Um. Anyway.
Los Angeles smells funny. I knew that, actually. But I forget, when I don't go for a while. I get home, and I smell the air, and it smells like... trees. And dead leaves. (The leaves started falling while I was gone. It was nice to come back to that.) It also comes up fast, when you're flying in. You go from desert, desert, desert, and then all of a sudden, CITY! Which in places looks smudgy, like it's under glass. I like L.A. It has Disneyland. This is a positive thing. I really don't think I could live there, but it's nice to visit.
I haven't been to California since SubCon 2001: A Horse Odyssey. (I think. I'm pretty sure.)
Yes. The RoosHouse is Of The Strong. I am telling you. (Although I doubt I need to tell that to

Additionally, I am no less terrified of the Los Angeles highway system than I was the last time I was in L.A. In fact, it is possible that I am more terrified. Highways twenty lanes across. Overpasses layered six high. Ack. o.O
The pre-con dinner was at Claim Jumpers, which for a delightful change of pace was at a restaurant with lots of stuff I could actually eat. Not that I ate most of it. As advertised, the portions at Claim Jumpers were enormous. Like, half the size of me. I had a bowl of soup and a third of an appetizer platter I shared with
Then we went to Serenity. Of course. (It really doesn't get any easier with repetition. *whimper*)
Saturday: well, it was a big deal. It was big, there was lots of food, and lots of people. The house was gorgeous. The O'Guinns were all friendly, and bustling, and very, very Irish. It went well into the evening, and Kelly would have loved it. There were name-tags. A stroke of genius, actually.
And then there was karaoke. Which was also marvelously appropriate. But perhaps a horrible mistake on my part, as we were sharing the stage with an engagement party, and by the time my turn came around, I had been singing along with so many other people that my range had gone down half an octave. Argh. I feel like I should drag everyone to Rain Dancing just to redeem myself. Many of us were dragged up to sing Cher.
Next morning, we watched Firefly. I think

And then it was morning. I put it so dramatically because, LAX in the morning. Ugh. (YVR has spoiled me. I know this. But. UGH.) Got more shifty looks from the security personnel on both ends, however the flight was made amusing by the two cute Australian boys I had next to me the whole flight. I changed my money back to useable currency inside security, and Dad was waiting outside the doors. We stopped for fish and chips, at a fish and chip shop on 10th I was only vaguely aware was there, and I came home. My Javajewels bracelet had finally shown up. (It is even cooler and weirder than I expected. Bwahah.)
(Oh,
And now I need to unpack... and wait, impatiently, for my feckless presentation partner to send me his half of the précis (hey, Semagic does do French accents!) so I can finish it. I HATE group work. Why are they making us do group work in a 400-level class? We are Arts students. I understand making Sciences majors work in groups; in those fields you *have* to work with people. But English and History majors tend more toward the bitter loner type. Assuming we end up having jobs, of course. ;)
The BCTF is back at work. I find this depressing, considering the circumstances. I WANT MY BLOODY COUP, DAMNIT.
I need to conspire with