Day 0 - Final Work Day/First Travel Day

And so it goes. The day started at about 5:20 this morning. I finished up laundry, finished up preparations for termite fumigation (which is to take place while I am away), and finished up packing. Sadly, the planned checked bag weighed in on the bathroom scale 12 lbs over weight limit, so some time was spent ditching expendable things like a jacket, jeans, and shoes. Haha.

Got a ride in to work and stopped by the Starbucks in DTSB for some cafeina.  Then about maybe 3 hours of final wrap-up for work items, and my boss dropped me off at the SB Airbus for transport to LAX right around 11:45am.  The final chat with my boss and the finality of the drop-off finally got the reality of the trip to fully set in. Am still feeling highly ill-prepared for this trip, although that was the intent by design.

Managed to doze a little over the 2 hour airbus ride to LAX, as well as (finally) create this blog.  Planning to write my entries during the afternoon siesta each day -- have been told that only tourists are out and about during siesta in the Iberian Peninsula and are prime targets for pickpocketing... and since napping is not my specialty (today being the exception), I am thinking the siesta blog approach should work well. Vamos a ver...

Arrived at airport a full 4 hours early.  After getting checked in & through customs no problem, the first (and only) airport beer of the afternoon was a Sam Adams draft over a Truffle Burger from Umami Burger. Then my tiredness kicked in -- and since I wanted to save that slumber for the plane, I switched to caffeine and got started on a book.

Got through the first chapter before the eyes started glazing over & the head whips ensued. Gave up on the book and made some final goodbye State-side communications and boarded my Lufthansa flight. Lotsa noisy babies :/ Was glad I brought ear plugs AND noise-canceling headphones. Thankfully the babies settled down and the free alcohol started flowing, ha. 

Went first with their German Pilsner biznazz, then switched to red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon ("from South Africa", I was told) -- that works. Watched the movie Last Vegas. Got a refill on the Cab, watched the movie The Wolverine, and finally fell asleep somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.