skyring

I'm waiting for Jay to wake up, as I have for a large portion of this trip. She sleeps, she naps, she snoozes. And she snacks. And demands bathroom stops just when you get up to eighty.

But she's fun to be with.

Here we are in San Francisco, in the Fort Mason youth hostel. My dorm and hers are at opposite ends of the building, an old sergeants' mess by the look of it. I'm waiting in the lounge, showered, shaved and all the rest of it. But nowhere near packed.

Jay is to meet me at nine - a few minutes away - and we will breakfast at Franco's, overlooking the Bay. Bagels and coffee and OJ. Then we will stow our bags in the luggage room, walk down the hill to Fishermans Wharf, hire bikes and ride out past the Marina, over the bridge, down to Sausalito and catch the ferry back. Optional side trip to see a redwood stand.

Then we meet Shendoah at the hostel, she takes us to dinner at the best burger joint on the West Coast, we drop Jay off at the airport to fly back to NZ, and we go see a San Jose Sharks ice hocky match.

Yesterday, we battled with the authorities at Oklahoma City airport. Despite my incredible status, I ended up on the worst seat on the aircraft, but Jay got a window seat. She then tried to smuggle a bottle of Lemon and Paeroa through security, but was foundout and dragged off to consume it on the other side of the security barrier.

Going through security with her is always an adventure. The scissors, the fluids, the gross overpacking...

The flights were good. I dam' near killed myself reading "Bonk" by Mary Roach. Imagine me in the middle of a row of three, sober businessmen to either side, howling and shrieking with uncontrollable laughter.

Be careful when and where you read this book.

Dallas/Fort Worth was fun. We had Ben and Jerry's, some more unbelievable American food at TGI Fridays, and then hopped a jet to SF.

Taxi ride in from SFO, but it was worth it for the time saved, which we put to good use, once we'd checked in. Fisherman's Wharf and then up to City Lights Bookstore at Columbus and Broadway. One of the world's great book shops, and we spent an hour there, reading and browsing and chatting to the staff.

Chinese tucker after - my first egg foo yong meal - and then back to the hostel to get a load of laundry done as we used the free wifi and colla[sed from exhaustion.

OK. Jay has shown up. She rolls out of bed fresh and sparkling and organised for the day ahead, whereas my gear is randomly distributed over the bunkroom.