Blogging From Movie State

The last few days have been so busy that I've not had time to write in my diary, let alone post blog entries here.

We arrived in Movie State at approximately seven o'clock in the evening Western Time, or about ten o'clock in the evening back East.

It took us about an hour to find our luggage and get out of Gay City International Airport, after which we promptly went to a hastily-selected Italian restaurant just south of Gay City and sat down to a delicious meal at what would have been one o'clock in the morning had we been back home.

The food waa really exquisite, among the best we've had since coming here, and it's a shame that we were too tired to really stop and enjoy it. By the time that I'd gotten through several pieces of sourdough bread and a plate of veal topped with mushroom sauce, I was so exhausted that it was all I could do not to fall over onto Powell's shoulder.

The owner of the establishment, who'd let us in at the last moment despite the fact that he was getting ready to close when we arrived, seemed pleasantly surprised when we tore through our scrumptious dinner in the course of about twenty minutes and were then quickly out the door.

I'd like to go back to that place before we leave, although such an excursion would be unlikely, so that I could enjoy its dishes at a more leisurely pace.

Following our departure from there, we checked in to a hotel very near the airport, hauled our luggage upstairs, and prepared to go to sleep.

I had planned on falling into bed immediately, but Powell wanted to explore a little bit and so we went down in search of the pool and "spa" that we'd heard the hotel would have.

This effort proved to be futile, as the pool was disgusting and the mythical spa, which looked as if it hadn't been properly cleaned in about a year, all the more so.

We left early the next morning and drove down to Impossibly Beautiful City, a West Coast town an hour or so south of Gay City that is one of the most stunning places I've ever had the honor to visit or experience.

Powell and I started joking about simply staying here when the trip was over, an idea that Aunt Crazy seemed inappropriately supportive of.

"Really, though," she said on Wednesday afternoon as we arrived at our second hotel. "All you'd have to do is not get back on the plane."

Her eyes twinkled with wistful adventurism. "That's what I'd do if I were your age."

"Mom," Cool Cousin has laughed at this overt encouragement. "Don't tell them that."

She seems to think that Aunt Crazy is just humoring us. In truth, though, there's nothing joking about her sentiments, which makes them so much more funny.

On Wednesday we stayed the night at a smaller hotel, so far the only place that has given us free Internet access (our current location charges $5.95 per fifteen-minute session, which is why I'm doing this from Gay City Public Library).

The computer monitor is telling me that I have six minutes left i this session, so I have to leave, but I'll post more later.