack set off the explosion sensor.. they said it’s not uncommon.. the screened it tiwce and never found out what had made the alarm go off..

I got on the plan only to find Bill and Bruce and Charles on the same plane. I ended up sitting most of the time next to bill.. We had a great time geeking out on work technical stuff,. family stuff, people stuff. I’ve known him forever.. but never had a chance to talk to him this much. He’s such a great guy.  

Later in the flight I went and hung out with Bruce.. who gave me some great tips on this upcoming education talk I’m doing.    When I went back to my seat, I pulled out a SamStone to give to Bill.. and while I was at it, I gave one to the woman seated to my right .  Her name was Francis .. and it turns out that her 45 year old daughter Ruby died 2 weeks ago after being in a diabetic coma for a year.  We talked for a while about Sam.. and about Ruby.. it was a sad moment.. but good..

We got to JFK roughly on time.. I had to run to terminal 6 to get my JetBlue flight to BTV. As I walked away from the security checkpoint.. I couldn’t help noticing how uncomfortable my shoes were.. I took off my left shoe only to find that I’d been walking around on my glasses.. I’d stuck them in there for the xray screening

I ran into my friends Sue B and Paul Z waiting for the same plane.. we had a good work talk as we waited to baord.  as We were walking on the plane, Sue found this little packet on the jetway…

It used to contain medicinal marijuana breath strips… Is that wierd or what ?

Our good friend Clint was on the plane right in front of me.. he and 4 other work buddies had taken the day off, flown down to NYC and gone to see a baseball game. together . How cool is that ?!?

We got in to Burlingotn just after midnight.. after wandering around in the parking lot for awhile.. I found the car.. and sleepily drove home..   Max was there waiting for me. It is so wonderful seeing him.. he looks great.. and seems really happy to be done with classes.. I couldn’t stop hugging him

He’s just gone to bed.. and so must I !.. More tomorrow.. Gnite all !.. Gnite Sam !
-me

Today’s meetings were very good.. lots of new information.. lots of perspective on our business. I’m glad that I’m here.  There are about 3000 people here from my division… What a cool geekfest !

We were inside in meetings all day… I did step outside for 30 seconds in the middle of the day just to show that I could.. and here’s proof.

Around  7PM they crammed us all in buses and took us out on the LA freeways headed towards Universal studios..

The traffic here is really, really bad.. I couldn’t do this every day !

We did catch a quick glimpse of the Hollywood sign, but that’s about as much sightseeing as we were able to do.

We got to Universal at abut8Pm…  Universal is a combination working movie set and theme park

Here’s a shot of the various studio buildings from above..

They had all sorts of interesting props laying around.. Like this is the real capsule used in the making of Apollo 13…  pretty cool…

Bruce, Brian, Brett  and I took a great back stage tour bus ride. here’re Bruce and Brett

and our very funny trolley guide.

It was hard to photograph most of what we saw.. but much of it involved fire !.. like this wharf fire  scene..

and this car crash scene

Here’s the original Psycho scene..   and look. there’s vacancy !

Here’s one of the sets from the Grinch …

… and a warehouse fire scene… lots and lots of fire !

On the way out we came upon Lisa and Tom getting their characture down… Aren’t they cute ?

We then went on several rides.. the mummy and Jurassic Park.. both pretty good.. Here’s our triumphant splash down after the Jurassic Park log ride.

In front of the ride was this cryptic sign…

Okay my switched children.. time for sleep.. talk to you all tomorrow.  Love you all.. love you Sam !
-me

A I left, I decided that my trusty Canon Powershot that has traveled with me to the four corners of the earth these past 14 months was in need of some time off.. Her (I think it’s a her)  pictures are getting increasingly fuzzy ..  Gabe offered to lend me his camera for this trip while we send the old one in for some TLC.. The old girl has been around the world completely 3 times in 14 months.. plus G-d knows how many other trips. .

The trip out to LA was pretty uneventfull.. I did manage to see some luggage thrown from a trolley in O’hare.. Pretty dramatic.. makes me doubly resolved to only do carry-on.

The trip from Chicago to LA was pretty funny. I was in the back (read non reclinable) window seat next to the lav’s.. .. A little kid came and sat down next to me.. and immediately started talking to me in French.. and pulling at my beard. He was really cute.. but I had no idea what he was saying.. His mother sat down and I learned that they were Iranian .. living in Paris and basically commuting between Paris and LA..   The kid’s name is Milad… and his mom told me her husband, Darisuh Eghbal ,   is ‘the Michael Jackson of Iran’..

 From what I can see on the internet.. I believe she may be right. There’s a ton of stuff on him out there

.. He was a really, really nice guy as was Milad’s mom…

Milad and I had a pretty good time on the trip out.. even though all we had in common were my 50 words of French .. (Gabe.. thanks for helping me study last night .. at lest I could count !!!)

Here’s Milad drawing a picture of me..

And here we are toasting our good flight…  happy cheers everyone.

He stole my camera and took this picture of me with it.. Not bad for a 3 year old !.

We got to LA in 4 hours.. it went pretty quickly .. LA is such a strange thing to fly over.. it’s much prettier close up !

Once we landed, I gave Milad’s mom a Samstone for her to give to her sister to take back to Tehran.. They can’t go back there because they’re considered dissidents.   After those guys left the plane, I found Milad’s spider man…

Luckily I ran into them again in the baggage claim… They were a very nice family..

It was about 6 by the time I caught the bus to the hotel.. The bus guy gave me a handful of popcorn to tied me over..

From there I went to the convention to register.. and caught the tail end of the registration cocktail party. I ran into a ton of friends…   it was nice to see everyone.. A few of us walked back to the hotel and stopped in a bar for a beer… I only hung out for a short bit.. I’m really beat.. I was back at the hotel by 10.. I’m determined not to run myself ragged this trip… And in that spirit.. I’m going to say goodnight.. and which everyone a happy Cinco del Mayo .. Buenos Noches Sam !

-me